Q: Hello. I’m Hikaru from Yong Japan. At Yong Japan, we listen to people’s life stories and their thoughts about Japan. This podcast will also be published as an English article. Today, we have Risa, a classmate from middle and high school, joining us. Thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
That’s quite a tough one right off the bat. I’d say “unable to be blindly devoted,” “human,” and “smile.”
Sure. I’m Risa. I’m currently working at a publishing company, though I’m still in training, so it feels more like being a customer at school rather than actually working. I’ve been there for almost two months now, with two weeks left of training. It’s longer than usual compared to others.
It's quite enjoyable, but it’s mixed. There are times when it’s not fun, and times when it’s really fun.
Since I’m still in training, I don’t really feel like a working adult yet. But having the company name attached to me feels like one of the downsides of being an adult. At the moment, it doesn’t seem to have many benefits.
For example, when I visit related factories, even though I’ve only been at the company for a few days and am practically still a student, the professionals who’ve been working there for years bow to me and use polite language. It feels awkward because they’re doing it out of respect for the company name, when I don’t have the ability yet.
It’s hard to put into words succinctly, but the initial reason is that I love books. I’ve loved books since I was little and had many good experiences because of them. I wanted to help create those experiences for others.
When I was in elementary school, I read “The Great Passage” by Shion Miura, a novel about people working in a dictionary editorial department. I found it fascinating. I used to think dictionaries were dull, focused on objectivity and necessary for middle school exams, but the story made me see the interesting side of the people making them. And in reality, the definition of each word varies depending on the dictionary, adding different nuances. I even started collecting dictionaries for a while. It was so interesting that I wanted to work in a dictionary editorial department someday. In college, I checked dictionary job listings monthly, and in my junior year, I finally found a job as a thesaurus editor. It was a short-term job, but I wouldn’t have discovered how interesting dictionaries could be without reading that novel. It opened a whole new world to me.
Really! I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe I should.
It was fascinating. I was surprised by how analog the work was. My job involved filling in an Excel sheet with about 50 Japanese verbs in one column and finding their Chinese and Japanese synonyms, idiomatic expressions, four-character idioms, and onomatopoeia.
Now that’s the interesting part. It’s quicker to Google the Chinese and Japanese synonyms, but idiomatic expressions don’t show up as easily online. It was fascinating because the expressions I thought of depended on how I imagined the verb. Once I thought of one, I could come up with more. It made me realize that not everything is available online, even with advanced technology. I was complimented on my ability to find idiomatic expressions, which made me really happy.
It might have had an impact. Also, my parents and grandparents loved wordplay. My grandmother, in particular, enjoyed twisting words to make jokes, so that might have influenced me as well.
I was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa. I lived in Nara for about a year before starting kindergarten, but other than that, I’ve always been in Yokohama. Born and raised.
No, my mom is from Nagoya and then moved to Tokyo and Kanagawa, while my dad is from Nagano and then moved to Kanagawa.
No, I’m an only child, a sheltered daughter haha.
I was very shy. When we lived in Kansai(western Japan), people would compliment me while I was in the stroller, saying I was cute, but I’d cry and scream despite the compliments. In kindergarten, during storytime, my mom would place me in the front row, but I’d slowly get pushed to the back by the other kids. I was very quiet, always reading picture books or stacking them to play. I didn’t like moving much.
No, since my mom was working, I was sent to after-school care(also called Gakudo), where I remember crying while playing dodgeball. Dodgeball was mandatory there.
Sure. After-school care is a place where kids whose parents are working can go after school. It’s a supervised environment for kids who would otherwise be home alone. At my after-school care, kids from three local elementary schools gathered to do homework, play outside, have snacks, and of course, play dodgeball. Lots and lots of dodgeball.
Yes, towards the end of elementary school, I started preparing for middle school entrance exams. I initially enjoyed studying at the cram school for entrance exams, so I kept going. When it came time to decide, I visited various schools and found one I really wanted to attend, so I told my parents I wanted to take the entrance exam. I’m grateful for that.
Yes. The school festival felt very lively to me. I visited many school festivals, and at SFC, everything was student-led, which felt very dynamic and creative. At other schools, I noticed reused displays from previous years and messy hallways, but SFC felt different. I think I was pretty much a nitpicky kid back in elementary. But yeah the students I spoke with were unique and interesting, and the classes involved a lot of independent research and presentations, which I liked. It was my top choice, and not having to take college entrance exams was a big plus too.
I think I was more diligent then than I am now (laughs).
Looking back, I think it was fun, but at the time, it was very stressful.
My retirement match(last match) in softball.
Yes, I was in the softball club. I hadn’t even watched baseball before joining, and I wasn’t fast at running, but when I visited different clubs, the atmosphere in the softball club was the best. It was a club where students from first-year middle school to third-year high school all trained together, and they seemed genuinely close-knit. Unlike other clubs where juniors did all the work, in the softball club, seniors led by example. That impressed me, so I joined.
It was the first time I truly enjoyed softball. I remember a lower-year student fielding a ground ball and throwing the batter out at first base. It had never succeeded before, and knowing how nervous she must have been, I felt really grateful for my teammates. It made me appreciate the fun of team play.
