Introduction

Hello, I'm Tetsu, and I joined the company in March 2025! In this article, I interviewed new members who joined us in March 2025 and gathered their first impressions after joining KINTO Technologies. I hope this article will be helpful for those interested in KINTO Technologies (KTC from now on) and serve as a nice reflection for those featured here!

Osada Yoshihiro

• Self-introduction

  • My name is Osada from the Group Core Systems Division. I’m in charge of the Business Development Team and the global community website TOYOTA Community by KINTO.

• How is your team structured?

  • There are about 40 members in the Group Core Systems Division. We have members from various countries who communicate in Japanese, English, and various other languages. Our division includes the Business Development Group, the Systems Development Group, and the Common Service Development Group.
  • The Business Development Group is responsible for global leasing systems.
  • The Systems Development Group handles the planning, development, and operation of the Global KINTO ID Platform and TOYOTA Community by KINTO.
  • The Common Service Development Group develops and manages the Membership Platform, the Payment Platform, and the recently launched AI Platform.

• **What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises? **

  • I noticed that the company offers a variety of club activities and after-hours events, like the optional Beer Bash. The automotive club in particular seems very active, with events like race viewings and circuit karting. Even non-members can join some of the events, which gives the impression that both work and club life at KTC are full of energy.

• What’s the atmosphere like on the team?

  • We start each day with a cheerful “Good morning!” Our team is made up of people from different countries and professional backgrounds, and we make progress through open and friendly discussions.

• **How did you feel about writing a blog post? **

  • I thought it was a great opportunity to help others learn more about KTC and the Group Core System Division.　It also gave me a chance to reflect on my own experience.

• KJ-san -> Question to Yoshihiro Osada-san

  I heard you’re a big fan of movies. Could you recommend a few that you think are must-sees?

  • One movie I’d really like everyone at KTC to watch is "Tucker: The Man and His Dream." It’s a 1988 American film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive produced by George Lucas, with an outstanding team behind it. It’s set in a different era, but the passion for cars really comes through.

Tetsu

• Self-introduction

  • My name is Tetsu, and I work as a platform engineer in the Platform Group!

• How is your team structured?

  • I belong to the Platform Engineering Team within the Platform Group, which consists of six members at the Jimbocho office and three members at the Osaka Tech Lab.
  • Even though there’s a physical distance between Tokyo and Osaka, we stay connected using tools like Slack, Gather, etc. We also plan study sessions together with members from both locations!

• **What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises? **

  • Nothing big in particular. At first, I thought it might be hard to communicate with people from other teams since our offices are in different locations. But thanks to events like BeerBash and active internal clubs, we have plenty of chances to interact with other teams, which makes our work much smoother.

• What’s the atmosphere like on the team?

  • We have serious technical discussions and enjoy casual chats during breaks in a friendly atmosphere. When I mentioned that I wanted to study Kubernetes, some members in Osaka said they were interested too. That’s why we decided to plan study sessions together, and now we hold them across different groups, including Cloud Infrastructure Team and the DBRE team.

• **How did you feel about writing a blog post? **

  • I used to read blog posts like this when I was thinking about changing jobs. So now that I’m the one writing it, I feel a bit nervous, especially when I think that someone out there might be doing the same. (laughs).

• Yoshihiro Osada-san -> Question for tetsu-san

  Can you recommend some good lunch spots around the Jimbocho Office?

  • I’m a big fan of noodles, so I often go to Marugame Seimen or Kasugatei for abura soba (soupless ramen). There’s also a tendon (tempura rice bowl) place called Hachimaki that I’ve been curious about, so let's check it out together next time you come to Jimbocho!

YY

• Self-introduction

  • I'm a back-end engineer in the Common Service Development Group.

• How is your team structured?

  • We have 13 members working on development at the Muromachi office.

• **What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises? **

  • I felt very reassured by how well the onboarding and follow-up process was set up when I joined the company. I was also impressed by the team’s strong culture of thorough documentation, which helps accumulate and share operational know-how.

• What’s the atmosphere like on the team?

  • I think everyone works with mutual respect. Our team policy is to "speak up without hesitation," and it's a really reassuring environment where someone is always willing to help if you're stuck.

• **How did you feel about writing a blog post? **

  • I've never been the type to take the initiative with things like this, so I was very happy to be given the opportunity. I also hope it lowers the barrier for me to write more in the future.

• tetsu-san -> Question for YY-san

  I think you mentioned that you had a car when you joined the company, but do you have any particular preferences when it comes to yours?

  • I'm not sure if you’d call it a “preference,” but I guess I’d say choosing the body color I like. Even if I payed additionally for it, I went with the one that catched my eye, without worrying about resale value.

