When you go to a pharmacy with a prescription from the hospital, you receive your medicine—something we’ve all experienced before.
But have you ever walked into a pharmacy only to find the waiting area overflowing with patients holding prescriptions? While it’s clearly a frustrating situation for those waiting, what many don’t realize is that pharmacists also struggle under these conditions.
This is exactly the kind of challenge KAKEHASHI Inc. set out to solve.
In this article, we had the chance to talk with the engineers at KAKEHASHI about their day-to-day work, as well as their passion for HHKB.
And to top it off, the interview1 took place at none other than PFU’s Yokohama headquarters, the “sanctuary” of HHKB! At the strong request of the KAKEHASHI team, we also did an office tour, which we’ll share a glimpse of here.
"Making Healthcare in Japan Seamless and Flexible" — The Mission of KAKEHASHI Inc.
KAKEHASHI provides a cloud service called "Musubi" that makes it easy to create and reference medication histories in real time and without omissions.
In addition to medication history, KAKEHASHI also offers products such as "Musubi AI Inventory Management" to manage inventory to prevent both medication shortages and excess inventory.
By improving pharmacy workflow efficiency and enhancing the quality of ordering processes, KAKEHASHI aims to improve the entire healthcare system so that everyone can receive better medical care. Guided by its mission "Making Healthcare in Japan Seamless and Flexible", KAKEHASHI's highly skilled engineers continue to make an impact every day.
Three Engineers, Three Different Stories: What Brought Them to KAKEHASHI Inc.?
For this interview, we spoke with three people who recently joined KAKEHASHI Inc.—engineers and technical PR staff. We began by asking about their backgrounds, including what led them to make the move from their previous roles.
HHKB: Please tell us about yourselves.
Kushii: My name is Yusuke Kushii and I am from Rumoi City, Hokkaido, the same city as Yasunori Saito of Bird Electronics, who has been working on many HHKB-related products.
I have been in the IT industry for 25 years since I started my career as a web director in 2000. I joined Livedoor (now LY Corporation) in 2004 and shifted my focus to engineer support operations, where I was in charge of technical PR activities and planning and managing events for engineers. I joined KAKEHASHI Inc. in 2024 and have been in my current position ever since.
Odanaka: My name is Ikuo Odanaka, Head of Engineering, SCM. I am also from Sapporo, Hokkaido.
I spent my elementary and high school years in Niigata, and after college in Ibaraki. I was a science major and joined the research institute of Texas Instruments Japan Limited after graduating from university.
After that, I moved to NAVITIME JAPAN Co., Ltd. as VP of Engineering, where I was involved in product and development process "kaizen", and joined KAKEHASHI Inc. as EM (Engineering Manager) in October 2023.
Now, as the Head of Engineering, SCM, I am also the EM of the PE development team developing new business products and the Musubi AI inventory management development team, aiming to create a lively team.
I'm also the author of "The Easiest Agile Development Manual" published by Impress Corporation and "Agile Team Goal Creation Guidebook" published by SHOEISHA.
Matsumoto: Unlike the two of you, I am from Saga Prefecture. I am the tech lead of the Musubi AI inventory management team at KAKEHASHI Inc..
I joined Hitachi, Ltd. as a new graduate and worked as an engineer for 14 years developing NoSQL products and data platforms for the manufacturing industry. I moved to KAKEHASHI in February 2023.
HHKB: You all have work experience at fairly large companies. In contrast, KAKEHASHI Inc. is a relatively small startup. What motivated you to make the move?
Kushii: Two years ago, I was diagnosed with a designated intractable disease and was hospitalized for two weeks. I had some free time, so I brought in my PC and was just watching a video streaming service in the hospital room. To my surprise, a nurse said, "Kushii-san, you can use a computer!" I couldn't help thinking, "Wait, I'm just watching videos!" I was hospitalized at a large university hospital, and one of the things that struck me was how little IT had been implemented even there.
During that hospitalization, my outlook on life changed significantly. I began thinking about how I wanted to work going forward. Rather than spending my time on internal tasks within a large company, I wanted to do work that could make an impact on society, to join a company tackling social issues. That's when I came across KAKEHASHI Inc. and felt, "This is the place for me." That's why I decided to make the move.
Odanaka: I had been working for 15 years to eliminate traffic congestion, accidents, and other unfortunate problems associated with human transportation, but I felt that I had done all I could do to challenge myself in areas such as product improvement and organizational development. So, I decided to take on new challenges, such as raising my skills and level and solving social issues.
