Turning Parenting into a Positive Force:
Building a Work Environment Where Both Partners Can Thrive
Can you tell us about your department and your usual responsibilities?
Before taking maternity leave, I was involved in both the business strategy and branding of walking shoes and also worked in the Kids Product Department. After maternity leave, I transitioned to focusing exclusively on the Kids Product Department, where I am now part of the strategy team.
As the name suggests, the role of our strategy team is to devise strategies for kids' shoes. The kids’ shoe category is vast, covering everyday wear, sports, and running shoes. We sift through various pieces of information scattered across different categories and align them to analyze and make proposals about the future direction of each department. I’m also involved in the development and operation of the "ASICS STEPNOTE" app, which helps predict the growth of children's feet.
Can you share your experience with maternity leave and your return to work?
I found out I was pregnant during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work was becoming more widespread. I continued working until the very end. However, since I was expecting twins, I anticipated some health issues and had early discussions with my boss about my situation. With face-to-face interactions limited due to the pandemic, it was initially hard to verbalize everything, but my boss was very understanding and supported me throughout.
I took maternity leave in 2020 for a year and a half. As the company’s maternity and parental leave system is well-established, the option to "quit" never crossed my mind. After being hospitalized for a long time, my biggest concern when returning to work was whether I would have the energy to keep up. Fortunately, my husband also works at ASICS, and he would keep me updated about work developments, which helped me stay connected to the company even during my extended leave.
What challenges have you faced while balancing work and family?
I didn't struggle too much with sending my kids to daycare, as I believed the daycare teachers would be able to watch over them much better than I could. That being said, I still wanted to spend as much time with them as possible outside of work—though finding that balance, including making sure I got enough sleep, remains challenging.
Both my husband and I fully utilize the company’s flexible working arrangements—working from home, flexible hours, and reduced working hours for me. Our daily routine is that I take an early shift to handle pickup and bedtime, while my husband prepares breakfast and takes the kids to daycare. We’re flexible when there are irregular meetings and adjust our schedules accordingly.
My husband took about a month off when I returned to work. For me, it was a transition period to ease back into my job, and for him, it was a chance to adjust to the household duties like cooking and grocery shopping.
It’s common for people to comment, "It must be tough with twins," but honestly, I think having twins actually worked to our advantage. With one child, one of us would usually take the lead, and the other would support. With twins, we both had to be equally involved in child-rearing from the start, so my husband’s contributions to parenting are probably higher than in many other families.
Can you tell us about the Asics Parents Community?
At ASICS, there’s a Parents Community, and I was invited to join. The group usually has about 10 members, and it’s a great opportunity to hear advice from senior employees about maternity leave, the transition back to work, and other topics. We share information through the company’s chat system, online meetings, and occasionally in-person lunch meetings. It's not just informative, but also a space where we can relax and take a break.
As a working mother, how do you envision your career at ASICS moving forward?
Honestly, I thought returning to work would limit my career options. Having to balance parenting with work obviously brings time and scheduling constraints, which often leads to what’s known as the "mommy track."
But in reality, the company has never treated me differently because of my parenting. Instead, they’ve always given me choices and opportunities to grow. For example, I was able to take a business trip to Australia last year for 10 days. It’s not unusual in our company to be away for extended periods, and I felt fully supported.
In fact, having less time has made me better at organizing tasks, setting priorities, and making decisions. I think this is something anyone in a higher position would need to do, so it’s been a valuable learning experience for me. Although I know there are areas where I’m relying on others for help, having this perspective has definitely been beneficial.
I can’t say that I have a clear vision for the future just yet, but ASICS is a company that offers opportunities regardless of your background. That’s why, when people refer to me as a "working mother," I don’t see it as the defining feature of who I am—it’s just one part of my profile.
For anyone with children, I can confidently say that ASICS is a great place to work. When I was job hunting, I would always check how supportive the company was of working mothers, parental leave, and how many employees had successfully returned after leave. There was far less information available back then compared to now, and today it’s much easier for job seekers to gather the information they need.
Note: The profile and interview content reflect the information at the time of the interview.
