--In your flourishing role as a Marine Biology specialist, you are rarely far from the media these days, making regular appearances in print and on our screens. You’re known as The Oceanic Headhunter, but what exactly does a job like that entail?
My job is to gather highly specialized and specific marine life from around the world and supply it directly to scholars, aquariums and museums all over the world. When I started out, my main focus was on supplying pet shops but it wasn’t long before I began to concentrate on supplying aquatic-life, specially requested by academics and aquariums.
My job is to gather highly specialized and specific marine life from around the world and supply it directly to scholars, aquariums and museums all over the world. When I started out, my main focus was on supplying pet shops but it wasn’t long before I began to concentrate on supplying aquatic-life, specially requested by academics and aquariums.
I’ve always had a love affair with the ocean. I adore fish and everything in the sea. I dreamed of having the opportunity to speak directly to the authors of the books that taught me so much about the sea, but they would have nothing to do with me. So I thought, what do I have to do in order to talk to such experts? What kind of problems do these kind of people have? What could I do to help them? I realized that they needed fish in order to do their research, so without really giving it much thought, I just said, “I’m a useful kind of guy. I’m a handyman of sorts, and I go abroad all the time, and when I do I look around all the local markets and restaurants; I can locate and source so many kinds of fish!” And just like that I got a ￥3,000 order for a single fish from one such professor. It didn’t matter if I caught it in the ocean near my home, or if I had to go as far as Sri Lanka, costs and shipping would always be three thousand yen per fish.
--So this was never really about the money, was it?
No, not at all. I know it sounds ridiculous but when I managed to get that single fish for my customer, I took it to them and they said, “Wow you actually did it! You’re a lifesaver!” Normally I would never get to meet these people, but if you’re bringing them a fish, then you can begin to ask questions. These are conversations I had about topics before they had been published and while the research was ongoing. They were telling me all about what they were looking for and interested in. That kind of precious information was incredibly interesting.
I can’t count how many times I did all that again and again, until eventually I became fairly well known in academic circles. Thankfully, academics are well connected with one another, and my reputation spread. From there, work from aquariums and museums, the work I do as an “Oceanic Headhunter”, began to increase and now that makes up 90% of the work I do.
--I imagine that this came about from the trusting relationships you had fostered along the way. I heard of one particular case where you had sent a shipment of fish with a ‘live’ delivery guarantee, and even though the guarantee period had expired, you paid out the full compensation amount for some fish you had sent abroad.
This is the story of the four ¥400,000 sea dragons that were purchased?
If it’s an international sale, there’s almost never any compensation even if the fish die. You hear about cases though where fish that are already dead are sent out.
--So this was never really about the money, was it?
No, not at all. I know it sounds ridiculous but when I managed to get that single fish for my customer, I took it to them and they said, “Wow you actually did it! You’re a lifesaver!” Normally I would never get to meet these people, but if you’re bringing them a fish, then you can begin to ask questions. These are conversations I had about topics before they had been published and while the research was ongoing. They were telling me all about what they were looking for and interested in. That kind of precious information was incredibly interesting.
I can’t count how many times I did all that again and again, until eventually I became fairly well known in academic circles. Thankfully, academics are well connected with one another, and my reputation spread. From there, work from aquariums and museums, the work I do as an “Oceanic Headhunter”, began to increase and now that makes up 90% of the work I do.
--I imagine that this came about from the trusting relationships you had fostered along the way. I heard of one particular case where you had sent a shipment of fish with a ‘live’ delivery guarantee, and even though the guarantee period had expired, you paid out the full compensation amount for some fish you had sent abroad.
This is the story of the four ¥400,000 sea dragons that were purchased?
If it’s an international sale, there’s almost never any compensation even if the fish die. You hear about cases though where fish that are already dead are sent out.
--It’s admirable that you gave compensation, even though that isn’t the industry norm.