To raise my skills and level, there is no point in doing work that I can do well. I needed an environment where I was the worst at it. Of the various social issues, the reason I chose the medical field has to do with my children, my parents, and myself. I have three children, and children often catch colds when they are little. We go to the hospital and then to the pharmacy. I saw firsthand how incredibly busy the pharmacists were. At the same time, my parents are entering the stage of life where they may soon need nursing care. And even I, once healthy, have started seeing some "not-so-great numbers" in my medical checkups.
Kushii: The ones that say, "We want to see you, so please come visit."
Odanaka: I don't really want to see them that much, though (laughs). But at the same time, I started to feel the reality that I could become the patient at any time. When I became familiar with medical care, I began to see how busy the medical professionals who take care of us are. Moreover, I learned that people suffering from chronic diseases sometimes stop taking their medication halfway through because they are not aware of any symptoms, or they inadvertently forget to do so, or they do not keep coming to the hospital, which worsens their condition and leads to higher medical costs.
I began to think, "Isn't it very important to solve this problem?" I decided to join KAKEHASHI because I thought it was a company committed to solving those issues.
Matsumoto: That was quite moving. Now I feel a little guilty sharing my story right after that (laughs). I had been at Hitachi, Ltd. for 14 years, and I was recommended for a management position. I had worked as an engineer and enjoyed it, and I just couldn't imagine what my work life would be like if I switched over to management. I thought that there might still a career path for me as an engineer, so I casually began my job search.
When I talked to other companies, they all sounded really exciting. Ironically, I had never been seriously ill, and I actually dislike going to hospitals, so back then I told myself, "The one place I'll never join is a healthcare company" (laughs). Part of that was also because, as an engineer, I knew how challenging it is to build medical systems.
Still, when I thought about changing jobs, I wanted to take on a challenge—join a company that felt like a real stretch compared to where I was. Among all the options, KAKEHASHI was where I felt the biggest gap, and that's why I chose the company. But then, just a month and a half after joining, I was hit with a serious illness and had to be hospitalized. That experience made my personal situation suddenly align with my work, and I felt a much stronger sense of ownership. It was like, "This is something I have to do."
Kushii: I understand that feeling very well. Ten years ago, I would not have been interested in the medical field either. Many of the people who join KAKEHASHI now are in their 30s or older, and I guess we all have that feeling.
HHKB: Those in their mid-30s and older have previous work experience, right?
Kushii: Yes, many people join KAKEHASHI on their second or third company. They are professionals who originally worked in different industries. That's why they are particular about tools. I think that's why many of them use HHKB.
HHKB: Can I ask you about your favorite keyboards?
Kushii: I use the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Japanese layout Snow model and the HHKB Studio Japanese layout Charcoal model. On the Snow model, I have a lacquer keycap on the Esc key that was made to support the recovery efforts after the Noto Peninsula earthquake. On the Charcoal model, I replaced the number keys and arrow keys with mahjong-tile patterned keycaps.
The Charcoal model's legends can be a bit hard to see in the dark. But using 東南西北 (ton-nan-sha-pei) for the arrow keys works perfectly since they represent directions, and the numbers are still fine. It's easy to see, isn't it? (laughs)
Odanaka: I use two models, the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S English layout Charcoal model and the Shin Ultraman model.
Instead of using them separately, I use a customization tool called "Karabiner-Elements" to make the two keyboards function like a split keyboard.
Matsumoto: I use the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S English layout blank Charcoal model and the Japanese layout Charcoal model.
For the English layout, I've swapped the number "0" keycap with a blue one from the HHKB Professional series exclusive color keycap set. Also, I'm using "Karabiner-Elements," which Odanaka also uses, to customize the key bindings primarily for cursor control to match emacs' layout. As for the Japanese layout, I have converted the Esc and Ctrl keys by using the blank keytops of the color keytop set.
HHKB: So, I see that all of you use two or more HHKBs. Could you tell us how you first came across HHKB?
Kushii: I'm actually the only one here who isn't an engineer, I work in technical PR. But I wanted to understand engineers better, so I observed them at work, and noticed they were using really cool keyboards. I thought, "What's that?", and one of the engineers I was working with generously gave me that keyboard. It was a REALFORCE (laughs).
When I was at my previous job at LINE Yahoo, I was invited to an event by Yamaguchi san of PFU, and I thought, "If I want to deepen my understanding, I need to use an HHKB." so I gave away the three REALFORCE keyboards I had and bought an HHKB myself and started using it. That's how it all started.
