Shino Kinoshita: Adding Color to Careers at a Snack Bar

Although I graduated from the Faculty of Letters in 1991, I spent years drifting between jobs and places, feeling exasperated by my own rootless life. Then, by a twist of fate, I enrolled 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moved by the fresh ideas and potential of the young people I met there, talking with them made me realize how much the outdated values of our parent generation were holding them back.

After graduation, I initially wanted to support the development of young leaders by leveraging my experience at a human resources development company and my studies at graduate school. However, I changed my mind. I realized that what I should be doing is supporting the challenges of my own middle-aged generation, who act as a shackle to the youth. After graduating from graduate school, I founded a company called "HIKIDASHI" (meaning "drawer" or "to draw out") with the wish to draw out people's strengths regardless of age or gender, focusing on career re-support for middle-aged individuals.

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

That's when I thought of a "Snack 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 to think about future ways of working and living a snack bar instead of a seminar? It was a contrarian approach. My snack bar isn't at night; it's a "Daytime Snack Bar" held once a week. This was due to the unavoidable circumstance of renting a friend's shop during the hours it was available—the daytime.

I thought it would be enough if even one person showed up to the daytime snack bar, held only once a week on a weekday. 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" who acts as a hub. From that starting point, people and things that were previously disconnected 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). Wouldn't life be more fun if we could find places and friends where we can use those talents for each other or lend what's inside? I believe that is the role of the "Snack Hikidashi" I have created.