My childhood dream was to be a 'Mystery Hunter'. How I became a TV director [Part 2]

Connect with people as 'my true self' and make work fun!
Through the dialogue session 'Machiko's Room'
Supporting people who live true to themselves
I am Machiko, a dialogue director🌻

Today is the continuation of the previous article!
Click here for the previous part👇

Even though I wanted to be a 'Mystery Hunter' for 'Sekai Fushigi Hakken!' when I was little, I gave up on it because I couldn't eat meat and I wasn't as beautiful as the reporters (in a way, I was decisive).

I had restrictions on watching TV at home and wasn't a TV kid at all, so why did I choose the path to become a TV director?
The driving force was the curiositythat overflowed from within me.

Watching travel shows but not connecting them to a 'career'

Although I gave up on being a Mystery Hunter, watching programs related to travel and the world, such as 'Sekai Fushigi Hakken', 'Sekai Marumie TV Tokusoubu', 'Meikyoku Album', and 'Asa da! Nama desu Tabi Salad', eventually became a pleasure.

I want to go to that country!
I want to see that scenery!
I want to have that experience!
I want to eat that food!

A series of 'I want's, haha.

However, during my junior high and high school years, I didn't really envision what I wanted to do as a 'career' in the future.I was busy with club activities, studying, and hanging out with friends, or rather, I was only looking at what was right in front of me.

Oh, and I think it's also because I didn't even know—or wasn't aware of—the existence of 'people who make programs'.
Knowing or not knowing...
If you don't know, it doesn't even become an option—that's a case in point, haha.

That being said, I fell in love with Kyoto when I went there on a school trip, and I thought a city where the new and the old fuse is interesting! I want to live there someday!

Yes.
I didn't think 'I want to come again', I thought 'I want to live here', haha.
You can't understand the charm of a place just by looking at it for a day on a school trip; you have to live there to know! Haha.

When my 'curiosity' is triggered,
my actions accelerate all at once.

How do I live in Kyoto city?
↓
Enroll in a university in the city!
↓
My family has no money
↓
Do I have to go to a national or public university?
↓
I'm too bad at science subjects, so that's impossible
↓
Where is a private university with low tuition?
↓
R University! (*at the time)
↓
Focus and study, then pass!
↓
Finally a Kyoto citizen!!

So, anyway...
I chose my university not by thinking about the career I wanted, but with the goal of living in Kyoto city.I was consistently insistent on 'I want to do this' haha.
I chose the 'College of Social Sciences' because I could study a wide range of things, and I chose the 'Information Media Course' just because I had been watching travel shows. Anyway, living in Kyoto was my top priority, haha.

A new world expanding during my university life in Kyoto

My university life was part-time jobs, clubs, part-time jobs, clubs, hanging out with friends and my boyfriend, part-time jobs, clubs...
It was incredibly fun!!
(Studying was seriously kept to a minimum)

From morning till night, I would just keep riding my bike through the grid of Kyoto streets. How far can I go? I kept expanding my range of action.
My boarding house was at Senbon Imadegawa near Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, and I would even bike as far as Demachiyanagi, Arashiyama, or Kyoto Station, getting to know the land through my own skin, so to speak, and enjoying everything that caught my eye.
I felt like I could go anywhere if I had a bike.

However, at one point, my male classmates all started riding motorcycles at once. I started getting rides on the back of their bikes more often!

At first, I was terrified! The speed was amazing! But humans get used to things, don't they? It started to become fun...My 'curiosity' was triggered again, haha.

I shouldn't be riding on the back!
I want to drive it myself! I want to ride a motorcycle!!

Now, here is a new mission lol

I want to ride a motorcycle (two-wheeled vehicle)
↓
My mother strongly opposes it, saying it's dangerous
↓
I really want to ride... what about a moped?
↓
If it's a moped... (reason unknown)
↓
Obtain moped license & buy one immediately on credit
↓
Drastically increase part-time work
↓
New moped stolen while working part-time
↓
Found a few months later with only the frame left
↓
De-register the vehicle while still paying off the loan
↓
A mid-sized bike is better than a small moped (conclusion)
↓
Persuade parents and obtain a motorcycle license
↓
Buy a mid-sized motorcycle after paying off the moped loan

Mission accomplished!!! (´ー｀)/
That's right, mopeds get stolen because they're small (not really)
It just means it was my destiny to buy a motorcycle (not really)

Having acquired a motorcycle this way, I toured not only within Kyoto city but all over the Kinki region, and finally crossed the sea to Hokkaido!!

