Feature : Tokyo Century’s Discerning Eye

Our IT Equipment Business in Japan Provides Leasing for PCs, Servers and Other Hardware, Creating Value for Customers Through the Integration of Finance and IT

Feb 20, 2026

The core strength of Tokyo Century’s business is our discerning eye—that is, the ability to determine asset value. This feature explores how that power is demonstrated across six of Tokyo Century’s key business areas. This third article focuses on our IT equipment business in Japan, which offers diverse services that integrate finance and IT. We spoke with Manami Shimizu and Daichi Soejima from the IT Equipment Business Division I, and Tamaki Hasegawa from the IT Equipment Business Division II, to explain these services.

(From left to right: Daichi Soejima and Manami Shimizu from the IT Equipment Business Division I, and Tamaki Hasegawa from the IT Equipment Business Division II)

Realizing the Full Potential of IT Resources Through Group Collaboration

—Please share an overview of Tokyo Century’s IT equipment business in Japan.

Hasegawa: We provide financing services centered on leasing IT equipment. In addition to advising private enterprises in Japan on leasing PCs and servers, we also engage in a broad range of businesses other than leasing in close collaboration with IT vendors and system integrators.

Soejima: We also provide IT equipment to the government sector through leasing and other arrangements. Our proposals cover a broad range of products needed for implementing public policy, from administrative systems used in daily public services to new products and services such as drones. Since our leasing contracts are often inextricably linked to government policy, stringent information management is required. In this context, we work under a robust partnership framework to offer proposals that precisely anticipate client needs.

Shimizu: And we lease supercomputers to research institutions in Japan. We handle the entire process from aligning technical requirements, including equipment specifications, to selecting partner suppliers and designing the overall lease contract and implementation plan.

—What social issues does this business help to address?

Hasegawa: We undertake comprehensive lifecycle management for IT equipment through ITAD services*1 in collaboration with Group company EPC Japan. Beyond providing leases, we also refurbish*2, reuse, and recycle equipment after lease expiration. Moreover, our ITAD services not only cover assets leased by Tokyo Century, but equipment originally owned by customers as well. We hope to contribute to addressing social issues by effectively using limited resources.

*1 IT asset disposition (ITAD) services dispose of IT assets in a safe and appropriate manner, ensuring compliance with regulations for information management, environmental protection, and more.

*2 Refurbishment refers to the repairing and restoring of electrical appliances, IT equipment, and other products that have been used or returned for various reasons, including initial defects.

Soejima: We either resell equipment after data erasure or disassemble it to harvest reusable parts and components for recycling. We add new value to items that would previously have been disposed of, generating new businesses that start at the “end-of-life” stage of equipment.

Hasegawa: We do more than just introduce equipment; we look ahead to its “end of life” stage after use. We want to help create a circular economy by combining finance and IT.

Applying the Required Expertise in Both Finance and IT　

—How does this business demonstrate Tokyo Century’s discerning eye?

Hasegawa

Our business is based on the premise that equipment will be resold or reused after lease expiration. To maximize profitability, we must accurately assess which equipment will retain high value and meet market demand at the end of the lease term, taking into account equipment specifications and future market trends. This is where our discerning eye comes into play.

Shimizu

It is also common practice to resell supercomputer components after a lease ends. So it’s important to structure a contract from a multi-year perspective that anticipates the residual value of returned assets. Naturally, this requires knowledge of the latest IT trends and deep expertise in IT equipment.

Shimizu: I feel my personal growth leads to better proposals for customers. I find it rewarding every day to work in an environment where I can continually broaden my knowledge.

Hasegawa

Expert knowledge of finance is also indispensable. Leasing IT equipment is an important capital investment for customers, often involving substantial funds. We must be able to work with customers to structure contracts based on optimal financing and related planning that ensures efficient cash flow.

Our strength lies in a business model that simultaneously provides assets (IT equipment) and manages funding instead of treating them separately. Our expertise is in optimally integrating both financial and equipment considerations.

Another key aspect of our discerning eye is the ability to quickly identify IT equipment with rapidly growing demand, such as drones, and create mechanisms to scale up their adoption. When we find promising devices, we promptly partner with companies that provide them and start designing ways to roll out the products across society.

This requires both keeping an eye on the frontline development of cutting-edge equipment and keenly grasping the needs of the times, including the current challenges faced by society and companies and the technologies they demand.

Soejima

The Fulfillment of Contributing to Value Creation by Our Customers

—What do you find to be most rewarding in this business?

Back in university, I knew I wanted a career in finance. At the same time, however, I also felt strongly about having a job that would let me see the faces of the end users who would be using the services I provided. Now, in my work, I often come across our leased equipment in use at public facilities and government offices. Seeing this firsthand gives me a real sense that my work benefits society.

Soejima

Soejima: We will quickly recognize new technologies like drones and create mechanisms for scaling up their use. I hope to capture the needs of the times and continue taking on the challenge of addressing public issues.

Shimizu

It is always rewarding when customers thank us for our work. And since Tokyo Century’s business involves integrating finance with a wide variety of assets that are not limited to IT equipment, we have the opportunity to broaden our knowledge through the work and recognize our personal growth every day.

Hasegawa

There have also been instances in which customers use the IT equipment we have leased to create new businesses and services. It is deeply satisfying to know we play even an indirect role in our customers’ value creation.

—What challenges do you want to take on next through this business?

As we continue to strengthen our core IT equipment leasing business, we are also looking to extend our reach into other areas. I want to pursue business that flexibly respond to changing market conditions, for example, services that don’t depend on hardware like supporting customers in their transition to the cloud.

Soejima

Hasegawa

Our roots in leasing have made us experts in structuring business models based on monthly usage fees. I believe this expertise can be extended to recent business trends like subscription services and SaaS*3. I’d like to leverage the expertise and assets Tokyo Century has gained over the years to create next-generation businesses.

*3 Software as a Service is a business model in which users access the functions they require via the Internet, instead of purchasing packaged software.

Tamaki Hasegawa

IT Equipment Business Division II

Hasegawa joined the company in 2022 as a new graduate. She handles IT equipment leases for private enterprises, proposing financing plans for PCs and servers.

Daichi Soejima

IT Equipment Business Division I

Soejima joined the company in 2022 as a new graduate. He is mainly responsible for providing leasing and other financing services to the government sector in Japan.

Manami Shimizu

IT Equipment Business Division I

Shimizu joined the company in 2023 as a new graduate. She is mainly involved in leasing supercomputers to the government sector and research institutions in Japan.

*The contents of the article and the position titles are as of the date posted.