I was always an outsider. As a Japanese national born in Turkey, I always felt different, no matter which country I was in. After “coming back” to Japan from a Turkish metropolis, a Swiss mountain village, and the US countryside, I always had an outsider perspective on my home country. I’m uncomfortable hearing Japanese people lament the “lost decades.” This is the same country that possesses a unique culture, discipline, and pride. This is the country that created the economic miracle that astonished the world. What we desperately needed was an engine to produce new industries, and I made it my mission to cultivate fertile ground from which new companies and industries could grow.

To work on this mission, I joined GLOBIS without much prior experience in tech or even work experience in Japan. The startup ecosystem has been very welcoming to me. I truly feel at home among the many founders who enthusiastically explained the future they see, the highly talented people creating amazing new products right in front of me, and new trends sweeping our industries and societies.

I am 100% convinced that this startup ecosystem will be the driver for revitalizing Japan’s economy and the country as a whole. And I can now connect all the dots that led me here. I am deeply thankful that I finally found my home, and I am more motivated every day to contribute everything I can.