This experience
would change my life thereafter.

The 19-day Hokkaido tour that changed my values

Summer of 2001, my junior year of college.
The first time I went to the northern land.

I was so moved and impressed by how vast the sky, the sea, and the earth were—I couldn't believe it was the same Japan!
Roads that stretched on forever
Vast hills where the shadows of clouds were reflected
The deliciousness of sea urchin and salmon roe
Wild foxes, deer, and squirrels
Transparent ponds and deep blue lakes
The feeling of being at the edge of a remote island
The generosity and warmth of the locals

As a broke student, I stayed at rider houses that were free or cost a few hundred yen, and reasonable youth hostels. It was a 19-day journey where a girlfriend and I traveled around with overflowing curiosity.

Even after returning, the excitement didn't fade.
Even though I wondered if it was a dream,
the vivid sensations were something I could recall endlessly.

The first thing that welled up inside me
was the desire to "convey" it.

Charming spots, the warmth of the people, experiences unique to that land—all of it combined,I want to "convey" the joy of travel to many people!Everything I saw and experienced might be a travel reference for someone else, or might be the trigger that makes them want to go...!
Thinking that made me excited.

Aiming for a production company to "convey" the joy of travel

After finishing the Hokkaido tour, job hunting started in the winter of my junior year.
I am from what is commonly called the "employment ice age generation." I sent mountains of entry sheets to companies, only to be rejected right away. To put it bluntly, it was essential to apply to many places, and I remember eventually sending them to about 30 to 40 companies in total.
I studied mass media, so I applied to record companies and advertising agencies, but I also applied to event-related companies, travel agencies, and for some reason, even convenience stores.

Wait, aren't you applying to TV stations?
You're probably thinking that.

Yes, that's right.
I did think about TV stations.
But then I thought, wait a minute.

What I wanted to do wasn't to become a TV station employee, but to "make travel programs" (very specific).

If you join a TV station, you aren't guaranteed to be assigned to the program production department, which was my hope. Sales, programming, technical, public relations, content business, human resources, accounting... No, no, I'm not interested in those! Lol (though now that I think about it, starting there wouldn't have been bad either)

That was when the option of a program production company emerged. These are specialized companies that produce programs commissioned by TV stations. Each company produces different types of programs, ranging from those that only work with specific stations to those that handle many well-known shows.

Smaller companies might not have openings in some years, and even if they do, there are very few. It’s not quite as competitive as the TV stations themselves, but well, it’s a narrow gate regardless.

While I was researching various production companies with that in mind... there it was! I found it!!
The company that produces "Tabi Salad," which I have watched for years!!

I want to make "Tabi Salad"! The exam I took as my authentic self

The number of recruits was "a few."
As a subsidiary of Asahi Broadcasting in Osaka (a TV station with many long-running programs like "Knight Scoop," "Shinkon-san Irasshai," and "Attack 25"), I could work in the Kansai/Osaka area that I love!! (I had resistance to going to and living in the big city of Tokyo...) I didn't know much about the other programs they produced besides "Tabi Salad," but if I got in, I would have the chance to make my own!!

I decided to apply without hesitation!!

I can say this now, but even before I applied, I had a feeling that I would get in. This was despite the fact that I hadn't received any job offers from other companies, even though I had made it to the final interviews.

My entry sheet passed, followed by an information session, a written exam, a first interview, and a second interview.
Throughout all of them, unlike the other companies I had applied to, I could imagine a future where I was there. I answered the questions asked in the interviews as my authentic self, without overthinking them.