I was a catcher. The coach assigned positions, so I had no say in it. One day, in my first year of middle school, I was told, “You’re the catcher,” and that was it.
Definitely. Playing team sports taught me the fun of working together. Also, realizing that there are many talented people in the world and working with them is enjoyable. In my senior year, we had a group project in ethics class with a really strong-willed member. It left a lasting impression. It made me see the value in contributing to a team and creating something together that couldn’t be done alone. Those six years showed me that the world is full of interesting people and experiences.
I went on to the Faculty of Policy Management at SFC. I chose this department for two reasons. First, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life or what I should study in university to achieve any potential goals. I was frustrated and reflected on how I hadn’t thought about these things, despite having the time and environment to do so during my school years. My mom had encouraged me to explore my interests, but I was too focused on club activities. The second reason was my interest in communication and neuroscience. My childhood training in distinguishing scents sparked my curiosity in neuroscience. This department offered both subjects and seemed to provide the most options for the future. Plus, it was rumored to be full of interesting people. I guess I also had a desire to become someone significant.
I don’t remember much now, but my mom worked in the cosmetics industry, so we had a lot of fragrances at home. When I was in kindergarten, I once said that white wine smelled like butter, which my mom found accurate. She thought I might have a keen sense of smell, so she started training me by having me identify essential oils with my eyes closed. It was more of a fun activity than anything serious.
In middle and high school, I focused solely on softball, but in university, I decided to try a variety of things to see what piqued my interest. I did different jobs, including a dictionary editing gig and leading field trips. I also participated in business competitions and interned in the media. I met entrepreneurs and joined group projects, just exploring broadly.
Yes, in the first half of university, I joined a social thought seminar where we read several books a week, wrote reports, and had discussions. I was in the infectious disease group, studying how diseases impact society. It was a fascinating experience. In the latter half, I joined a neuroscience seminar and wrote my thesis there.
It was on the rhythm of human biological signals. I studied brain waves and electromyograms to understand why human movements often occur at a rhythm of 20 times per second. I only scratched the surface, but it was interesting.
I didn’t have enough passion for neuroscience. Many of my senpais were deeply motivated and had clear goals, while my interest was more casual. I didn’t see myself committing to it long-term.
Yes, I met someone incredibly inspiring and respectful during my job search, which left a strong impression on me. It was even more significant than getting the job offer. This person pointed out that I’m not someone who can become blindly devoted, which made sense to me and helped me understand myself better.
Yes, I tend to observe and find it hard to believe in something 100%. For example, even though I work in publishing, I don’t think every book or novel is entirely beneficial for society. I can’t fully immerse myself in something without maintaining some distance. That realization from my job search made a lot of sense to me.
I don’t have specific goals or dreams, but I admire that person I met during my job search. The person is in the 30s, and constantly questions and thinks about things, doing the best in their job while finding meaning and pride in their work. That person has a neutral, non-conformist attitude and a broad capacity for acceptance. I want to be like that.
They’re someone who constantly questions and thinks deeply but also works wholeheartedly in their job. They find meaning and pride in their work and approach people neutrally without being overly accommodating. They were able to connect with me beyond our professional roles, which was very moving. They never pressured me to join their company or bad-mouthed others, which I found very respectful.
I do think about it a little, but it’s not a major desire or a top priority. I really like Yokohama. It’s not too urban and not too rural. My area is quite nice; there’s a Ferris wheel near the station, and it’s lively with lots of families, but if you walk a bit, you’ll find Jomon period pit dwellings and fields.
I really like the food—especially the mild flavors. I can enjoy just white rice, dashi, and ginger. I’ve spent 23 years in Japan, so it means a lot that most of the people important to me are here. Friends are really important to me. As for dislikes, I don’t have many. My overseas experience is limited; I only spent two weeks in the U.S. on a homestay.
In Utah. I went there when I was in the 8th grade and stayed with a Mormon family.
Yes, and it was quite profound. It made me realize what “seeing a new world” really means. It felt like I had been living in a very narrow world until then.
There’s one story I’m not entirely sure about, but I remember learning that Mormons go on missions when they turn 18—boys for two years and girls for one year. My host family had members who went to places like Alaska and Mexico. The destinations are important because the language barriers mean where you go is crucial. When I asked how destinations are chosen, I was told it’s decided by “God.” This idea of receiving divine guidance and the pride in completing the mission surprised me. Also, I learned that missionaries aren’t supposed to stay in contact with their families much, and there are expectations on how many people they should convert. I was very close with my host sister, and one day she revealed to me that she was adopted. Despite the strong religious and familial expectations, she shared her struggles with the mission and her feelings of not being enthusiastic about it. I recently saw on Instagram that she, who is the same age as me, has had a baby.
Yes, she did, though I don’t know where. It was quite impressive.
Yes, it was a unique environment for sure.
That’s a tough question (laughs). I can’t think of anything specific, but tentatively, Japan is a country where I have many loved ones and people I respect. Also, it’s the country where the food suits me best.
No problem! Thank you!
The phrase “unable to become blindly devoted” might initially suggest a timid person who struggles to dive into something wholeheartedly. However, through her life story, it seems to evoke a kind of magic that reveals the delicate nuances of daily life and fragments of words.