PFU has provided me with some keyboards as well, but since I like to spread the word saying, "HHKB is awesome," sometimes I give them away while evangelizing. As a result, the two I have now are what's left in my hands.
HHKB: So you're evangelizing HHKBs!
Kushii: Yes, exactly. When something is good, you want to recommend it to others, right? For example, when my previous office was relocating, I had to bring all my things home. I also had to take the HHKB I'd been using at the office, so I put it in my bag. On the way back, I stopped by a shop where a medical journalist I know was working part-time. Normally I wouldn't ask, but I said, "By the way, what keyboard are you using?" Even though they're a journalist who writes a lot, they said, "Just the MacBook keyboard." I said, "That's going to give you tendonitis!" and they replied, "Yeah, I know" (note: It's just his personal opinion!). So, right then, I pulled the HHKB out of my bag, the one I'd brought from the office, and gave it to them as a gift to recommend it.
Everyone: (Bursting out laughing)
Kushii: Later, she featured the HHKB in her own magazine, and I thought, "Looks like my preaching paid off." I am now planning to buy one for my own daughter to evangelize it.
Odanaka: In my case, the first time was when I saw a colleague using one when I was at Texas Instruments. I asked him, "What keyboard are you using?" He told me, "It's Happy Hacking Keyboard." Hearing "hacking" right away made me think, "Wait, what?!" And on top of that, it starts with "happy." Since I was in a research role, it made my heart race a little (laughs).
Even at NAVITIME JAPAN, many of the great engineers were using HHKB. By the way, I was originally using a Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard. But then during the COVID-19 pandemic, we switched to remote work. My workspace at home was small, and I needed a keyboard that fit in that limited space. That's when I started using the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S.
Mr. Kushii (on the right in the photo) shopping on PFU Direct website. Mr. Odanaka is also checking the contents accordingly.
HHKB: Although it's a different color variation, your second one is the same model, isn't it?
Odanaka: In the movie Shin Ultraman, the HHKB was used so naturally on screen that I couldn't think about anything else (laughs). I thought it looked really cool, and then the "Shin Ultraman Model" was announced.
At that moment, I had an internal debate: "I already have one," versus "If I don't buy it now, it'll sell out!" Instantly, I came up with an excuse for myself: "Lately, I've been going into the office more. Carrying this around will be tough. I need one for the office too." And that's how I ended up buying it.
As for how I use the two keyboards, back at my previous job, one was for home and one for work. Now, I actually use both at home simultaneously. HHKBs are compact, which is great, but they make your shoulders hunch inward a bit. Someone suggested a split keyboard, and I thought, "Maybe I should switch from HHKB." But then I realized that with two HHKBs, I could use them like a split keyboard. And that's how I came to the setup I have now.
Kushii: It's like the cockpit of Thunderbird (the name of a special express train in Japan).
Odanaka: Oh, maybe I should call it the "Thunderbird style" (laughs).
Matsumoto: My case is a bit unusual. At the university I attended, the standard keyboards provided were all HHKB Lite.
Kushii: That's an amazing university!
Matsumoto: I used HHKB when I first experienced programming and other engineering-like things, and I've never been able to switch since.
The first keyboard I bought myself was an HHKB Lite2 while I was still in university. Then, in my third or fourth year after joining the company as a new graduate, when my salary had increased a bit, I bought an HHKB Professional 2. From that point on, I started using blank keycaps. Later, when I wanted a silent model, I switched to the HYBRID Type-S when it was released in 2019.
I also have a Japanese layout model. While English layout is fine for programming, when I needed to use MS Office apps like Excel or PowerPoint for work, the English layout lacked dedicated cursor keys, and it didn't work well with key-binding tools. That's why I bought a Japanese layout version as well.
HHKB: I heard that while working at KAKEHASHI, you are also active in side jobs and hobbies.
Matsumoto: For now, I'm basically full-time at KAKEHASHI, but I'd like to increase opportunities for technical output and giving talks both as part of my work at KAKEHASHI and on a personal level. Someday, I also hope to write a book.
Odanaka: I started side jobs after joining KAKEHASHI. I give talks, run seminars, and lead workshops on agile development, and sometimes contribute articles as well. Sometimes, staying at home makes me feel stuck, so I head to cafes or coworking spaces. But with the "clacky" keyboard on a standard laptop, I just can't get my thoughts out properly and can't focus. That's when I really feel how essential the HHKB is for writing articles and preparing seminar materials.
