Tamako Mitarai (Tokyo 2008-12), a former BA, founded Kesennuma Knitting to support the recovery of her beloved Tohoku region after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Through her company, she has not only revived the traditional knitting culture of Kesennuma but also empowered local women, fostering a sense of dignity and community.
What was the initial spark that led you to found Kesennuma Knitting following the earthquake and tsunami, and how did your experience at McKinsey influence your approach to this venture?
To be honest, during my first year at McKinsey as a BA, I was assigned to a nationwide retail project and was responsible for the Tohoku branch, spending several months in Miyagi Prefecture. At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, I was working for the Royal Government of Bhutan. Watching footage of many towns in Miyagi Prefecture being swallowed by the tsunami, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I worried about the clients I had worked with and strongly wished that when I returned to Japan, I could work on the reconstruction of Tohoku. Additionally, my involvement in various projects at McKinsey made me realize the importance of creating a sustainable regional economy.
Can you talk a little about the historical knitting culture in your region?
Kesennuma Knitting is located in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tohoku region. Kesennuma is a port town known for its deep-sea fishing industry. Fishermen catch tuna, salmon, crab, and other seafood in oceans around the world. Nowadays, they fly to the ports where their fishing boats are docked, but in the past, they traveled by ship, which sometimes took months to reach the fishing grounds.
During these long voyages, the fishermen would knit sweaters for themselves and their families. Since they also repaired fishing nets, they were skilled with their hands, and rope work has many technical similarities with knitting. Additionally, since they frequently fished off the coasts of Ireland, the UK, and Norway, it's possible that knitting culture was introduced from these regions. In the areas around Kesennuma, farmers used to raise sheep, making wool readily available, which likely contributed to the development of a knitting culture.
Kesennuma Knitting has a strong focus on fostering human dignity and community recovery. Can you share a specific story of how the company has positively impacted an individual or the community in Kesennuma?
Traditionally, Kesennuma had strong gender-based occupational divisions. The gods of boats and the sea are female deities, and it was believed that if women boarded a ship, the gods would become jealous and cause accidents. As a result, fishing was almost exclusively a male occupation, while women typically managed the household. Since men were the primary breadwinners, this also influenced the balance of power within families.
However, with the establishment of Kesennuma Knitting and women knitters starting to earn their own income, the power dynamics within households have shifted significantly. Husbands now help with household chores to allow their wives to focus on their knitting work. This may seem like a small change, but in a conservative rural community, it is groundbreaking—and for the women involved, it is life-changing.
Many also take great pride in receiving messages from their children or grandchildren in cities like Tokyo, saying, "Grandma, the sweater you knitted was displayed in a department store," or "I saw someone wearing it in town." Recently, more international customers have been purchasing our products, and some have even sent letters to the knitters. The knitters’ grandchildren translate these letters for them, and they excitedly share how happy they are to read them. I think they feel a deep sense of connection with the world.
Moreover, within their community, they have transitioned from being mere service takers to tax-paying contributors. The realization that they are earning their own income and contributing to their community has become a source of dignity and self-respect.
Can you describe a typical day in your role, and how do you ensure that your leadership style aligns with the company's values of dignity and community?
That’s a difficult question. In Kesennuma, I usually go to our seaside atelier, where I inspect the final products knitted by our knitters and have meetings with the staff members about upcoming projects. I also travel frequently, visiting our retail partners to hear customer feedback, attending yarn exhibitions to find materials for the next season, and checking out select shops that I hear good things about to see if they might be a good fit for our products. Sometimes I'm discussing products or the website with designers, other times I'm talking with the bank, and occasionally, I'm attending government committee meetings.
But some days are much more relaxed. Just last week, one of our young staff members brought her six-month-old baby to the atelier. We all took turns holding the baby, saying how adorable she was, and chatting about parenting—and before I knew it, almost half the day had flown by! In my work, the most important thing to me is treating everyone fairly.
What challenges have you faced in building Kesennuma Knitting, and what lessons have you learned that you would share with other entrepreneurs looking to create socially impactful businesses?
That’s another difficult question. If you believe that you are running an incredibly meaningful and socially impactful business too strongly, you might start resenting those who don’t understand or appreciate it. It might be best to approach it with the mindset of “I’m doing this because I love it.” If you love your work, you should do it. But if you’re doing it solely for society’s sake and not because you genuinely enjoy it, you might eventually burn out. Whether you love the work or not is surprisingly important for long-term sustainability.
Is there anything else you would like alumni to know about you?
My heart aches seeing disasters and conflicts happening around the world. What we learned at McKinsey will surely be valuable in reconstruction efforts everywhere. Frontline business is exciting, but working on disaster recovery is just as exciting. Let’s do our best together!