Interview with Inoue Kenya from INOUE SEIKOEN

Olive oil is great for the skin. It is nourishing and moisturising, giving our skin the hydration it needs for a youthful glow. However, even though many skincare products nowadays contain olive oil, they may not be able to give our skin the benefits of olive oil. Inoue Seikoen changes the game for olive-related products, because with over 70 years of being in the business of producing olive oil for both cooking and cosmetics, you can be sure that you are getting high-quality olive products from them. We sat down with Inoue Kenya, one of the members of the newest generation in the Inoue Seikoen business to find out more about her family business and what motivates her.

Nilufer Tea: Hello Kenya! Please tell us more about yourself and the work you do.

Kenya: My name is Kenya Inoue and I come from a small island called “Shodoshima” in Japan’s Setouchi. Setouchi, an inland sea in Japan, is renowned for its calming waters and temperate climate. The weather is very similar to the Aegean Islands where some of world’s best olive is produced. My family owns an olive farm for over 70 years and produce olive-related products. I promote these olive products here in Singapore as the Managing Director.

Nilufer Tea: What made you start current work?

Kenya: Before moving to England after my high school, I helped in my family’s olive farming business for about a few months. This started to drive my interest in the olive business. After coming back from UK to Japan, I was mainly in charge of the café and the production side to understand my family business better. Later, I had an opportunity to work at our affiliated farm in Spain. There, I learnt how to harvest the best olives at that time. I wanted to stay in Spain but I was assigned to promote our olive products in Singapore. Because this is my family business, I was naturally interested in it, but now this work has become more than an interest and it has become something very valuable in my life.

Nilufer Tea: What is the most interesting thing in your work?

Kenya: I enjoy communicating directly with my customers and am especially glad when they tell us how much they love our olive products. I am also very happy to share more about my hometown, “Shodoshima”, when they ask about it.

Nilufer Tea: Are there any challenges you faced in your work?

Kenya: Many people, both in Singapore and Japan, knows that olive oil is good for health and the skin somehow. However, there are good-quality olive oil and poor-quality olive oil. So, just because there is olive oil in a product, it does not mean it is going to be good for you. I feel that it is difficult to convey the importance of good-quality olive oil and also the process of making the olive oil in Japan.

Nilufer Tea: Do you have any final words for those who want to embark on the same journey as you?

Kenya: Inoue Seikoen Has long established family business over 70 years with three consecutive generations from my grandfather’s time. Through such experience, we would like to tell the world about the wonderfulness of olives, Shodosima and agriculture in Japan with our products (http://bit.ly/2LnBSXT).

Nilufer Tea: Is there anyone who has a positive impact on you?

Kenya: There are many people I look up to, but if you ask me to choose only one, it will be Tomohiro Inoue, the third owner at INOUE SEIKOEN, and also my father. He always kept his words and promises and is very passionate and enthusiastic towards the business. He always thinks about how to contribute to the development of our region and Japan. His full commitment to his work gives a positive impact not only to me but also everyone around him. One day I want to be like him and be better than him.

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