From Akita to the World: Orbray Supports a Variety of Challenges

The most advanced sapphire substrates in the world are produced in Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, and delivered to the other side of the globe by an overseas sales professional. A young man maneuvers a two-meter steel ring called a Cyr wheel with his body, spinning it freely.

At first glance, these two activities appear completely unrelated. But they are connected by a single conviction held by one young man, “To deliver Japanese values to the world.”

Shigeki Kanai is in charge of overseas sales at Orbray. He is also a member of Japan’s national Cyr wheel team, training for global tournaments while working full-time.

“You are from a small town.”

“You have a full-time job.”

He refuses to let phrases like these place limits on what is possible. This is the story of someone who delivers technology born in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, to the world, while finding time to compete individually on the world stage.

Appreciating Japanese values by engaging with the world

Kanai first encountered the Cyr wheel, a discipline most people in Japan have never heard of, during his fourth year of university. Having just retired from artistic gymnastics after years of competition, he was searching for a new challenge. A video on YouTube caught his attention. The dynamic, fluid movement captivated him instantly.

“I want to try this.”

With that single thought, he began teaching himself from scratch, with no coach and no equipment. That curiosity eventually took him to Germany, to study at its source. But the most significant thing he brought back was not only better technique.

“Living in Germany, I was constantly struck by how highly regarded Japanese products and services were. People there would say, ‘Japanese products are truly exceptional.’ It was only by stepping outside Japan that I realized how rare and valuable Japanese craftsmanship and attention to detail really are.”

The pride he felt as a Japanese person, living abroad, created a desire to share the values of his own country with the wider world, which became the compass for his career.

From Yuzawa, Akita: The pride of delivering world-renowned technology

After returning to Japan, Kanai chose Orbray as the stage for his professional career: a company that delivers the most advanced sapphire substrate technology from Yuzawa, Akita, to the global market. For Kanai, the deciding factor was Orbray’s culture, which respects ambition in its young employees and gives them the opportunity to step onto the world stage.

“I wanted work that connected me to the world. What resonated with me was Orbray’s attitude of, ‘if you want to do something, go for it.’ After joining, the company has encouraged me to come up with my own ideas, make proposals, and take action. That kind of environment suits me.”

Today, Kanai handles overseas sales across the United States, Europe, and other global markets. The products he represents are ultra-precision components used in next-generation semiconductor development and medical device manufacturing. Their quality is highly regarded worldwide.

“One moment that stands out was a visit to a customer in the United States. They had been evaluating competing products, primarily on cost. But when they ran a data analysis on our sapphire substrates, the cleanliness levels proved superior to the competition. On the spot, they said, ‘We want to go with Orbray.’”

To Kanai, the engineers quietly producing these products at the Yuzawa factory are the most impressive people he knows. Orbray’s strength is not only in adopting advanced equipment. It also lies in achieving world-class quality through craftsmanship refined over decades. He sees that distinctly Japanese approach as the company’s core advantage.

“The skills that our engineers in Akita have cultivated over many years are supporting research and development on the other side of the planet. Being part of that is a source of real pride.”

The struggle of choosing between life and work: The unexpected benefit of prioritizing both

Balancing the demands of being a world-class athlete and working full-time in overseas sales has not been easy. Kanai works full days during the week, and travels to a training facility in Ibaraki on weekends. Amid that relentless schedule, the struggles of being a working professional have surfaced.

“Once you’re working full-time, you have responsibilities to the company. You’re also supporting yourself. The fear of injury makes it harder to train the way I used to. If I can’t attempt new techniques as freely, my performance range stops growing. There are times I have thought, ‘Maybe I should just quit.’”

What has kept him going is the pull of the global stage.

“When you stand on the floor at a world championship, athletes and spectators from every country gather. To perform there as a Japanese athlete, expressing something only I can express. That feeling, that scene. You can’t get it anywhere else.”

