Satoshi Saito: Living Through the Power of Dreams

2021/02/11

When I quit Itochu Corporation, where I had joined as a new graduate, after only two years, I received a handwritten letter from my parents with traces of tears on it.

"We were so relieved when you got that job. You can't live on dreams alone."

Unemployed at 26. Now that I am a parent myself, I finally understand the sense of despair my parents felt. However, when I watched the 2002 FIFA World Cup in person, my goal became clear: "I want to help Japan win the World Cup." I wondered what I could do. In the summer of 2003, I enrolled at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain.

At the time, the Vice President of FC Barcelona was an alumnus of the school, and I had the opportunity to drink with him until dawn after a friendly match in Japan. When we got into a taxi together in the early morning, a job interview suddenly began inside the car.

"No one knows Asian football better than I do. You should hire me."

It was incredibly arrogant. But I had nothing but passion. Perhaps such a Japanese person seemed unique to him. I was accepted for a position immediately upon graduation. Every day was a dream world. The office was located on the grounds of the Camp Nou stadium, and I could watch matches and practices as much as I wanted.

However, every fairy tale comes to an end. At one point, my boss yelled at me, "Shut up and just squeeze money out of Asia." I wondered where my roots were. I began to want to create a club in Asia and Japan that the world could be proud of.

In 2007, I joined the Japan Football Association (JFA). There, I met Captain Saburo Kawabuchi and Tokuaki Suzuki (Keio University alumni). They were people who seriously thought about Japan winning the World Cup.

Under the instruction that "Asian competition is necessary to make Japan stronger; go make Asia strong," I was seconded to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2009 and appointed as Marketing Director. I traveled around Asian countries for about 200 days a year to provide support. In Indonesia, we integrated two divided domestic leagues. When I visited the stadium, there was a massive chant of "AFC!" I became convinced that sports have the power to change society.

After that, I returned to the JFA and was in charge of managing Japan national team matches. I left the JFA in 2017, and after working for the American Olympic marketing company GMR, I established HMR Consulting, a "company that connects the world," in 2020. I will continue to push forward toward winning the World Cup.

"Dreams make you strong."

These were the words I received from Captain Kawabuchi when I left the JFA. It's not just me. There are crazy people in this world who continue to chase their dreams.