My First Note

Whenever I'm asked to "introduce yourself," I always struggle a bit.
Where should I start? If I just give my name and job title, I feel like that doesn't really capture who I am, so I always end up overthinking my words. I define my title as "a person who creates opportunities and enjoys them together." This is a 'be' title I came up with in my mid-20s, though at the time, I was doing work that was hard to explain.
More than a decade later, my career has taken a clearer shape, so today, as I start this note, I want to write it down properly.
My name is Katsuki Yamada. In reality, I'm often called "Kony." (The origin of this name isn't something I need to hide, but it's a bit underwhelming to write about, so I'll skip it.)
While working as a planner for Blooming Camp, operated by Sakura Internet, I also work independently under the name Akari Studio as a PR advisor, community designer, and workshop designer.
I am also the vice representative of the Kansai PR 100 Research Group, and involved with the NPO Rakusai Lifestyle, an AI PR group, and as the chairman of the Kansai 'That's Interesting' Association, among others.
I work with companies, local governments, co-creation facilities, communities, and universities, but given my title, I'm pretty much willing to do anything if it seems like something we can enjoy together. For things I can't do myself, I make sure to connect people. That's how I've been living for a long time now.
For the past few years, I've been grateful to be invited to various places as a seminar speaker. I talk about PR, AI, community building, creating opportunities, and career development. I enjoy speaking, so I spend my days very happily.
In my private life, I am a father of two, and my hobbies are camping, manga, and gardening. My special skill is eating things in a way that makes them look delicious.
I am a graduate of the Aoyama Gakuin University Workshop Designer Training Program.

▪️Background

My background is a bit unique; it branched out from several thick stems to reach where I am today.
At 19, during my first year of university, I started working as a freelancer managing music events. This was also a mysterious encounter, but I'll write about that another time. From there, I met various people and did music production, teaching, and even directed plays. I was also involved in festivals that utilized the city on a large scale. I think this area still holds my roots. Even now, I am involved in the operation of the Hachikita Music Festival, which is held once a year in Kami Town, Hyogo Prefecture, and I just returned from finishing this year's event.
Around the same time I started those music events, through another encounter, I was introduced to someone at a design company in Kyoto. It's been 20 years since then, and although he is much older than me, we are still good drinking buddies. Through meeting him, I started meeting people from companies in Kyoto. There, I learned a lot about copywriting, branding support, and, fundamentally, how to talk to adults. By the way, he still has me saved in his phone as "Katsuki 19," so in his phone, I am forever 19.
And one more thing. I have been involved in music activities since I was in junior high school. The connections I made through music are now being put to use in my work. I worked as a writer and deputy editor for a web media outlet launched by a band friend (which is now incorporated), and I also met friends in the video industry. Through interviews for the web media I was in charge of, I became more interested in local areas and got involved in community development. There, I encountered various things like events, food education, and research. Through those connections, I am still a member of the NPO Rakusai Lifestyle. I realized after I started working that band members have to do everything: planning, production, PR, and sales. (I've regretted not realizing that sooner more than once or twice.)
Finally, my professional career. Because I was doing these activities, I started my full-time career late, but even at my first company, in addition to my departmental work, I handled internal PR and strategy formulation for social media. At my second company, I joined an AI company as the person who launched their PR department. I condensed all my previous experience and faced PR/public relations head-on. I started from absolute zero, handling everything from planning and strategy formulation to execution and subsequent operations while running around. During this time, I also got involved in launching and managing PR communities. It was also during this period that I joined the AI PR group and the Kansai PR 100 Research Group, where I currently serve as vice representative. Given my background, it seems the PR field suits me well. After about five years, wanting to work with more people to expand the possibilities of PR, I joined my current company, Sakura Internet. Now, I work as a planner at a facility for open innovation called Blooming Camp in Osaka, where I handle community strategy and operations.
However, when I sum it all up, these are all in the realm of communication, and everything ends up at "a person who creates opportunities and enjoys them together." Of course, that applies to my band activities too. Looking back, this is all I've ever done, and I use this as the axis to decide everything I do or don't do.

About this Note

As I've written at length, my background is quite unusual, but I believe my purpose is to change someone's future, even if just a little, through communication.
In this note, I've decided to write about the challenges, worries, and small realizations I've seen in the fields of PR, community, workshops, and community development, hoping it might serve as a catalyst for someone.
I plan to write not only about professional topics but also about things I've noticed in my daily life and things that have made me think.
I plan to update it once a day. (I want to do my best.)
I don't intend to write only about difficult or useful things. I want to put into words the moments when I thought, "Oh, so that's how it is," as directly as possible.
If something remains with the people who read this, that is enough for me.
Hoping that tomorrow will be just a little bit different for you, who are reading this right now.

#AkariStudio #SelfIntroduction #DailyNote #MyFirstNote #Community #CommunityDevelopment #WhatAreYouTalkingAbout

Katsuki Yamada (Kony)
PR Advisor / Community Designer / Workshop Designer
Feel free to reach out for consultations
Akari Studio
https://akaristudio.jp