From a childhood in Fukushima to a career in renewable energy: Ryoma’s story

We spoke to Ryoma, a member of our offshore wind team about how growing up in Fukushima instilled an awareness of the need for sustainable, secure energy from a young age, and how he’s now working towards that ambition as part of the new JERA Nex team.

Ryoma, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a member of JERA’s offshore wind team, now part of JERA Nex. I joined JERA last April as a graduate along with around 140 others. Roughly half of us go into the corporate side of the business, which is where I am, working across different offices including here in Tokyo and in Nagoya, and the other half go into power generation. There’s a real sense of community amongst our intake, which has made the transition between studying and working easier.

Outside of work I love to play sports like basketball and to travel, although my ability to travel internationally was limited by the Covid-19 pandemic which happened while I was in college. Instead, I spent more time exploring places in Japan like Kyoto, which is one of my favourite cities. It has beautiful scenery and very good traditional Japanese food too. One of my ambitions this year is to start taking more trips abroad, and in the meantime working for an international company like JERA Nex has been really interesting, it’s meant I’ve met and worked alongside people from all kinds of culture and backgrounds.

What drew you to a career in energy?

I grew up in Fukushima, in the Northern part of Japan. I was ten years old when the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck and caused the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Luckily, my childhood home wasn’t near the ocean or the plant, so I wasn’t severely affected, but for all of us living nearby, it was a huge part of our daily lives for a long time.

Energy and the future of energy became a constant topic of conversation. In my region and across Japan, we were aware that we needed to look at new ways of ensuring our energy security, while also minimizing our impact on the environment. Growing up in that context, I was always interested in energy and particularly in the opportunities to develop renewable energy capacity both in Japan and globally. Interestingly, JERA itself was founded by its co-owners Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power after the Fukushima disaster highlighted the need for a transformation of Japan’s energy industry, so starting my career at JERA felt fitting in a way.

How did that interest evolve?

While I was at high school I had the opportunity to do exchanges at schools in the USA and Germany. My time in Germany cemented my interest in the industry. At the time, Germany was a pioneer in renewable energy and energy policy, so it was an invaluable opportunity to learn more about the industry.

I then came to Tokyo to go to university, majoring in Economics. Economics, like energy, is a fundamental part of society and daily life, and I was interested in learning more about the mechanics behind businesses. While studying, I learned a lot about environmental economics, which brought those interests together, showing me more about how intertwined societal systems are and how real change will require coordinated action across them.

What’s exciting about JERA Nex?

By being part of the JERA Nex team as we build a new renewables business, I’m living out my childhood dream of working in the renewables sector. What excites me most about the company itself is our set up. We’re a new company that can be agile and do things differently, but we’re not starting from zero, we also have the backing and experience of JERA and the Parkwind team in Europe, as well as existing projects, and we’re already growing rapidly.

Another thing I find particularly interesting is that we invest, develop and operate renewables projects, meaning that you get the chance to see and be part of the full life cycle of a site. Last month I was out at the Ishikari Bay site near Sapporo, in Hokkaido, and it was great to be able to see the turbines in the water. The sheer scale of these projects is impressive.

Do you feel like your job gives you a sense of impact?

The energy industry is part of everything we do, it’s a critical part of daily life, but at the same time it needs to transform. Climate change is an urgent issue, and the renewables sector is important to ensure we can fight climate change while still accessing the energy we need. I do feel a responsibility to the future and to future generations, and working at JERA Nex I feel I can be part of building an energy system that works for everyone. We are in a strong position to make that change happen.

What has your experience of being mentored taught you?

Working is completely different from studying, but by having a mentor you have someone you can ask questions and most importantly learn from. When I joined JERA, I was given a mentor, Shohei, and I’ve learnt a huge amount from him. The three biggest lessons have been to be proactive and open to any opportunity, to communicate well with my team, and not to worry too much about making mistakes.

Why should other people work at JERA Nex?

As I’ve mentioned, there’s a huge amount of opportunity for growth at JERA Nex, both in terms of supporting the business as it grows, and in terms of personal development. The other key reason people should work at JERA Nex is the people. The team here is really special. As a first year graduate I feel I can speak to anyone in the business, whether that’s the CEO or someone at my own level. The atmosphere we have and the openness of the team makes me feel positive about working here. Being here, you feel part of something bigger than yourself and that’s what motivates me to keep building JERA Nex into a company that can deliver on its ambition to transform the global energy system.

Finally, can you describe JERA Nex in three words?

Growth, excitement, future.

Read more about careers at JERA Nex here.