Riina Mito: Challenging the World from Rural Japan

2025/01/28

I was born and raised in Hokkaido for 19 years. Surrounded by rich nature and delicious food, and blessed with wonderful parents, I was raised in a relaxed and happy environment.

However, when I was a high school senior, I felt that rural Japan at the time—where the internet was not as widespread as it is now—offered few opportunities to "become someone who broadens their horizons and takes flight into the world." So, I spent a gap year studying hard and eventually enrolled at Keio University.

Leaving home and experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic made me feel strongly that "I want to take the helm of my own life and live without regrets." I saved up money from part-time jobs and scholarships, and while doing internships and taking university classes online, I traveled the world. I visited over 20 countries and even drove across the Japanese archipelago.

During those travels, strangers shared their utmost kindness and their culture with me without asking for anything in return. I no longer have their contact information, and it is frustrating that I cannot fully express my gratitude. However, a quiet, burning passion remains in my heart.

I want to give back.

With that sentiment, I started a "Nomad Attraction Project" by utilizing a vacant house that was formerly a temple in Nomi Bay, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture. "Nomads" are people who travel the world while working remotely with just a laptop. They are not bound by the concepts of time or place, utilizing the internet to take on challenges across borders. These individuals are launching new projects to contribute to Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, such as holding study sessions on generative AI and design thinking developed at American universities. Currently, I am organizing events to promote Japanese culture overseas, primarily in the Middle East and the United States.

Rural Japan is full of abundant resources and warm people. On the other hand, there are few opportunities to connect with the world, and it is difficult for cutting-edge information to reach these areas. Because of this, I feel it is a shame for the next generation that it is difficult to take on new challenges.

Through businesses that connect Japan and overseas, I want to eliminate the information and opportunity gaps between rural and urban Japan, so that the next generation can overcome the barriers of time and place to continue pursuing their dreams. To realize such a future, I will continue to challenge the world from Japan with the goal of "becoming a marketer who connects Japan and the world."

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.