Well, it’s something I put a great deal of thought into. Within only a week after delivery all those sea dragons were dead. Under the terms of the contract we were liable only for the first twenty-four hours after delivery, but we tore that rule up and compensated the customer instead. We thought if we’re going to be the “World’s NUMBER ONE supplier”, there are simply more important things than money. Wouldn’t you agree? The place we delivered to, a zoo with a small aquarium inside, wanted the sea dragons in order to hold a special exhibition. As a result, the person in change of taking care of the sea dragons was an animal specialist and so didn’t really know much about the care of sea life. That may have been the situation, but I didn’t do enough to ensure their success from my side. How much feed the sea dragons require, the proper water temperature, brightness, what they ought to do, I didn’t explain everything to them in great detail. So when they contacted us after delivery to say, or should I say complaining that the sea dragons weren’t looking good, I couldn’t think really blame them. But obviously it was bothering me, so I wondered to myself, is it enough to just to be the salesperson? Is this how I’m going to continue to do business from now on? At the time I wasn’t making enough to live off the business and I had debts to pay as well. Regardless of all that, because I couldn’t fall any further, and therefore I had no place to go but up, I decided to give the customer compensation.
--How did your wife feel about your decision?
I believe it was something like, “What do you mean you tore up your own policy? You’re not fit to run a company!” That’s what she made of it! She was right though. And to back up just how right she was, the person in charge at that zoo; they quit soon after. After everything that had happened already… it was a total shock. I really thought my company was finished. But, about two months later, completely out of the blue, forty-one orders for our ¥400,000 fish came rolling in from American aquariums in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. I was thinking, how am I getting all these orders from people I have no connection with at all? Then a friend in Boston told me, “You know, your name is in the AZA* journal!” It turns out that the person who had been in charge at that zoo we sold to had written a letter to the journal. They told them that there was this wonderful supplier out in Japan, me! I guess the people who ended up ordering from us must have thought that, if there is a supplier who is willing to compensate us, even if we request something expensive, well that’s real peace of mind. Our customers gave us feedback like, “Wonderful! Excellent!” and before we knew it we were well known and an unbelievable number of orders from the US came in. If that hadn’t happened, I don’t think the company would be here today.
*AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums)
--So a pretty wonderful decision in the end?
You know, if it happened again, with staff to take care of now, I think I’d be very conflicted about what to do. However, we start with the simple idea that the client isn’t merely a customer, but a partner. We want to reassure our partners, that because we hope to continue to work with them long into the future, honesty is the key and we will do what we can to offer the very best advice possible.
Well, it’s something I put a great deal of thought into. Within only a week after delivery all those sea dragons were dead. Under the terms of the contract we were liable only for the first twenty-four hours after delivery, but we tore that rule up and compensated the customer instead. We thought if we’re going to be the “World’s NUMBER ONE supplier”, there are simply more important things than money. Wouldn’t you agree? The place we delivered to, a zoo with a small aquarium inside, wanted the sea dragons in order to hold a special exhibition. As a result, the person in change of taking care of the sea dragons was an animal specialist and so didn’t really know much about the care of sea life. That may have been the situation, but I didn’t do enough to ensure their success from my side. How much feed the sea dragons require, the proper water temperature, brightness, what they ought to do, I didn’t explain everything to them in great detail. So when they contacted us after delivery to say, or should I say complaining that the sea dragons weren’t looking good, I couldn’t think really blame them. But obviously it was bothering me, so I wondered to myself, is it enough to just to be the salesperson? Is this how I’m going to continue to do business from now on? At the time I wasn’t making enough to live off the business and I had debts to pay as well. Regardless of all that, because I couldn’t fall any further, and therefore I had no place to go but up, I decided to give the customer compensation.
--How did your wife feel about your decision?
