Arata Sekimoto

Shoki Takahata

At only 13 years of age, Arata Sekimoto is already an unrivaled expert on yokai(traditional Japanese mythical creatures). His love of yokai extends beyond his
research to the sale of books and merchandise on yokai. In 2020, he produced
and sold keychains of a yokai known as amabie and used the proceeds fromthese sales to buy 4,000 hygienic masks, which he donated to local physician
associations and healthcare centers. Moreover, he established a company called
Omoi wo Tsukuru (“Shaping Our Sentiments”) when he was in the fifth grade ofelementary school, and he currently oversees this company as president.
egaku.thebase.in/ (in Japanese only)

Shoki Takahata is an unstoppable master of radio-controlled (RC) cars. First
grabbing the “wheel” when he was 10, his storied racing career includes threeconsecutive wins at the Japanese national championship as well as a victoryat the 2019 IFMAR World Championship for 1:8 IC Off-Road Cars, a world championship event held in California. The envy of RC car racers worldwide, this meticulous
craftsman carefully selects the tires and components to be used for each race
based on the course and weather, tuning his racing vehicle with millimeter-level
precision. When not busy with his day job as an office worker, Takahata will
look to broadcast his love of RC cars to the world via social media.

Yasunori Nakagami

HikariYasunori Nakagami is the representative director and CEO of Misaki Capital Inc.
and has served as an external director at MARUI GROUP since 2021. He is aself-proclaimed management enthusiast, placing the management of companies
even above eating. Nakagami made his management consulting debut
immediately after graduating from university. He also acts as a long-term
investor dedicated to an emerging Japan based on the belief that management
emphasizing partnership between managers, employees, and shareholders willcontribute to improved corporate value.
www.misaki-capital.com/en/index.html

Hikari refers to herself as a “financial economist cosplayer” committed toconnecting the world through cosplay. In addition to acting as a fund manager
at financial institutions both in Japan and overseas, she has visited more than
60 countries around the world as a backpacker and sometimes as a guest atoverseas events, and her fans can be found across the globe. The number ofself-made costumes she has worn over her 19-year career as a cosplayer
surpasses 200. In 2017, she started up her own clothing brand centered on
the Japanese view of “cuteness” (kawaii) with plans for overseas expansion.
www.instagram.com/hikari_green/

SUPPORTING EVERYONE’S HAPPINESSAND SELF-EXPRESSIONDIALOGUE 03 

YA S U N O R I N A K A G A M IA R ATA S E K I M OT O
HIKARIS H O K I TA K A H ATA

Younger Generations Seeking the Pinnacles of Their Passions
The following is a discussion with Arata Sekimoto, a yokai researcher who started his own company while in elementaryschool; Hikari, an anime and manga cosplayer active around the world who has experience as an institutional investor andmarkets her own clothing brand; and Shoki Takahata, an RC car lover and world champion racer. These individuals, each seeking the pinnacle of their passions, were met by Yasunori Nakagami, an institutional investor and self-proclaimed management enthusiast who also serves as an external director at MARUI GROUP, who asked them about their respective passions.

42Yokai, RC Cars, Cosplay, andManagement—To Each Their Own
Passion
Nakagami: We have asked for you to behere today because each of you is amember of the younger generations whohas reached the pinnacle of your passion. I am not young, but I too pursued
the pinnacle of my passion—management. In fact, I see myself as a management enthusiast, and I would place
managing companies even above eating(laughs). After graduating from university, I joined a management consulting
firm. I proceeded to help clients improvetheir management ability to the greatest
degree possible over the next twodecades. I then moved on from consulting to get into investing some 15 years
ago. Previously, I had not dreamed thatI would eventually start my own company. In June 2021, I became an external
director at MARUI GROUP. I am pleased
that we were able to arrange such aforum today at which we can discuss
the dedication we have each committed
to our respective passions. Please startby introducing yourself.
Sekimoto: My name is Arata Sekimotoand I am a yokai researcher. I have loved
books since I was a little kid. My houseis filled with manga, novels, and encyclopedias. Back then, I would often get
hooked on something, like insects ordinosaurs, but would quickly lose

interest later. However, this trend
stopped when I reached yokai. Yokai aresupernatural elements spoken about inthe stories of old. I find the stories ofthese creatures incredibly interesting as
I can sense how they were born out ofpeople imposing their own thinking andimagination on things that happen.
I even created my own yokai encyclopedia when I was in fifth grade, which wasactually published by a major publisher.
Takahata: I am Shoki Takahata, the RC
car racing world champion. I first got
into RC cars when I was 10. Initially, it
was because of my parents’ influence.
We had RC cars at home, and they
asked if I wanted to try them out. I havenever liked losing, and racing, which43

SUPPORTING EVERYONE’S

common. The first is the need to researchwhat we are passionate about. I candefinitely relate as a management enthusiast. The inability to stop ourselves fromgetting to the bottom of the things welove is an important part of following ourpassions. The second thing is the needfor comrades with similar interests. At
first, it is fun to research by ourselves, but
in the end, we want to share our passion
with others to enjoy these activities
together. Everyone feels this way. Talking
with comrades from around the world
allows us to surpass the boundaries ofspace, our age group, and even time.

