I established forest Inc. in July 2021 and work as its representative.

We are engaged in the business of taking over Japanese brands that plan and sell high-quality products through M&A and using the power of business and technology to achieve further growth for those brands. In order to promote our business, we raised approximately 900 million yen in seed funding from UTEC (University of Tokyo Edge Capital) and NORDSTAR (UK-based global VC) in October last year.

Prior to establishing forest,Inc., I worked at CITIC Capital, a foreign private equity firm, where I invested in small and medium-sized Japanese companies with good technologies and brands, and supported their growth, mainly in Asian markets. Prior to that, I worked in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley, mainly in cross-border M&A advisory, and as a CPA at EY Shin Nihon & Co.

My daily life, including my work, has changed a lot. I went from being self-centered to being others-centered (in my case, especially my family and employees), and through others, I feel that my happiness has been increasing.

In terms of the impact on my career, I have always been, and will continue to be, a migratory bird of prey, competing as an individual without belonging to an organization or relying on titles, so the vector of my career has not changed significantly. However, for each job I am involved in at any given time, I always think about whether the job is truly meaningful to society and what impact my actions will have on the world today.

For me, Shizenkan was a place where I could reflect on myself. Through classes like sociology, religion, and performing-arts, I gained more perspectives to view the world objectively, and I was able to take in and reflect on multilayered information. I also reconsidered the significance of my own existence in the world. These were the big takeaways.

In addition, because students from diverse backgrounds gathered at Shizenkan, I learned a lot through discussions with people who had various experiences and ways of thinking. It was refreshing for me, since I have mostly dealt with people from the business world in the past, and what I learned and felt at that time was useful when I started my own business.

The standard of attitude toward learning that Shizenkan requires is high. It is not easy to go to school while working or having a family. I myself had to take a leave of absence for about half a year due to family reasons (I am grateful to the staff of Shizenkan for their warm support during that time).
What I gained from my time at Shizenkan far exceeded that period, and the financial burden and hardships I had to endure. You will gain a multilayered perspective, a diverse group of friends, and discover the meaning of your life. I encourage you to be brave and take the first step.