Legacia Insurance Co. – ① Department Manager Yumi, 55

February 24, 2025

My name is Yumi Fukumoto. I'm 55 years old, single, and have never been married. I am the head of the VOC Response Promotion Department at Legacia Insurance, a mid-sized japanese non-life insurance company. VOC stands for "Voice of Customer," and our department's mission is to collect, analyze, and manage all customer feedback received by Legacia Insurance and link it to improvement initiatives. I live on the eighth floor of a riverside apartment in Nihonbashi with my beloved dog. On my days off, I spend all my time with my pet.

I've changed jobs three times in my career, and now I've been at Legacia Insurance, my third company, for over 20 years. I used to believe that somewhere along the way, I would get married, have children, and obtain a "normal" kind of happiness. But here I am, still alone. Will I continue living by myself even after I turn 60?

But there's no point in dwelling on that. Right now, all I can do is focus on my work. I can't afford to let go of the department manager position I’ve worked so hard to attain. This role is my identity—the proof of my life’s work. Losing this title is the one thing I absolutely cannot allow.

That said, my department consists of only seven members, including myself. That's just how it is in a mid-sized insurance company. Even in a smaller organization, job titles are essential for maintaining employee motivation.

But none of that really matters. Legacia Insurance may be a mid-sized company, but in the auto insurance sector, we rank just below the major players and are an industry name to watch. And I am a department manager in this company. From society’s perspective, that’s a respectable career achievement. I have five years until retirement. My only goal is to hold on to this position until then.

To achieve that, I must never assert my own opinions. I must faithfully carry out the executives' directives, no matter what. Being a loyal servant to the executives is everything. Even if they spout nonsense, even if their decisions go against the best interests of our customers, even if they harm the company—I don’t care. The only thing that matters is staying in this role. If I lose this position, then what was the point of my life?

To be continued.