HAPPINESS AND SELF-EXPRESSION

Yokai are supernatural elements spoken about in thestories of old. I find the stories of these creatures
incredibly interesting as I can sense how they wereborn out of people imposing their own thinking andimagination on things that happen.

involves receiving a clear numeric rank,thus fit my personality. I also really enjoy
tuning my car in preparation for eachrace. RC car racing entails blazingaround tracks 600 to 700 meters long at
speeds of up to 120 kph, where a difference of a thousandth of a second can be
the difference between winning andlosing. This means that precise tuning is
crucial to ensure the car drives the way
you want it to. A change in how tight one
screw is can alter how a vehicle rolls, orleans, around corners. These kinds ofsmall details are addicting. In 2019,
I won the IFMAR World Championshipfor 1:8 IC Off-Road Cars event held in
California. This competition uses 1:8
scale cars, the largest class of cars in
RC racing. Just like in F1 and otherautomobile races, RC racing involves
teams and sponsors. The world championship takes place once every two years,
and the 2021 championship was scheduled to be held in Japan but was delayed
because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

44

I was looking forward to claiming mysecond consecutive championship win
in my country, so this outcome was a bit
disappointing.
Hikari: Hi, I’m Hikari. I am currently
working at an investment fund, andI have been active as an anime andmanga cosplayer for 19 years. I love
visiting other countries; I have gone on
backpacking trips in 60 countries, allwhile continuing my cosplay activities.
I am the type of person who strives forperfection in the things I love. When
preparing costumes, I explore variousitems, including complex wigs andoutfits, as I try to express various twodimensional characters in three dimensions. I upload the pictures I take inthese costumes onto social media, andthis has gained me a following overseas.
One time when I was invited to an overseas cosplay event, I met people who
said that they started cosplay a decadeago after learning about me. I was evenasked for an autograph for someone

Ways to Turn One’s Passions
into a Business

who still had one of my photo books
from 10 years ago. I keep doing cosplay
because I love how sharing my passion
with other cosplayers allows me toconnect with people both in Japan andaround the world.
Takahata: I too have made a lot of
connections and had a wide range ofexperiences due to my love of RC cars.
When I won the world championship,even the rival racers were happy for me.
This experience changed how I see
things: We may be rivals on the track,
but off of it we are all the same RC carlovers.
Sekimoto: The yokai researchers andfolklore specialists I have come to know
are almost all older than me. Even so, I
can talk with these people for hours, and
it is always a lot of fun. Still, as there are
no yokai lovers my age, I do wish I hadfriends my own age who are also interested in yokai.
Nakagami: Hearing your stories, I realized
two things that all four of us have inNakagami: I understand both Mr.
Sekimoto and Ms. Hikari have started
your own businesses. Could you pleasetell me a little about your businesses?
Sekimoto: When I was in fifth grade,
I founded Omoi wo Tsukuru and became

the president of this company. I waseven able to acquire a patent throughthis company. This story goes back towhen I was in third grade. Basically,
I wanted to invent something for myhomework assignment over summer
break, and I wanted my invention to besomething that would help people.
I started by asking my mom about theissues she faced. She told me that she
was having problems with how long it
took bath towels to dry after she washedthem. To fix this problem, I invented acylinder that would increase the area ofthe poles used to hang laundry out todry to allow for faster drying of evenlarger items. This was the invention forwhich I took out a patent. They started
selling my invention at ¥100 shops (theequivalent of dollar stores in the UnitedStates) in 2021. This made the decision
to start a company worth it.
Hikari: I started up a clothing brandbased on the Japanese view of “cuteness” that offers clothes people caneither wear on regular occasions or use
as cosplay items. It used to be that one
would have to make their cosplay costumes themselves, which made this avery difficult hobby to get into. I started
out knowing nothing about sewing, butI learned by doing. To date, I have mademore than 200 costumes. Today, however, one can find low-cost costumes tobuy, which has made cosplay a moreaccessible hobby.
Nakagami: You are both turning yourpassions into businesses. What aboutyou, Mr. Takahata? Do you have any
interest in starting a business?
Takahata: Right now, I just want to focus
on racing, but I am interested in starting
up a business in the future. I want toprovide services that RC car lovers willlike. A little while ago, the racing community was a lot larger. The Japanesechampionship would see participation
by more than 100 people. Today, theparticipation number is like half that. RC
cars is a hobby that requires a lot of time

I keep doing cosplay because I love how sharing mypassion with other cosplayers allows me to connect
with people both in Japan and around the world.

