Sophia Magazine vol.4 / WINTER 2016

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I had the vision and could implement it during the four years of my college life. I felt great about the dynamic process.”The social activism he experienced during the days at Sophia was quite valuable to him, and Shiota thought of working for one of the nonprofit organizations (NPOs) to continue his social activism. However, Shiota says of the project that “Despite how meaningful it was, the actual so-cial impact to make a change through NPO activities seemed somewhat limited to me at that time.” Shiota then decided to explore how economics and corpo-rate activities affected people and their lives. As Japan had drawn so much attention as it rebuilt itself after World War II, he set out to identify what Japan was doing right. As he recalls, “I wanted to go to manufacturers and see how eco-nomics worked from workers’ perspectives. Maybe I had a socialist mindset, but I was hoping to ultimately get hired by such a corporation — steel, gas, water, electricity — some-thing like that.” As he had hoped, he was hired by a steel company, and as-signed to work in its computer division. “I thought comput-ers were evil and I had never had any interest in using them but, soon after that time, the internet came about. I thought it was really exciting, because I could communicate with people around the world and there was so much information out there that I could access. It removed boundaries and national borders.” After working as an IT salesperson for six years, Shiota began to question whether he could influence society in this role. He determined that, if he was going to make a so-cial impact, it would not be through that job. He needed to change his approach to life, so he quit the company. Older ex-colleagues from the steel company introduced him to Polygon Pictures, where he was offered a job as a manage-ment consultant. He recounts that, fatefully, “I had no incli-nation toward animation, but strangely, all the experiences that I accumulated in my former workplace were connected. Although the product was different, the process of produc-tion as well as the coordination among different depart-ments was quite similar.”At that time, the game industry was vibrant in Japan, and Shiota enjoyed taking a part in starting up a film produc-tion company, a joint venture between Polygon and two other companies. Unfortunately, the fun did not last long. The gaming bubble burst, and the company was shut down, forcing Shiota to return to Polygon along with his staff. What kept Shiota going as a leader of the company during those hard times were the visions and dreams that he still refers to. “I haven’t changed, from the time I was 15 to now, when I’m 49. I have always had turmoil within myself, always asking myself whether I’m doing something for the world or not. In my radical approach to life, what drives me at all times is the prospect of making an impact by transforming a static situ-ation into a dynamic new one.”Now, with greater perspectives on the creative fields, he can “I have always had turmoil within myself, always asking myself whether I’m doing something for the world or not.”make a greater impact because, as he relates, “We are socially interacting through our content, so people feel attached to our products. On the other hand, manufacturing industries have traditionally been more about processes and operations, focusing more on functionality. Now that we are in this era of artificial intelligence, consumers want to feel that there is something to the products beyond simple functionality.” Therefore, Polygon, as a leading contents maker, intends to stay as innovative as ever. In the longer term, Shiota be-lieves that animation industry players can collaborate with “product makers.” Software companies, like Polygon, are very familiar with the needs of consumers, while the hard-ware companies that produce automobiles, electricity, and so forth draw on the details of their processes. “I feel there is much potential for collaboration between hardware and software, as there are not many countries in the world that are strong in both areas. So we will be able to produce high-quality products by collaborating.”Shiota also emphasizes that unique software content from Japan will be even more recognized and enjoyed worldwide, because of new media like Netflix. “Japan’s strength in ‘con-tent’ comes from its unique environment. We have four sea-sons, we are not restricted by specific religious beliefs, and we produce a wide range of visually expressive media, such as animation and manga.” Polygon recently announced that it would create the world’s first Japanese produced animated feature film of the iconic character “Godzilla.” Shiota’s vision of collaboration is not restricted to the field of manufacturing. He also looks forward to working with international artists, hoping that their products will connect with people’s hearts and lead to even greater interaction throughout the world.1. Members of “Bromide Club,” photo portrait club at Rokko Gakuin 2. Visit the Philip-pines in the summer of freshman year 3. Working as a translator for Congolese Minis-ter of Education 4. New employee training at Nippon Steel Corporation (Mr. Shiota is in the middle of the back row) 5. At Dream Pictures Studio, which he helped establish 6. With Polygon Pictures staff 26435121Sophia People

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