What kind of moments make you most excited?
For me, that’s when I can dream and challenge myself towards my goals.
Chasing dreams has been my favorite thing since when I was a child. Running a relay on a field day as a representative of my class, auditioning for a competitive musical number, conducting global research, and so on… Each time I take on a new challenge, I end up improving myself and getting to see a new world, which is the biggest reason that I love having dreams. On the other hand, there are many people who are unable to dream due to poverty and other reasons, especially in developing countries. In order to change this situation, I’ve been studying Development at universities and been involved in activities.
When I was working for one non-profit organization as an intern in my sophomore year in university, I received one letter from a person who used to live on streets in the Philippines. “Thanks to the support I received from your organization, I was able to get a job and start to ‘dream’ about my better life in the future.” This experience made me realize that I, even just a person who grew up in Japan, can contribute to increasing the opportunities of people in other countries to dream, which I have always valued.
In order to realize “a world where everyone can chase their dreams”, it is essential to take many more actions. From my experiences of engaging in activities and working for a better future including internships at non-profit organizations and fair trade activities, the biggest obstacle was financing. Without capital, these actions are not sustainable.
Since I am aware of this, I began to believe that my role in realizing that world is to “create a flow of capital”. That is why I chose a career in banking. I, especially as a person who was born and raised in Japan, a country that has a wealthy economy compared to others and basically everything we need, believe that it is my responsibility to allocate capital to projects and business that will improve people’s lives.
My challenge has only just begun. I keep moving forward, always dreaming of my ideal society: “a world where everyone can chase their dreams”.