午夜剧场

After living abroad for a long time, I returned to Japan, the country I admired, and enrolled in 午夜剧场. From the outside, I took pride in Japan as a wonderful country, but after returning, I felt there were many pessimistic opinions about it. I remember it being very painful to feel that more and more people were losing hope in Japan.

I spent my university life carrying those uneasy feelings. During that time, in a Criminal Procedure Law class, the professor asked us, "Why do you attend university, and for what purpose do you study law?" This made me think deeply about the meaning of my return to Japan and the significance of my daily university life. Combining my desire to improve the Japan I love with my legal studies, I began to aspire to become a lawyer who could contribute to Japan on a global scale.

While studying for law school entrance exams, I began participating in business contests out of a single-minded desire to give shape to my vision of how I wanted to change society. I hesitated between starting a business triggered by these contests or continuing to aim for the bar. However, my desire to be a "protagonist in making Japan better" remained unchanged, and with the support of my university seniors, I decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship.

However, the company I started with such dreams did not succeed right away. The first part-time job site for lawyers I launched didn't go well, and after much trial and error, "Hupro"—a recruitment site specializing in professionals and administrative departments—was born. Convinced that "this will work," I began gathering a team.

A business I thought of with desperation, and a team I gathered. I was filled with confidence. However, as a student entrepreneur, I had no management experience, and my teammates left. My funds ran out, and I felt a sense of despair.

At that time, it was our advisory tax accountant and lawyer who saved me and the company. Through this experience, I realized that professionals are the ones who save small and medium-sized enterprises across Japan, and my desire to spread this service throughout the country grew even stronger. From there, with the help of investors, I managed to rebuild the company and achieved a major V-shaped recovery. Today, we have grown into one of the largest job sites in the accounting industry.

The difficult days made me stronger. Taking on a challenge is always a good thing.

Hupro Inc.

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