I told them honestly about watching Tabi Salad since I was in junior high, riding my bicycle and motorcycle all over Kyoto and Kansai, the excitement of touring Hokkaido and my plan to tour all the prefectures alone once job hunting was over, my hometown of Toyama, and the programs of Asahi Broadcasting that I knew and didn't know. I even said things like, "I heard at the information session that a senior employee did a bungee jump as an AD, and I want to do things like that too..."

And then, the final interview.

It must have already been decided.
It was surprisingly short.
It felt like a confirmation of my intent to join.

I even went as far as to say I wanted to produce Tabi Salad and had no interest in variety shows, haha. Talk about being cheeky, right? Haha
To that extent, I think I was communicating "what I wanted to do" straight, without holding back for anyone.

Is it unique to the TV industry? After the final interview, before the results were announced, there was a dinner with the employees, including the president. Perhaps they were checking my manners and behavior at a drinking party.
But I didn't worry about the small things and just enjoyed myself, haha. I can't drink alcohol at all, but I talked to various people without hesitation, haha. I even made my own unique personality a topic of conversation, saying I wasn't good with meat, haha.

When I received the call with the job offer the next morning, I was incredibly happy. But it felt like a natural progression, to the point where I thought that maybe I didn't have a connection with the companies I had failed at the final stage because I was meant to work here. It was truly a "moment when everything connected."

Even if the form is different, I am now on the side that "conveys" the charm of travel!

I couldn't become a Mystery Hunter, but I became someone who supports performers like the Mystery Hunters, a position where I can "direct them to convey" the excitement and wonder of travel.

When making a program, I find topics that excite my own heart, thinking "This looks interesting!", and I experience the goodness myself by actually visiting and trying things out. I listen to the voices of the people involved in those topics during meetings. I consolidate all of that to create a composition for filming, and then have the reporter experience it on location to deliver their raw voices.

When people see the travel footage that comes out into the world through an edited VTR or a live broadcast, just like I did when I was a child,

I want to go to that country!
I want to see that scenery!
I want to try that experience!
I want to eat that food!

If they think like that...
There is nothing that makes me happier!
I have actually received many such comments.

The 'curiosity' and 'values' that make me feel like, 'I love this, it's fun, it's interesting, it's exciting!' have become the axis of my life, and everything is connected to who I am today.
For me, working is living. I have kept running because the work itself is as fun as a hobby.

When changing how you work during various life turning points—such as finding a job, changing careers, marriage, childbirth, or caregiving—what do you prioritize when choosing your path?
When you feel stuck in your current workplace or things aren't going well with your boss or colleagues, what criteria do you use to change the situation?

I believe that choosing the path where you can be your 'true self' leads to a life where you feel comfortable, connect with others, and enjoy every day!✨

This ended up being longer than I thought, haha.
As someone who has interviewed over 1,000 people as a TV director, I strongly feel that our values and decision-making criteria are often deeply related to our backgrounds, such as our childhood experiences and the environment in which we were raised.

Things you like, things that are fun
Things that excite you
Things you won't compromise on
Things you cherish
What was it for me again?
Maybe I don't really know...

Through 'dialogue' with you, I will thoroughly dig deep into these things. When you look back on your life, having an objective perspective allows you to understand it more deeply. I, too, have come to understand myself through the perspectives and opinions of many different people.

Your life is full of charms that only you possess! First, by practicing self-understanding and self-acceptance, and by setting a foundation for your heart, you will connect to your future✨

[Do you have these kinds of worries?]
・Even though I'm working hard, for some reason I'm not being evaluated.
・I'm not good at relying on or asking others for help, so I always end up taking everything on myself.
・I find my work rewarding, but there are times when I think, 'I might be at my limit.'
・I sometimes feel depressed when I see my peers or colleagues succeeding.
・I'm struggling with my relationship with a boss or junior colleague I don't get along with.
・I don't know what kind of work I want to do, and I'm conflicted about whether I should change jobs.

In a private consultation, we will map out the path to solving your worries together.
I am accepting applications for private consultations via my official LINE, so please register and send me a message📩
Private consultations are free for 8 days after registering as a friend✨ Let's talk!

Thank you for reading until the end!
Today, too, cherish what you 'like'!

See you again✨

Dialogue Director Machiko🌻