Shino Kinoshita: Adding Color to Careers at a "Snack" Bar

2021/08/31

After graduating from the Faculty of Letters in 1991, I moved from job to job and place to place. Just as I was becoming exasperated with my own rootless life, a series of unexpected events led me to enroll in the Graduate School of Media Design (KMD) at the age of 45. While I was moved by the fresh ideas and potential of the young people I met there, talking with them also made me realize how much the outdated values of our parent generation were holding them back.

After graduation, I initially wanted to use my experience from the human resources development company where I had most recently worked, combined with my graduate studies, to support the development of young leaders. However, I reconsidered. I realized that what I should be doing is supporting the challenges of our middle-aged and older generation, who act as a shackle to the youth. With the wish to draw out people's strengths regardless of age or gender, I founded a company called "HIKIDASHI" (meaning "drawer" or "drawing out") after graduating, with the core mission of re-supporting the careers of middle-aged and older adults.

However, even after starting the company, holding seminars with titles like "Middle-aged and older adults should think about their future careers" didn't attract many people.

That's when I thought of a "Snack" (a Japanese-style bar). Yes, our generation prefers drinking parties over seminars! We are the generation that has built connections and spoken our true feelings at bars. So, why not make the place for thinking about future work and life a snack bar instead of a seminar? It was a contrarian approach. My snack bar is not at night, but a "Daytime Snack" held one day a week. This was due to the unavoidable circumstance that I was borrowing a friend's shop during the "daytime" when it was vacant.

I thought it would be fine if even just one person showed up to the Daytime Snack, held only one day a week on a weekday afternoon. Nearly five years have passed, and through word of mouth, the total number of visitors has exceeded 2,000. Even now, a diverse range of people of all ages and genders visit every week.

A snack bar has a "Mama" (hostess) who acts as a hub. Starting from there, people and things that were previously unconnected can connect through honest conversation. That is precisely the key to future careers.

Now, even in my main business of corporate training and coaching, I fulfill my role as a snack bar Mama to help participants speak their true feelings and find companions to move forward with.

Everyone has their own unique "hikidashi" (drawers of talent). If we can find a place and companions where we can use those talents for each other or lend out what's inside, wouldn't life from now on be more fun? I believe that is the role of the "Snack Hikidashi" I have created.