｜What do you find most rewarding about this work?

From zero to form. And then to applause.

On Asuka III I handle a wide range of work: running the show, supporting backstage, managing the dancers, operating video equipment, and even PR and social media.

Of all of it, what I find most rewarding is the moment an idea I put forward takes shape and I see guests smiling and applauding at the actual performance. When I see that, I think from the bottom of my heart, "I'm glad I do this job."

As the project manager overseeing the whole production, I act as the bridge between the video production team, the dance team and the client. I am involved from the earliest concept for the visuals, thinking through how to translate the client's wishes into expression, and the sense of achievement when it finally comes together as the highlight of the show is extraordinary.

When guests who have seen the stage respond so strongly, I feel with my whole body the joy of working at the front line of entertainment.

Of course, realising a new production is never straightforward.

At the review stage, proposals and concerns come in from all directions, and careful coordination is required. Bringing the intentions of many stakeholders into one, building trust and reaching agreement took repeated trial and error.

Even so, the sense of achievement when we shared a concrete image, moved forward step by step, and finally arrived at a production everyone was satisfied with is almost impossible to put into words.

Ever since I fell in love with the stage in my school drama club, the stage has been something special to me. My previous job was in a completely different industry, and there was almost no opportunity to draw on that experience. That is exactly why being able to make what I love my work now makes my heart race. Building on my past experience, being in an environment where I can work with passion, is something I feel genuinely fortunate about. And that passion is what drives me today.

｜Where do you feel you have grown?

From waiting for instructions to setting things in motion.

Through this work, my ability to think for myself and act proactively has grown enormously.

In entertainment, it is not unusual for the goal or the direction of a production to change several times. But the deadline never moves. That is exactly why you need the ability to judge for yourself and build the best way forward.

One project that stands out was producing the promotional video and the dedicated website for SRT, Nagoya's new street-level public transport system. Only a few months after joining, I never imagined I would be the one handling all of the communication with the client.

I was honestly nervous, but at the same time I thought, "this is my chance to grow," and threw myself into it. While acting as the bridge between the client and the video production team, I began to sense that, as things were going, we might not fully express what the client was really aiming for.

So I went back over the earlier conversations and materials and thoroughly organised the underlying intent that had become vague as the project progressed. Then I immediately confirmed the direction of the concept and proposed improvements to the team. As a result, we delivered a video that reflected the client's expectations far more precisely, and they told us they were grateful that we had understood their intent so well.

That experience made me realise that simply passing messages along does not move a project. Since then, I have made a point of thinking through exactly why a request has been made.

I check it against what has been said before, draw a clear goal, and design the best way forward myself. Then I prepare things so that the team never has to hesitate — all of it driven from my own initiative.

Now, when a new project starts moving, I can take it on with the attitude of "I will create the flow" rather than "I will wait for someone's instructions." That growth has become confidence that will serve me on any site, anywhere.

｜You visit many ports of call. What has stayed with you?

Rediscovering the brilliance of my hometown from a cruise ship.

Travelling all over Japan as an entertainment operator on a cruise ship, the moment we return to Yokohama — my hometown — brings up a special feeling.

Being part of the effort to welcome and energise guests returning to Yokohama aboard Asuka III, I find great meaning in helping more people come to know my hometown and grow attached to it.

Seeing the whole city come together — concerts by local elementary and junior high school students, public tours for residents — let me rediscover new charms in the area.

Those experiences deepen my sense that, even while travelling the country, my work is rooted in my hometown, and that feeling for home has become a source of motivation and fulfilment in my work.

｜A day in the life

｜How I spend my days off

Days off feel like a short trip — the luxury of time in the ports we call at.

A day off in a port of call is a valuable chance to step away from the tension of the job and spend special time with the team. When we called at Otaru, we started the morning with a fresh seafood rice bowl, then had a wonderful time at the Otaru Aquarium watching the seal feeding and the penguin parade. We rode go-karts at an amusement park and enjoyed an amazake festival at a local sake brewery — a proper day of sightseeing. At the end we chose sake and snacks together and took them back to the ship for a small celebration. That sense of travelling the country with your colleagues, which only this job gives you, feeds my motivation day to day.