While shopping, you may spot a product that makes you pause and think, “Oh!” and want to pick it up. Product packaging is full of thoughtful design touches that make its appeal clear at a glance.
Just Co., Ltd., based in Kojima, is a design company specializing in packaging. It also focuses on community service activities, such as craft classes for children and volunteer cleanups, and aims to be “a company needed by the community and society.”
What kind of young employees are thriving at Just, a company that values both craftsmanship and its ties to the community?
Meet Hongo Mei, a young employee at Just Co., Ltd.
The information presented was current when this article was published in September 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Just Co., Ltd.
Just Co., Ltd. (hereafter “Just”) is a design company that handles everything from packaging planning and design to printing and manufacturing.
Just values three key features: “wrapping,” “bringing together,” and “plus alpha.”
With “wrapping,” Just combines a wide variety of materials, shapes, and designs to bring out a product’s appeal while conveying the maker’s intentions.
“Bringing together” means providing a single point of contact from planning through manufacturing and delivery. This reduces the effort required for customers to place orders and helps cut costs in both labor and time.
Just’s strengths also include pursuing distinctive ways to showcase products and making “plus alpha” proposals. These added values unique to Just include proposals to use eco-friendly materials to support environmental conservation, as well as a commitment to manufacturing in Japan.
In addition to packaging, Just handles a wide range of work, including tags, business cards, logos, and promotional materials, and boasts a track record of producing more than 120 items a year. For each product, it proposes the most suitable (just) design.
The designs created by Just are all distinctive, conveying not only the features of the product but also the passion of its maker. The company’s official website showcases its past work, so be sure to take a look if you’re interested.
Aiming to be “a company needed by the community”
Just aims to be “a company needed by the community” and is committed to community service activities.
Its efforts range from initiatives that help local residents live with peace of mind, such as the Children’s 110 emergency contact program and cleanup activities, to activities that nurture the creativity of young people and broaden their future possibilities, such as craft classes for children and workplace experience programs for students.
One of Just’s appealing qualities is that it does more than simply create designs: it generously puts the manufacturing expertise it has built up in-house to work for the community.
Just also values being “a company needed by its employees.” It works with its employees to create a comfortable workplace, offering training programs and networking events to support their growth and running a 3S committee that promotes tidiness and organization in the workplace.
Hongo at Just
The person who spoke with us was Hongo Mei, who works in the Sales Department. Born in 2003, she is from Miyazaki Prefecture. She moved to Okayama Prefecture when she was in first grade.
Hongo’s previous job was in administration, not sales. When changing jobs, she decided to try again to enter the design industry, which she had admired as a student, and joined Just in October 2025.
Hongo’s work
Hongo is a sales representative responsible for managing the progress of packaging planning, manufacturing, and sales. She works with customers, designers, outside contractors, and others to create the ideal packaging.
In addition to sales meetings and visiting clients, Hongo’s work includes detailed administrative tasks such as placing orders with external partners and preparing estimates. She sometimes arranges manufacturing at overseas factories, communicating with local staff by email and other means to maintain quality standards in line with those in Japan.
We asked Hongo about the process when a request or inquiry comes in.
First, she carefully listens to the customer’s wishes about “what they want to make.” Based on that, she gathers useful reference materials, such as appealing products she has found in stores and examples of Just’s past work, then meets with the customer to align on the desired finished look.
Next, she shares what she learned with the designer, then gradually develops the design through discussions with the customer. Once the design is approved, it is sent to the manufacturer, and the finished product is delivered.
A design does not come fully formed from the start. Hongo’s skill really shines in how well she can create a design that matches the customer’s vision.
How she found Just
As a student, Hongo was interested in work related to design. However, since she had no experience using design software, she used the Hello Work employment service recommended by her university and took an administrative job after graduating.
In her first year on the job, for various reasons, she decided to change jobs, thinking, “I want to work somewhere I can be more myself.” Around that time, Hello Work contacted her, and when she sought advice, the staff member—who remembered her interest in design—introduced her to a sales position at Just. Although it was a different industry, she heard from the staff member about the kind and welcoming nature of the people who work at Just, so she decided to attend a company information session.
Hongo was the only attendee that day.
The session, held just for her, included a charades game with employees. She says she was very surprised by how welcoming and friendly the atmosphere was throughout.
Hongo was also impressed by the cheerful greetings from employees she passed and the friendly workplace atmosphere where it was easy to talk to anyone. Strongly drawn to the employees’ personalities, she decided she wanted to work with them and resolved to apply that very day.
What does Hongo see as appealing about Just as a workplace?
Hongo sees Just’s appeal in “how approachable employees are and how easy it is to consult with one another” and “active community exchange.”
The employees’ friendliness that she noticed at the company information session has not changed since she joined. Regardless of age or department, everyone can share their opinions freely. Being able to ask for advice about work is also reassuring for a new employee.
She says there is not only an openness to asking for advice, but also the reassurance of being encouraged with words like, “It’s okay to make mistakes, so go ahead and try it your way.” One of Just’s appealing qualities is that it offers an environment where even those without experience can take on challenges freely and grow.
She also shared heartwarming stories, such as being welcomed with a handmade welcome board and cake when she joined, and regularly receiving snacks from the company president.
Just also engages in community service activities, including local cleanups. During these activities, employees have opportunities to interact with local residents, and Hongo says she came to understand firsthand what she had heard at the company information session: that Just “values its connections with the local community.”
At Just, connections between people are valued, both inside and outside the company. This considerate workplace culture seems to contribute to a comfortable working environment.
Hongo Mei joined Just and will enter her second year in 2026. We spoke with her about the enjoyment of taking on a sales role with no prior experience and the warmth of the workplace she has felt since before joining the company.
Just Co., Ltd. Information
| Organization Name | Just Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Planning, manufacturing, and sales of packaging |
| Representative | Sakai Kazuki |
| Year Established | 1997 |
| Address | 1-8-8 Kojima Kaminocho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-472-7514 ※Hours: Weekdays, 9:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Website | Just Website |
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