Namiki Yuji

• Self-introduction

  • My name is Yuji Namiki, and I’m part of the Innovation Drive Team within the Corporate IT Group.
  • I mainly work on solving problems in KTC's M365 environment, verifying and implementing new technologies, and supporting the IT operations of dealers.

• How is your team structured?

  • There are nine members in the team, including myself. Our members are spread across multiple locations: Muromachi, Jimbocho, and Nagoya.

• **What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises? **

  • My first impression was, “People respond on Slack incredibly fast!” I was surprised by the overall speed of communication. It felt like the entire organization shares a strong habit of quickly checking Slack notifications and replying right away.
  • Something I didn’t expect was how well-organized the internal documentation already was, considering how new the company is. I was also impressed by how effectively tools like Confluence and SharePoint are used. If I ever have a question, I can usually solve it myself by asking our in-house generative AI or checking the internal portal. That kind of environment was a pleasant surprise.

• What’s the atmosphere like on the team?

  • It's a friendly atmosphere where it’s easy to start a conversation or invite someone out for a meal. There are lots of great restaurants around the office, so lunch is always something to look forward to. Having some mazesoba (mixed noodles) after work is also a highlight.
  • We have good working relationships with team members at other locations too. Being able to meet and work with them in person every few months really helps.
  • I also appreciate how company events make it easy to connect with people from other departments. (It's only been three months since I joined, but I’ve already had the chance to talk to around 50 to 70 people from other divisions. That makes me really happy!)

• **How did you feel about writing a blog post? **

  • I was honestly happy when the team managing the Tech Blog reached out to us directly. After joining the company, I had been wanting to write for the Tech Blog, and this also gave me a great chance to reconnect with my fellow new hires. I’d like to take this opportunity to keep writing and posting on the Tech Blog in the future. (Aiming for one post a month!)

• YY-san -> Question for Namiki Yuji-san

  We're both in the same sauna club. Are there any sauna spots you're interested in lately?

  • I’m really curious about Everyday Sauna Koshigaya (in Japanese), which just opened this May! It’s the third branch, following Maebashi (the first) and Hachioji (the second). What makes the Koshigaya location unique is that it’s the first to offer an herbal bubble bath, a new feature for Everyday Sauna. I'd love to go there with the sauna club members sometime!

KJ

• Self-introduction

  • I used to be really into golf. I practiced so much that I got blood blisters. I started playing in my late 30s and was half-seriously dreaming of becoming a senior professional golfer (laughs). But after the COVID-19 outbreak, I started playing less and eventually stopped practicing, so my skills declined. Then in April 2025, I was deeply moved by McIlroy completing his career Grand Slam at the Masters, and it inspired me to start over.

• How is your team structured?

  • At KINTO, where I’ve been seconded, I’m part of a four-person team called the Business Project Improvement Team, which focuses on improving leasing operations. At KTC, I’m not assigned to a specific team.

• **What was your first impression of KTC when you joined? Were there any surprises? **

  • My first impression was that KTC isn’t a bureaucratic, top-down organization. Instead, it’s full of people who look at the company as a whole and think independently about what they can and should do. The surprising part, in a good way, was that it didn’t feel like a typical Toyota-style company.

• What’s the atmosphere like on the team?

  • Since this division handles the leasing operations at the core of KINTO services, the atmosphere is pretty structured and organized. At the same time, the team is made up of friendly and unique individuals with all kinds of backgrounds. Our team is always looking for ways to improve quality and cut down workload and lead time. We have a healthy culture of questioning the status quo in a constructive way.

• **How did you feel about writing a blog post? **

  • I thought it was an interesting initiative. I'm grateful for the spotlight on new employees, who often go unnoticed, and I think it also provides helpful insight for people considering applying or joining the company, since it’s coming from someone they can relate to.

• Namiki Yuji-san -> Question for KJ-san

  How do you interact with members of other departments?

  • I’m the only person in my division who was hired in Nagoya, so I’m usually based in the Nagoya office instead of the Muromachi office. There are far fewer KTC members in Nagoya compared to Muromachi, but because of the smaller number, we feel closer to each other and often have work-related conversations and casual conversations with people from other divisions. We also go out for lunch quite often. In addition, as I’ve been seconded to KINTO's Business Division, I’m gradually getting to know more people through the leasing operations. I'm hoping to make 100 friends in the next year or two (laughs).

Finally

Thank you to everyone for sharing your impressions after joining the company!

KINTO Technologies continues to welcome new members on a regular basis! We'll be posting more stories from our newcomers across divisions, so stay tuned!

And yes: we're still hiring! KINTO Technologies is looking for new teammates to join us across a variety of divisions and roles. For more details, click here!