Demanding jobsites develop people and strengthen organizations.
The construction management expertise refined in Japan — passed on to the next generation, together with people.
JME’s Representative Director, Motoharu Tatebe, speaks about the company’s origins, its philosophy toward work, and the challenge of expanding into Indonesia.
Q1
Since entering the construction industry, what mindset have you brought to the jobsite?
A
I entered the construction industry at 19 and have spent a long time facing the realities of the jobsite. It hasn’t always been smooth. There were sites that didn’t go as planned, sites with grueling conditions, sites thrown into chaos immediately after a disaster. But never running from the work in front of me — and seeing each job through to completion — is what built the foundation of JME today.
The jobsite teaches you things you can never learn at a desk. How to engage with people, the weight of a decision, and the responsibility to see things through to the end. I believe it is that accumulation that makes a company strong.
Q2
How do you think about the true nature of the construction industry?
A
Construction is not a glamorous line of work. But roads get built. Bridges get erected. Rivers get restored. Damaged communities slowly come back to life. Behind all of that, there are always people living their lives. Our work is work that protects people’s lives and livelihoods.
What that requires is not any special theory. Uphold safety. Uphold quality. Keep your promises. Keep the site clean. Value your colleagues. See it through to the end. Whether a company can maintain these basics on every jobsite, no matter the conditions — that is where a company’s true strength shows.
Q3
What does “work” mean to JME?
A
For JME, work is not simply about completing a construction project. It is about developing people through the jobsite, passing on skills, and building a stronger organization. The organization strengthens people, and people in turn strengthen the organization. That cycle is what we believe work is truly about.
Each person’s growth becomes the strength of the jobsite, and in time, the strength of the company. We believe that accumulation is what connects us to supporting the foundations of society.
Q4
Why are you taking on the challenge of overseas business in Indonesia?
A
JME has refined its approach to safety, quality, 5S, and construction management on Japanese jobsites. And now, we are working to bring those skills and values to Indonesia.
Going overseas is not easy. The language is different. The culture is different. Business customs and the way sites are run are different. But that is precisely why it is worth challenging. A company cannot truly grow strong unless it puts itself in demanding environments.
The jobsite capability we have cultivated in Japan — tested in a different environment, refined under pressure, and forged into something even stronger. We believe that challenge is what will drive JME’s next stage of growth.
Q5
What is the future JME is working toward?
A
What JME is working toward is taking the jobsite capability we have built in Japan and elevating it into something that holds up not only domestically, but internationally as well. Safety, quality, 5S, schedule management, and jobsite discipline — these are the fundamentals JME has always valued on-site. By upholding those fundamentals and delivering each project with certainty, we have supported the lives of communities across Japan.
Going forward, we will put that capability to the test on a new kind of jobsite — Indonesia. How do we achieve reliable construction in an environment with a different language and a different culture? That is where JME’s next growth lies.
Construction is the work of building the foundations of people’s lives. Roads, bridges, seawalls, farmland, disaster recovery. Behind all of it, there are always people living their daily lives in the communities we serve.
JME will continue — never running from demanding jobsites, pressing forward in Japan, in Indonesia, and toward the future beyond. As a construction company that protects people’s lives and livelihoods, we will keep moving forward.
Everyday life doesn’t sustain itself on its own.
In the most demanding places, the greatest opportunities for growth are found.
JME will continue to connect Japan and Indonesia, building a future for people and technology alike.
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