Employee Interviews

To Make the World Smile

Hirayama joined FAST RETAILING in 2011 thinking that it would be the best platform to accomplish two of her goals: to challenge herself and to bring joy to people around the world. Today she is doing just that and thriving as a GU store manager.

To Make the World Smile

When I was little I wanted to be a politician. This was because I thought it would be a way to bring smiles to the faces of people worldwide. When I was at university I participated in United Nations refugee support activities. It was there that I had a chance to work with FAST RETAILING and learned about its corporate social responsibility initiative involving the distributing of clothing to refugee camps. That was also where I first encountered GU.

Meaningful Work to Change the World

The more I learned about FAST RETAILING, the more I was intrigued. It resonated with me. Through the company’s mission to “change clothes, change conventional wisdom, change the world” I felt a way to bring joy to people around the world at FAST RETAILING, so I jumped at the chance to join GU when I graduated as it was just getting off the ground.

A Path to Rapid Growth

Another factor that played into my decision was that FAST RETAILING is entirely performance based. I thought that I would be given all kinds opportunities at a young age. After the first six months I was a store manager. After my first year I transferred to our Tokyo head office where I was put in charge of hiring new graduates. Not long ago I was made store manager of our Shinjuku Sanchome store just after it opened. Things here move at a dizzying speed—faster even than I expected.

Given Responsibility, Given Opportunity

At FAST RETAILING, the store manager is in charge. He or she dictates how a store operates and is always faced with key decisions. There aren’t many companies that will throw someone young—someone my age—into a position of such importance and responsibility. I want to take this responsibility and my experience here and ultimately forge this into a business that brings happiness to people around the world. I have always wanted to challenge myself. Our top executives say GU is a place where anything is possible. I believe that. And with FAST RETAILING aiming to be the top company in the world, I can’t think of a better place to both challenge myself and have a significant impact on the world.