Kushii: Absolutely (laughs). I do mentoring and consulting for several companies as side work in the tech PR field.
As a hobby, I run a blog where I introduce offices. I've visited around 180 companies so far and written articles about them. I also host a podcast just for fun.
This might sound sudden, but after doing all these things, I recently realized something: I want to be like "Himmel" from "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End". I want to leave a mark that lasts even after I'm gone, to leave behind the footprint of what I've accomplished. I'll keep walking that path, leaving my mark online by writing tons of text with my HHKB (laughs).
Exploring PFU's Yokohama Headquarters, the HHKB Sanctuary!
Finally, the long-awaited office tour of PFU's Yokohama headquarters. Despite having conducted over 180 office tours himself, Kushii admits, "I'm more nervous now than ever."
At the PFU Yokohama headquarters showroom (HHKB booth), the three were excited to see a prototype model of HHKB by Dr. Eiiti Wada and a rare display of the first HHKB (KB01). However, the way they listened intently to the explanation given by HHKB evangelist Hideki Matsumoto showed that they truly have a deep love for HHKB.
HHKB: How was the PFU Yokohama headquarters?
Kushii: Honestly, I just want to live here. I want to feel the HHKB passion up close every day.
Odanaka: I was nervous the entire way up to this floor. Seeing all the past HHKB models on display really hit me. Even though the designs haven't changed much, and everything is so well-preserved, they feel as current as ever. You can really feel why it's a keyboard that lasts a lifetime.
Matsumoto: I have been using HHKB for more than 20 years, and I was happy to be able to look back on the history of the models I have used as well. Whenever I buy a new one, I usually give the old one to my younger colleagues, so I don't have many of them left. Remembering the past I spent with HHKB brought tears to my eyes. I hope they will keep this exhibition for a long time to come.
Odanaka: There are even HHKB clubs in various companies, so I think quite a few people would want to visit a showroom like this. Since it is a product that can be used for 100 years, I honestly think it deserves to have a museum.
HHKB: Thank you very much. I agree, it would be great if this exhibition could remain at headquarters. Finally, could you share if there's anything you wish for HHKB in the future?
Kushii: If possible, I would like to see HHKB distributed to all households. I think it would be difficult to do so, so first of all, I would like to see HHKB distributed to everyone in our company. What do you think? Please consider it. I am half-serious.
However, since it is such a good product, I think it would be fine if the price were raised in line with rising costs. I'd rather see it priced appropriately so that the product can remain sustainable.
Oh, and I'd like Mr. Saito of Bird Electronic to make more optional accessories. I hope HHKB itself keeps its style, but with more options to make it even more convenient. I'll reach out and ask if he can design something special for a Rumoi-collaboration model, since that's where we're from!
Odanaka: I think a keyboard is a very important tool for handling a PC. However, some people think that the keyboard that comes with their laptop is sufficient. Since I first encountered HHKB, the quality of my work has clearly changed, so I would like to see more and more opportunities for people to experience HHKB so that they can learn about its advantages.
Matsumoto: My personal opinion is that I only use a wired keyboard, not a Bluetooth one. So I would like to see a model that omits that function and is a little less expensive. I would also appreciate it if it has a USB hub function.
After the interview...
I could feel their excitement even in the elevator ride up to the floor where PFU's Yokohama headquarters office is located. When they spotted the "HHKB Professional HG JAPAN" on display at the corner of the reception area, their cheerful reaction once again showed just how deep their love for HHKB runs.
I also felt that, not only at KAKEHASHI but across many engineers in different fields, people are earnestly committed to solving social issues and working tirelessly on daily improvements, giving me a glimpse of the efforts behind the scenes of society.
I was also able to realize that one of the interfaces that these people are passionate about is HHKB. I was struck by the words, "People are only satisfied with their current setup because they've never tried it". If you are thinking of improving your work environment even a little, I encourage you to try out HHKB through GEO rental service or by visiting HHKB touch & try spots.
KAKEHASHI Inc. official website: https://www.kakehashi.life/
1 Based on information from March 19, 2025
Author: Marika Watanabe
A freelance writer with a deep love for gadgets that run on electricity. She has many hobbies: she enjoys horses and holds a riding license, loves the sea and has a Class 2 small boat operator license, and fulfilled a long-time dream by obtaining an ordinary motorcycle license. While curbing her material desires, she also pursues analog interests, with knitting serving as a lifelong passion.