A circle of friends connected by goo touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On October 26, Kenta Kojima, a “cultural person” will appear. We asked him about his rare career that started with studying soccer in Argentina, his manga artist activities, and his secret to surviving in Tokyo.
INDEX
From Soccer Study Abroad to a Career in Beauty
Celeina (MC): Let me start with a profile. After studying soccer in Argentina, Kenta Kojima worked part-time at a law firm, as a beautician, and as a manicurist before running a company that supports beauty marketing and startups. He is currently working as a manga artist.
Takano (MC): I think we would run out of time if we delve deeper , but first let me ask you about your study abroad in Argentina. I understand that you went to Argentina to study soccer, but at what age were you?
Kojima：I graduated from high school and worked part-time for a year before heading to Argentina, so I was 19 years old. I went because I wanted to experience the real soccer.
Celeina：How was life there?
Kojima：I struggled because I could not speak the local language, and 20 years ago, it was rare to find Japanese people in Argentina. I joined the team through an agent, but even when I played soccer, I was like, “What the heck is that guy? There were many twists and turns, but eventually we became friends to the point we were close relationship.
Takano: How did you learn Spanish?
Kojima: Strictly speaking, I could not learn it. I was able to hear, but I couldn’t speak it very well, so I could only communicate what I thought in Japanese and somehow get it across.
Celeina: But it seems like you can grow in the area of communication skills.
Takano: I feel like that could be a key word.
Celeina:And what about after you return to Japan?
Kojima: After returning to Japan, I went back to the point where I wondered if being a soccer player was really my dream, and I worked as a general worker and a soccer coach. While I was coaching, I met a hair and makeup master, which made me think that “beauty is nice” and “making people beautiful” and I became interested in beauty, so I worked as a hair and makeup assistant and also as a beautician.
