Interview with Oya Company Representative Tsugumi Matsue
“I hope to make this year a year of learning that will lead into next year,” said Representative Matsue, while proposing a new activity.
We asked her about the thoughts that inspire her work.
How Oya Company got started
What inspired you to start Oya Company?
Matsue (surname only)
It was around the time COVID-19 began spreading and the first state of emergency was declared, and it coincided with the birth of my youngest child.
Even little things after being discharged from the hospital came with the anxiety of not knowing what to do and restrictions that kept me from doing things freely. I wondered, “How do other people manage this? Maybe there are others struggling with the same things.”
I had put things on hold when I became pregnant with my youngest, but I had actually started a business in the past, holding events and creating spaces.
When I wondered whether there was something I could do, something I wanted to do, I decided to give it another try.
I had done this kind of thing before, and I thought that if people were connected, they could help one another.
So I reached out to acquaintances who were already interested in community welfare, and in May 2020 we formed a voluntary group. Drawing on my own experience, we decided to start delivering meals around autumn.
I myself had experienced childbirth and raising children without friends or acquaintances nearby, having moved here from another prefecture.
When I had my third child, my parents came from my hometown and brought us meals. The fact that this helped so much inspired me to start meal deliveries.
That’s one of your activities supporting people before and after childbirth.
Matsue
That’s right.
We limit meal deliveries to 20 meals a day, so when we get an order for four or five family members, that’s already four or five families’ worth.
We generally delivered until around six months after childbirth, but extended the service if people asked.
As another activity supporting people before and after childbirth, we also hold an event called Family Marche twice a year.
Some mothers who have recently given birth start businesses or have things they love and want to do.
They bring their ideas to life and take part in the marche. I hope that people who see them will think, “That’s nice,” and gain confidence in themselves.
As I continued these activities, I realized that the things I love are about connecting people, and began thinking about trying things like this and bringing together the people I’d met over the years.
What kind of vision does Oya Company hope to achieve through these connections?
Matsue
I hope that people who meet through Oya Company’s activities will be able to take a step forward in some way.
I hope we can create a society where people can live while helping one another, by creating places for people to connect.
I’d like to do activities that help people pursue what they want to do with confidence.
It’s hard to go places with children, but there are places that welcome you with your children. And it’s not easy to give up on what you want to do just because your children are young.
Instead, if you do what you want to do while also being there for your children, it may be hard, but it gives you a chance to take a breather, and it’s fun.
Helping one another so everyone can thrive
Your activities might be described as parenting support, but from what you’ve said, I sense a message of wanting to support women themselves—who often take on most of the childcare—in thriving.
Matsue
That may be true.
I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do myself.
Or perhaps I’m trying to find what I’m good at.
Even when I’ve thought I couldn’t do something, I’ve tried it and found that I could. I hope there can be a place where everyone can thrive.
So it’s about connecting with different people, helping one another, and being able to do what you want and thrive. That’s why I also sense a desire to draw on the difficulties you’ve experienced yourself so that others won’t have to face them.
Matsue
When it comes to experience, I feel that I can only offer things I’ve experienced or seen myself.
In those situations, I want to be someone who connects people.
For example, if someone is struggling with their child’s development or finding it difficult to get their child to attend school, even if I haven’t faced the same issue myself, my connections with various groups and individuals can help me connect them with people or organizations facing similar challenges.
I want to be in that kind of position, and to understand what people who are struggling are going through. If someone wants to start a group or do something, I also want to be there to encourage them.
The networking event for people from different fields, “Masquerade Ball,” held in May 2023, was exactly the kind of event that encourages people who want to do something.
Matsue
That’s right.
Someone I met there told me, “I want to do something like this,” and has since started a group and begun activities.
It can be hard to find the courage to take that first step.
I think the best thing is to follow someone else’s example while finding your own way to do things.
Driven by “what I want to do”
It must be challenging, but surely rewarding, to bring your ideas to life. Could you tell us about some of the challenges you’ve faced?
Matsue
“Communicating with people.”
We may share the same feelings, but we have different personalities and values, and sometimes we have things we can’t compromise on or different ideas about the direction to take.
As a result, people may choose different paths.
So I sometimes struggle with how to communicate something, or whether I should say it at all.
If I compromise, what I want to do may fall apart.
There have also been times when not saying one more thing led to negative reactions from those around me.
We’re all human, and people interpret things differently depending on who they are, which can lead to misunderstandings. Sometimes I find that difficult.
I stay home, asking myself questions for days until I feel I’ve found my path, then move forward again.
When things get difficult, what is the thought you ultimately return to—the one that makes you say, “This is what I want after all”?
Matsue
Taking on challenges.
Even when I know clearly what I want to do, negative opinions or reactions still get me down.
When that happens, I try to look at things differently and spend days or weeks asking myself questions.
But if I still want to do it, I take on the challenge.
Then, once I’ve taken that first step, things sometimes start moving along quickly, and I think, “Oh, this was the right choice.”
I think it’s about getting clear on what you want to do and moving toward that goal.
That’s a perfect example of thriving by doing what you want. What have been some of your happiest moments so far?
Matsue
When we receive positive feedback.
When someone says, “I was feeling down, but meeting this person here and hearing what they said helped me get back on my feet,” I think, “I’m so glad we did this!”
People who hear that feedback may learn about our group and want to join us, and volunteers who were there may feel motivated to keep going.
Could you tell us about your plans for future activities?
Matsue
2023 is our first year of operating without grant funding.
Until now, even during the state of emergency, we’ve held activities every month because we thought there might be people waiting for them.
Some of our staff have young children, so we’re talking about taking things more slowly in 2023 than we have in the past.
Personally, opportunities to learn are coming my way, so I think I can gradually build my knowledge while finding out what people in the community are struggling with.
You mentioned taking things slowly, but “Ichariba” is an activity starting this year (2023).
Matsue
Yes, we held “Ichariba” for the first time in July 2023.
I thought it would be nice to create a place where parents and children could spend time together, cuddling and playing.
I want it to be a place where people who have come from outside the prefecture or school district can connect with other participants and staff, and from there connect with other activities, groups, and specialists.
Some fathers come to Yuimaru, and I’d like to include classes for fathers at “Ichariba” too.
Men and women have different perspectives and viewpoints. I hope we can share that with people.
From the Writer
During the interview, the words “connect” and “bring people together” came up again and again.
Representative Matsue takes on the challenges of communicating with people, follows what she wants to do, and connects with all kinds of people.
I felt that Matsue herself, thriving in her work, embodies Oya Company.
Whether you’re a parent or not. Whether you’re raising children or not.
Helping one another when we’re struggling, and working toward a society where people who “want to do something” can thrive.
Through the work of Matsue and Oya Company, who support each person through experience and connection, we’ll be watching closely to see what comes next.
Oya Company Information
| Organization name | Oya Company |
|---|---|
| Representative | Matsue Tsugumi |
| Established | May 2020 |
| Contact | 090-3378-2597 |
| Website | Oya Company |
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