[Part 1] Ichiro Kitazato

I chose to major in applied chemistry because I wanted to carry on the spirit of jitsugaku, a teaching of both Yukichi Fukuzawa and my grandfather (Shibasaburo Kitasato), and contribute to society through pharmaceuticals. Therefore, for my graduation thesis research at the university, I studied under Dr. Sumio Umezawa, who was renowned for his research on streptomycin. I conducted experiments on the manufacturing process of antibiotics and wrote my graduation thesis based on the results.

For my employment, I chose Meiji Seika, which at the time was manufacturing and selling penicillin and streptomycin, and was also planning to develop new antibiotics. Meiji Seika was a confectionery company founded in 1916 that contributed to society with the corporate philosophies of "improving food culture" and "promoting nutritional health." However, in 1946, 30 years after its founding, it entered the pharmaceutical business and has since developed as a food and pharmaceutical conglomerate.

After joining Meiji Seika in 1955, I was assigned to the pharmaceutical manufacturing plant I had hoped for, where I worked alongside many employees on the floor, in the process of extracting and purifying active ingredients from antibiotic culture broths. Of course, the knowledge and skills I acquired during my university days were useful, but the "power of harmony" (wa ni yoru chikara) that I learned through team sports as a member of the Faculty of Engineering's rugby team was also a great help.

In 1965, exactly 10 years after joining the company, I felt I had hit some kind of invisible wall. I had been given the job I wanted and was able to contribute to society while enjoying the pleasure of making things, but I wanted to experience firsthand the mindset of people in a similar environment in the United States, so I took paid leave and attempted to travel to the US at my own expense. However, since I had to pay for all the preparations myself, including learning English conversation, I didn't have enough money. I even had the company buy a 50-page report I wrote on pharmaceutical manufacturing technology in the US for 100,000 yen.

This month-long "escape" to the United States led to a major change in my life. In 1966, I was ordered to go on an overseas business trip, and the following year, in 1967, I was transferred to the development department at the head office. After that, I became busy with international activities, such as in- and out-licensing of new drugs. My work was recognized, and I was appointed as a director in 1985, and 10 years later, in 1995, I became president.

It is important for a company to always be conscious of its philosophy and to clarify its corporate stance in order to enhance its value. Meiji Seika's confectionery can soothe people's hearts, and its medicines can heal their bodies. And we are determined to always meet consumer expectations for safety and security.

In 2003, after serving four terms and eight years as president, I became chairman. It is important to forge your own path. I greatly hope that as many young people as possible who visit this website will come to the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University.