【Member Introduction: Eriko Ichigase】A team where you can say NO, so you can work together with peace of mind
Background
My university major was clinical psychology, but since I didn't study much, the path to a career in psychology was closed to me. During the super ice age of employment, I joined an IT company that offered me a job offer despite my lack of experience.
Even though I scared my boss by mistaking C language for a language study topic, since there are basically no people in the IT industry who like to write, I spent about 10 years as an SE, being valued for things like taking minutes and creating operation manuals.
I also went to the Sahara Desert, which I had always dreamed of.
As a result, it also became the catalyst for me to work as a travel writer.
I became a writer in 2015, when my second child was nearly two years old. I had been a full-time housewife for about five years, but I thought, "I want to do something soon," and chose writing as a job I could do from home.
At first, I made use of my hobbies to write small articles about outings and recipes. I think it took about two years before my monthly income exceeded 10,000 yen.
But after that, I met people who would ask me at various times, "Can you also do direction?", "Can you write interview articles?", or "Would you like to become a full-time employee working from home?", and as I accepted these offers lightly, I gradually built up what I could call a track record.
From 2019 to 2024, I worked as a Web director and PR representative as an employee while working as a writer on the side, but I resigned due to a change in the company's business policy.
At a good time, I was approached byayan-san, who is also a fellow travel writer, and I was invited to join Yadorigiya.
My duties at Yadorigiya
My main job is to write interview articles and dialogue articles based on the audio recordings that Yadorigi-san has taken. Since there are many projects related to IT startups, my experience as an engineer, even though it was a long time ago, is slightly useful, and I am deeply moved, thinking, "You never know what will be useful in life."
It can be difficult to understand cutting-edge technical terms, but being able to touch upon worlds I didn't know is stimulating and very fun.
I haven't been involved in creative projects like ZINE making much yet, but since we are members who share many hobbies such as books, entertainment, alcohol, and food, I hope to participate in those as well someday.
I took my elementary school and kindergarten children to Qingdao.
Eating delicious food and drinking delicious alcohol is my greatest pleasure.
What I like about Yadorigiya
It is a "team that can say NO."
That said, the members of Yadorigiya don't seem to be the type who say what they want to say without fear and feel refreshed! Instead, they seem to be the type who, after saying NO, worry about it, thinking, "I could have managed if I had pushed myself a little" or "The other person might have been offended."
But these people have become adults after experiencing that "in work, if you don't say that impossible things are impossible, it will fall apart" and "if you endure things you don't like, human relationships will eventually break," and they have created a team where they can properly say NO when necessary.
That is why I feel at ease, and I think it's great.
What I want to achieve / The kind of writer I aim to be
This paragraph, I wrote and erased, wrote and erased...
I just couldn't get it together well.
In the end, maybe I just want to "continue to live by writing, without worrying about AI or the times."
But from now on, there is no doubt that the number of people asking writers to write will decrease, and the level of requirements from those who do will increase. I will also be rejected more often due to my age.
I think I have to polish both my writing and my sensibilities so that people will still say, "I want to ask that person."
Profile Q&A
before I knew it, I had spent half my life in Aichi.
Profile
Born in Hyogo Prefecture. Lived in Osaka from university days to my early 20s, and in Nagoya since the middle of the 2000s. I hold qualifications that don't lead to jobs but are somewhat useful in life, such as Secretary Proficiency Test Grade Pre-1 and FP Grade 2. I'm thinking that becoming a registered sales clerk might be good next.
Extracurricular activities during school
In junior high, I was in the Home Economics Club (as president). In high school, I was a manager for the hardball baseball team, and in college, for the softball baseball team.
Hobbies
Dining out, traveling, reading, watching movies, and watching dramas
Things I like
Baseball, Spitz, SixTONES, tableware, ferry trips, and Hyakunin Isshu (the literature, not the card game)
Things I dislike
Boiled eggs, liver, prank shows, and sustaining effort
Something I can boast about
How quickly I make decisions and bounce back
Experiences or turning points that changed my life
A major heartbreak in high school
How I spend my days off
Sleeping until noon, relaxing, and starting to drink at home early, like an 'at-home izakaya'
What Yadorigiya means to me
It feels like a school club from my student days—a place where we all work hard together, striving for a common goal, and while we are important companions to each other, there is also the freedom to leave. That might be a bit misleading since it is a workplace, but that is how it feels.
Ichinose as seen by other members
Ichinose as seen by Yadorigi
She is someone with an antenna of wonderful sensitivity. If she notices something missing, she fills the gap; if she notices a lack of resources, she reaches out to help. She is so reliable that I can see a halo around her (laughs). Her manuscripts, which are clear, concise, and thoroughly thought out regarding what is essentially necessary, are always a pleasure to read. I am also happy that we have so many things in common, such as hobbies and the content we enjoy!
Ichinose as seen by ayan
I have known Eriko for several years now. At first, my impression was that she was a 'super capable, strong person! (Am I even worthy of being friends with someone like her...?)' but as we became closer, I realized she is a deeply kind and generous person who is also very considerate of others.
She loves good food and drinks, enjoys watching movies and dramas, and even though she says she 'sleeps a lot,' she is also energetically involved in various types of work. I secretly suspect that there might actually be two Erikos (laughs).
Eriko as seen by Sankakuen
My first impression of Eriko was how sharp and incisive she was. There was no wavering in what she said; it was like a single, straight line, delivering precise and clear answers with impact. At the same time, she has a humorous, refreshing, and unpretentious personality, and I find myself drawn to that gap (combined with her gentle Kansai dialect). It is also wonderful how she truly enjoys her private life, loving dramas and movies, and knowing so much about delicious food and drinks!
Eriko as seen by Takahashi
Eriko is the kind of person I would describe as having 'Levitate (*)' naturally cast on her. I often observe others from the perspective of whether they are 'grounded,' but Eriko goes beyond that; I often feel that she lives her life effortlessly and lightly, as if she were wearing sneakers with wings. It is as if 'no one suffers' is not just a premise, but a preset for her. However, she doesn't skip steps; she has an image of moving things forward steadily, one by one. I believe this 'Levitate' state is possible precisely because she is honest, kind, and, above all, intelligent. I can only admire her...!
(*) Levitate is a spell from the 'Final Fantasy' game series that allows characters to float in the air.
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