"I wanted to turn my ideas into a project, but I had no experience"—CCC accepted me despite that.
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd., TSUTAYA BOOKS Business Division, Daikanyama TSUTAYA BOOKS (Joined the company in 2024)
Awashima YumiYumi Awashima
From restaurant staff to planner: Chasing a dream, they joined CCC and now produce events at Daikanyama Tsutaya Books, inspired by hobbies of tea ceremony and gaming. (July 15, 2026)
I've always wanted to do project planning.
Ever since I was a student, I've wanted to work in a job where I could create something. However, at the time, I didn't have a concrete vision; I only had a clear desire to "become someone who creates something."
When I was a new graduate, I was looking for a company that had its own products and a platform to deliver them to customers, so that was my goal during my job search. I received job offers from several companies, but I chose to join a restaurant chain because I wanted to gain experience in a smaller company where I could learn a variety of skills, rather than working for a large corporation.
After joining the company, I mainly worked on the sales floor, and through gaining on-the-job experience, I learned the joy of directly experiencing customers' reactions through customer service and product management. However, my desire to plan events and do promotions lingered, but I just couldn't seem to get close to that opportunity. I decided to change jobs when I realized, "I really want to do work where I can create things myself."I feel that my experience on the job was not wasted, and that it is proving useful in various aspects of my current work.
The company I applied to, trusting my intuition, turned out to be the place I had always been looking for.
I looked into planning companies and consulting firms, but because I had no experience, I couldn't find the environment I wanted. There was a period when I went through a lot of interviews, and I sometimes think I was too honest, saying things like, "I didn't like these aspects of my previous job" (laughs).
That's when a recruitment agent approached me and asked, "Are you familiar with TSUTAYA BOOKS?"I knew the name, but I didn't have a clear idea of what kind of work they did inside. Upon researching, I discovered that they are a company that offers various lifestyle suggestions and plans events. I learned about the promotions division on their website and thought, "Let's give it a try," which is how I ended up applying.
I felt that this company perfectly matched my values, to the point where I wished I had known about it when I was a new graduate. I was drawn to the possibility of joining the company because it offers real-world experience while also allowing me to take on the challenge of planning projects even without prior experience. Even now that I've joined the company, I still feel like my dreams have come true.
I wasn't asked, "What kind of project do you want to do?"
The thing that surprised me most after joining the company was the broad-mindedness of the company's culture regarding planning. In interviews with other companies, whenever I said I wanted to work on a project, I was always asked, "What kind of project?"Of course, that's to be expected, but when I told CCC during my interview that I wanted to try my hand at planning, they said, "That's great, what kind of plan should we come up with?" and expanded the conversation to include all sorts of genres. Because they identify themselves as a "planning company," I was most pleased that they accepted me even though I hadn't decided what kind of project I wanted to work on.
Another thing that surprised me was the environment where individual ideas aren't dismissed outright. Instead of simply dismissing something as "no good," there's an atmosphere where they're willing to work together to figure out "how to make it easier."Furthermore, I handle the entire process myself, from customer service and deliveries to planning and safety management procedures. I'm grateful to be able to experience everything, even the parts that are usually divided among different people in other companies, especially since I'm learning about planning for the first time. Even when it comes to planning a pop-up event, you handle everything yourself, from signing the contract to the execution of the contract, so it's an environment where you can learn while experiencing the entire process firsthand.
My own "likes" become the core of the project.
The most rewarding experience I've had so far was when I was given the leadership role for the first time at the New Year's event. I practice the tea ceremony as a hobby, and I planned a pop-up event featuring tea ceremony events and tea brands, based on the theme of "New Year's Day x Tea."It was my first experience of seeing something I loved take shape as a work project.
At the same time, I experienced for the first time just how difficult it is to actually bring something to fruition. Since I was in charge of everything from conceiving the project concept to selecting the brand and setting up on the day, I felt like I developed a broader perspective on things, such as "where and what kind of challenges will arise" and "how to make it easier for everyone around me to work."Thanks to my boss who stayed up late thinking things through with me, the sense of accomplishment I felt when he told me after the event, "The preparation beforehand was excellent," was exceptional. This was the most confidence-boosting experience for me.
Perhaps its most distinctive feature is that "you never get tired of it."
Daikanyama TSUTAYA BOOKS holds events almost every month. One week we have a spring outdoor market, and the next week it's subculture. We are now also considering sustainable initiatives. The genres are so diverse that I never get bored (laughs). Moreover, I'm not just involved with books; pop-ups and content from completely different genres keep coming in one after another, so every day is hectic, but that's what makes it fun.
Furthermore, TSUTAYA BOOKS has concierges who are experts in each genre. Since you possess deep expertise, I aim to work alongside the concierges as a planning manager, collaborating with them on a cross-functional basis while leaving their areas of specialization to them. One of the things that impressed me most after joining the company was how many people seemed to enjoy their work and found it fulfilling. Many people are vibrant and energetic even when they're busy at work, which naturally boosts my own motivation.
For those considering joining our company
CCC is a company that values autonomy, so it might be a mismatch for those who prefer to "do things at fixed times and in fixed order."Because it's a project I took the initiative to work on myself, I feel that my involvement in the work has naturally become deeper; even when I have other plans, I want to make time to show up when the client visits. It's not like the company is forcing me to do this, but I just find myself acting this way. That's why I think it's best suited for people who can clearly draw their own lines or who can enjoy that kind of interaction.
Furthermore, I feel that this company truly respects individual opinions and wishes. I think this is a really good place for people who love culture and want to create new ideas with their own hands. I wish I had known sooner that there was an environment where I could work in this way.