“I would like to pursue a question to its logical conclusion until I am satisfied.” A female engineer leads the way in a world-class steelworks.
Stainless Steel Technology Section, Stainless Steel Division,
East Japan Works (Chiba District), JFE Steel Corporation
Shino Asakura
Emerging from a haze of doubt and choosing my path; The essence of my decision was “whether I was needed or not.”
On the day before the deadline to apply to the steel manufacturer, Ms. Asakura was in Tokyo. She was attending a company information session of a company in a different industry because she was still unsure if she truly wanted to work in the steel industry. At the company information session, she became more and more unsure of her feelings on which path she should take. She knew that she had to decide, but she was uncertain. With her frustration at the limit, she called someone from the bullet train on her way back to Sendai. The person at the other end was her lab professor. “While I was crying on the phone, my professor told me that he would be waiting at the lab. When I got back to Sendai, I went straight to Tohoku University,” she says. Even though it was already late at night, her professor patiently explained the advantages and disadvantages of working for a steel manufacturer. She adds, “He told me that ultimately, it’s my decision and that I should value whether I was needed or not. I still remember it well. His words gave me courage.” On the day of the final deadline, she decided to apply to JFE Steel Corporation where she now works. While it was not a company that produces energy, it makes steel products that support the energy industry. She could also continue to be involved in the environmental protection from the viewpoint that she could use her expertise to help the company to efficiently use vast amounts of energy. Above all, with her knowledge of materials engineering, she is needed in the company. Supported by her professor and her family, she gained confidence in the decision she made.
“Since I am joining a blast furnace manufacturer, I might as well work closest to the product.”
JFE Steel Corporation is the second largest crude steel producer in Japan, and is the ninth largest in the world. Domestically, it has steelworks in four districts in two locations and the demand for its products ranges widely from demand by large-scale industries such as the automobile, shipbuilding and architectural industries to demand for daily necessities such as home appliances and cookware. After completing her training as a new recruit, Ms. Asakura was assigned to the Stainless Steel Technology Section, Stainless Steel Division of JFE Steel Corporation’s East Japan Works (Chiba District). There are only a few women at steel manufacturers, and even when they join a steel company, they usually work as researchers. However, the Stainless Steel Technology Section is on-site technical work, and she works as an engineer who actually walks the factory floor, trying to improve the manufacturing process. It was Ms. Asakura herself that wanted to take on the on-site technical work. She says, “Since I was joining a steel making company having a blast furnace, I wanted to work closest to the product. And that also affords me the opportunity to work with a lot of people. I didn’t even think of working off-site. Making a product starts with melting iron ore and it requires the involvement of thousands of people before it finally arrives at our Stainless Steel Division. Nothing will work if any part of the process is missing. I feel that the interesting part of this industry is the sense of unity in cooperating with each other to accomplish things.”
Pursuing the question, “Why is this the way it is?,” to its logical conclusion - this is the principle that I learned from my professor at Tohoku University.
Ms. Asakura is the first female employee at the Stainless Steel Division. While she is surrounded by male employees, she laughingly says that it doesn’t matter whether an engineer is male or female. What is asked for in the world of engineering is the zeal in research, not gender. The zeal cultivated during her graduate school years most likely helped her to advance to where she is now. “In my two years at the engineering lab in Tohoku University, I learned to thoroughly pursue the question, ‘Why is this the way it is?’ I realized that having questions about something is fundamental in discovering a solution. Having been able to learn the process that begins with ‘Why is this the way it is?’ and reaches the solution was a vital experience that helps me even now,” she says. Ever since starting her career after education, it has become more difficult for her to set aside time for continuing to grapple with questions that inadvertently come up. Even so, she writes down in a notebook the questions that come to her mind; and when she has the time, she tries to find the solutions. Not giving up and thinking until feeling satisfied - this is what is driving her success. She adds, “It’s only my second year at the company, so I think that there is still much to learn about the company as a whole and steel manufacturing. My seniors on-site tell me that they would like the first female factory manager to come from our division so I hope I can meet their expectations. And just like I was supported by many of my seniors at Tohoku University, I would like to pave the way for those who will come after me through my own efforts.”
Stainless Steel Technology Section, Stainless Steel Division,
East Japan Works (Chiba District), JFE Steel Corporation
Shino Asakura
Graduated from the Materials Science and Engineering Program, Miyagi National College of Technology (presently the Sendai National College of Technology) in 2009. Graduated and received a bachelor’s degree in Production Systems Engineering from the aforementioned Materials Science and Engineering Program in 2011. Completed and received a master’s degree from the Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University in 2013. Joined the JFE Steel Corporation in April 2013, and was assigned to the Stainless Steel Plant of the Stainless Steel Division, East Japan Works (Chiba District). Transferred to and currently works at the Stainless Steel Technology Section of the aforementioned Division in April 2014.