I believe it was something like, “What do you mean you tore up your own policy? You’re not fit to run a company!” That’s what she made of it! She was right though. And to back up just how right she was, the person in charge at that zoo; they quit soon after. After everything that had happened already… it was a total shock. I really thought my company was finished. But, about two months later, completely out of the blue, forty-one orders for our ¥400,000 fish came rolling in from American aquariums in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. I was thinking, how am I getting all these orders from people I have no connection with at all? Then a friend in Boston told me, “You know, your name is in the AZA* journal!” It turns out that the person who had been in charge at that zoo we sold to had written a letter to the journal. They told them that there was this wonderful supplier out in Japan, me! I guess the people who ended up ordering from us must have thought that, if there is a supplier who is willing to compensate us, even if we request something expensive, well that’s real peace of mind. Our customers gave us feedback like, “Wonderful! Excellent!” and before we knew it we were well known and an unbelievable number of orders from the US came in. If that hadn’t happened, I don’t think the company would be here today.
*AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums)
--So a pretty wonderful decision in the end?
You know, if it happened again, with staff to take care of now, I think I’d be very conflicted about what to do. However, we start with the simple idea that the client isn’t merely a customer, but a partner. We want to reassure our partners, that because we hope to continue to work with them long into the future, honesty is the key and we will do what we can to offer the very best advice possible.
--And how about your future goals?
It’s this sign right here. Whether from our office or any aquarium, This sign which reads “Become the World’s No. 1 Supplier” will visibly encapsulate everything we do here.
It’s this sign right here. Whether from our office or any aquarium, This sign which reads “Become the World’s No. 1 Supplier” will visibly encapsulate everything we do here.
--You don’t think you’re number one just yet then?
No, we’re not there yet. Trust is something that can crumble in an instant, this kind of thing isn’t something with a natural finishing line. It’s a journey without a final destination. When shipping and supplying these creatures, there isn’t one sure fire way to become the world’s best. There are so many things that can stop you from succeeding, everything depends on the season, the route, the time even; it’s always necessary to improve upon our methods. Day after day it’s just one thing after another in front of you. Now we have about twenty professionals on staff but I only try to convey that one idea to them. When you’re in business, as you encounter various situations, problems will arise, but if you have a starting point to return to you don’t have to waver in the face of those problems. If you have this kind motto, it’s not something to be worried about because ways to solve our problems will naturally come from everyone in the company. I really believe that’s Blue Corner’s real strength now.
No, we’re not there yet. Trust is something that can crumble in an instant, this kind of thing isn’t something with a natural finishing line. It’s a journey without a final destination. When shipping and supplying these creatures, there isn’t one sure fire way to become the world’s best. There are so many things that can stop you from succeeding, everything depends on the season, the route, the time even; it’s always necessary to improve upon our methods. Day after day it’s just one thing after another in front of you. Now we have about twenty professionals on staff but I only try to convey that one idea to them. When you’re in business, as you encounter various situations, problems will arise, but if you have a starting point to return to you don’t have to waver in the face of those problems. If you have this kind motto, it’s not something to be worried about because ways to solve our problems will naturally come from everyone in the company. I really believe that’s Blue Corner’s real strength now.
Available for purchase from the 10th of July 2015, writer and editor Mr. Ishigaki’s ‘Deep-sea creatures – Pleasantly and Weird’ Enjoy this beautifully designed booked as Mr. Ishigaki explains all about sixty varieties of weird and wonderful creatures. Includes a DVD with footage of deep sea creatures and the day to day lives of the aquarium caretakers.
‘Deep-sea creatures – Pleasantly and Weird’ Amazon
‘Deep-sea creatures – Pleasantly and Weird’ Amazon
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Koji Ishigaki
President and CEO of Blue Corner Ltd. and Director of the Numazu deepsea aquarium ~ Coelacanth museum~ Born 1967, Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Founded Blue Corner Ltd. in 2000. Began his work as ‘Oceanic Headhunter’ supplying aquariums and museums around the world with marine life. Assumed his position as Director of the Numazu deepsea aquarium ~ Coelacanth museum~ in 2011. Blue Corner Ltd. http://www.bluecornerjapan.com/ Numazu deepsea aquarium ~ Coelacanth museum~ http://www.numazu-deepsea.com/ |
Interview: Miki Shiomichi / Photography by Miki Shiomichi, Blue Corner Ltd., and James Molloy
English Translation: Matthew Keighley, James Molloy
English Translation: Matthew Keighley, James Molloy