45

SUPPORTING EVERYONE’S
HAPPINESS AND SELF-EXPRESSION

Right now, I just want to focus on racing, but I am
interested in starting up a business in the future.

and money. As a result, we are losing
many racers to video games, which you
can play from the comfort of your own
home. After I won the world championship, a local TV program asked to do afeature story on me. This story wasbroadcast on YouTube, where it has
been viewed more than a million times.
This reminded me that there are still alot of people who love RC cars.
Nakagami: If you were to start a business, it seems like it might be a goodidea to use your name as your brand.
You are the world champion after all.
Takahata: Thank you for the advice.
Why did you decide to start a business,
Mr. Nakagami?
Nakagami: After spending two decades
helping companies chart a better course
in a management consulting firm, I cameto think that I could become an investor.
I followed this inclination to join theinvestment industry. Starting a businessis something that you cannot do if you
overthink things; the fear of failure willstop you in your tracks.

46

Hikari: I work with some unlisted companies. A lot of companies suffered after
the 2008 financial crisis. Companies
started based on the passions of managers making amazing products, butthere are often times when the managers are more like craftsmen and are notreally good at managing. It is great tohave a passion, but there are many
managers who cannot turn their passion
into corporate value.
Nakagami: During Japan’s period of
rapid economic growth, it was importantto produce the things people wanted inmass quantities to ensure that everyone
could buy them. Today, however, goods
do not sell as much. Also, people don’t
go to stores as often because of theCOVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is looking
for a way to keep their business alive,
but no one has found a good answer.
I think we can see a viable answer in
MARUI GROUP’s approach of supporting
individual preferences. RC cars are notsomething that should be mass-produced
for mass consumption, and there isprobably not a lot of demand for yokai.
Regardless, the niche demand for suchitems is very strong among enthusiasts.
People with niche interests want toimmerse themselves in their interests
and talk with people who share theseinterests as much as possible. A company could probably find success bycatering to such niche demand andreflecting this in their corporate value.

things like manga, anime, and cosplay,which had been viewed as stuff fornerds, got widespread attention throughthe government’s Cool Japan campaign.
It is not like I was trying to make cosplay
mainstream, I just kept on doing it
because it was what I loved.
Takahata: I can relate. When I started
RC cars at age 10, my friends justthought I was playing with toys, buttoday they are cheering me on. The
same goes for the company I work at.
My coworkers first saw my RC car
racing as a hobby, but I started toreceive a lot of support after I told them
about my victories at the Japanesechampionship and other events. I sometimes have to take days off to go toraces. Luckily, my company understands.
Nakagami: It is true that niche interests
eventually become mainstream as more
and more people become interested inthem. The yokai that Mr. Sekimoto loves
may still be only a small niche, but I am
sure the number of people who shareyour interest will grow if you keep at it.
As these allies increase, you will likely
see more interest among those yourage, and before you know it, yokai will be
gaining attention on a global scale.

Sekimoto: My research has found that
there is an astounding number of legends about yokai and other supernaturalelements in Japan. In other countries, it
is common for monotheist beliefs like
Christianity to be the norm, with othersupernatural elements being relegatedto the domains of demons and fairies.
Japan, however, has a lot of gods, andstories of supernatural elements are
passed down in forms such as legends
about yokai.
Nakagami: Japan is said to have eight
million gods. These gods take the formof trees, mountains, and rivers. Thisbelief system seems to be founded on
the principle that there is not one main
character in life.
Sekimoto: That’s right. Japan evenpresents the belief that words havepower, that everything in this world, evenwords and colors, can be inhabited by aheart, a soul, or a god. There was anancient Shinto tradition of purifying
oneself by washing off any dirt before
presenting oneself before a god. We
continue this tradition today in the formof bathing. I think that there is no othercountry in the world where people bathe
as much as Japan. Such customs may

be unconsciously linked to culture andlessons handed down from the past.
Nakagami: You surprised me with how
knowledgeable you all are. Hearing you
speak of your passions reminded me ofa book about Kenichi Kato, editor of anold manga magazine. It is a criticalbiography of Kato, who published amanga magazine based on the belief
that manga was beneficial to the development of youths. This magazine waspublished as a family business, and it
started the tradition that would become
the Japanese manga of today. In a now
famous apartment building in Tokyo, heprovided then popular manga artist
Osamu Tezuka an apartment to workout of and housed various manga artists
who had not yet found an audience.
This building was a place where a wide
variety of talent was cultivated. What
I want to say is that even something likemanga, which is now a major cultural
cornerstone loved around the world,
started from the passion, the love,of a single editor. Whether it be anime,cosplay, RC cars, yokai, or somethingelse, when one’s passion spreads, theresult will be more people around theworld becoming happy.

Result of Spreading One’s Passion
Hikari: What I was most impressed withwhen talking with you all today is how
everyone is simply continuing to following their passion, rather than jumping on
the latest bandwagon. Cosplay was not
a common hobby back when I started,and no one could understand my passion. I got a lot of flak from people
around me. Not even my family could
understand. Luckily, I was able to find afew people who could understand, and
we enjoyed our passion together. I justcontinued with my hobby, and eventually47