For Kanai, both his work and his sport are connected at a single point: personifying the values of Japan on the world stage.

Today, he says the two pursuits have begun to reinforce each other.

“I show my Cyr wheel videos to customers. It immediately breaks down barriers, and people remember me. And when one side isn’t going well, I can channel my energy into the other. Having both gives my life a sense of tension and purpose. It lets me engage more deeply with each one.”

Breaking the stereotype that location or occupation defines your limits

“When you start something new, time and place do not matter.”

Because Kanai says this with conviction, from his own experience, his words carry weight. He picked up the Cyr wheel in his fourth year of university, with no equipment, no coach, starting from zero. Yet he is convinced that if you act with purpose, someone will be there to answer your call. He cold-emailed a Cyr wheel club in Germany and carved his own path to the international stage.

Supporting Kanai’s pursuit of excellence in both his professional and personal life is Orbray’s culture of respect and flexibility.

“The culture here genuinely encourages people to go after what they want. Whether you want to throw yourself into work, or whether you value your personal life, both are respected. Some people leave right at the end of their shifts to focus on their own activities. Others, like me, put in extra hours during the week and dedicate weekends entirely to competition. The fact that different forms of ambition are treated as normal here is exactly why I can be who I am.”

Based in Akita, a rural prefecture far from Japan’s major cities, Orbray continues to refine technology that supports innovation worldwide. The connection to the global stage is no less dynamic than what any major metropolitan company can offer.

From Akita to the world: The challenge continues

Kanai is already looking ahead.

“As a Japanese professional, I want to keep delivering Japanese products to the world. Someday, I’d like to be based overseas, where I can understand local needs at a deeper level. I want to be part of international projects through Orbray. I want to work in a way that elevates the image of Japan and gives something back to the country that shaped me.”

“Work isn’t something you do for yourself. You do it to fulfill someone else’s needs. That’s what I believe. And when someone says ‘thank you,’ that’s when you feel you’ve actually contributed to society.”

“Whether it’s work, sport, or anything else, don’t give up on the thing that makes you come alive. Orbray is a company that will never dismiss someone who wants to keep challenging themselves. If anything, they’ll push you forward.”

Kanai’s values resonate with the spirit that Orbray’s engineers have cultivated over more than 40 years.

From Akita to the world. You don’t have to choose between work or life. If you’ve been placing limits on your own potential, consider the stage that Orbray has to offer. Here, you’ll find people who compete on the global stage while staying true to who they are. Looking 100 years ahead, we are waiting for the people who will write the next chapter with us.

Another Story: Traveling the world and discovering Akita as a spiritual hometown

The main article highlighted Shigeki Kanai's world championship ambitions and his career. Here is a brief look at what Akita means to him on a personal level.

Kanai is originally from Osaka, but says he feels a surprising attachment to Akita. Whenever business brings him there, walking under clear skies surrounded by lush greenery is the best reset he knows.

"I'm actually from Osaka. But whenever I come to Akita, I get this strange feeling of coming home."

Traveling frequently to countries around the world has also given him a renewed appreciation for something closer to home: Japanese rice. Overseas, he often encounters rice with a different texture than what he's used to, and each time it reinforces the same thought: nothing compares to Japanese rice. At the factory cafeteria, he's been known to order a large serving of rice made with Akitakomachi, the local variety.

"Of course, when I am overseas, I eat rice, too. But the texture and sweetness of Japanese rice is something special. It just puts you at ease."

Kanai has one thing he'd like to do someday: bring an overseas client to Akita. He wants to take them to a hot spring with a view of the mountains and let them experience the nature and culture of the region firsthand.

"We could sit in a hot spring together, look out at the scenery, and they would say, 'Akita really is something special.' That would make me happy."

From the various Akita sakes to the local stew specialty, kiritanpo, there's still plenty of Akita he hasn't explored, he says. The more of the world he sees, the more the quiet warmth of Akita stays with him. You can sense a genuine affection for this place in his words.