Determination and a lot of hard work make a dream become reality

Japan has a reputation of holding women back. But women here have a way of holding their own. Despite their demure manners and deferring behavior, they can be astonishingly strong. For the most part they are hardworking, unafraid of making decisions and of sticking by them. Also most often they will be enthusiastically contributing members of any group they belong to. “We do our best in whatever we are called upon to do,” they will tell you.

Many strong, focused women of ambition choose to start their own enterprises, rather than be trapped in the often limiting, ritual-strangling, demeaning jobs that a regular company has to offer. One such person, Miyoko, is a perfect example. She started low, observed, learned, held onto her dream, and worked her way up to where she is now, the owner of a fine study-abroad company.

Miyoko started working in elementary school because she wanted to study in America. She delivered newspapers. She worked nights and weekends, saved her meager income to make that dream come true. She only went to the USA for a few weeks, but that time in a foreign world changed her life forever. She realized that she wanted to go overseas again and her route to do that was to work in the travel industry.

Miyoko did not go to college. Rather after high school she got a job as a tour conductor for a local Japanese company. She wore a cute suit and hat and carried a flag as she herded groups from place to place in perfect Japanese order. She did that for three years and really got a feel for the business.

Still holding on to her dream, she then went to work for a company that sent students overseas. The manager was a woman and extremely tough. The turnover of employees was like pancakes on a hot griddle, but Miyoko stuck it out for four intense, challenging, very instructive years. During that time she worked extremely long hours in the office, took students abroad, and most importantly she made contacts and learned the ins and outs of the trade. She did this until she had confidence she could start her own company.

And that is exactly what she did. She birthed a company called Inter Support. Of course, that meant she worked even longer and more difficult hours. But since the business was her own, she had more energy and motivation than she ever knew. For years she did most of the work herself: interviewing students and their families, going abroad to check out schools and to meet host families. Back home she did all the paperwork: tickets, visas, arranging home-stays, doing extra planning for people with special needs. She ran programs for groups of students as well as for individuals. She went out of her way to match each person’s program to their needs and wishes.

Miyoko focused on her dream of helping young hopefuls go abroad. “My passion is to open kids’ eyes, to get them overseas, to allow them experiences larger than they ever dreamed possible. Yes, I want to give them the world.”

And that dream has never wavered.

Work expanded, the company grew, “You can never stop learning and growing,” she says. “When I first started, people only wanted to go abroad for a week or two. But now they want special programs and even yearlong overseas experiences. Plus there are more companies now, so we have to keep expanding, changing, being in the forefront. It’s not easy. You can never really relax.”

After her company was well established, Miyoko decided to try college. She wanted to test what she had learned from life by comparing it with what she could learn in university. So, eight years after she started her own company, she entered an institute of higher education to study business. It took four long years of both studying and working full time, and then she proudly got her degree.

University was interesting for her. She was by far the oldest student there, but she enjoyed the energy of 18 to 20 year olds. And she understood them well. Several times she even had some of the youngsters in her class over to her new house for all night study sessions and pajama parties.

“I love my work. I love my life. I am helping people and at the same time making friends all over the world. I’m a very lucky person.”

But she has also worked hard to become who she is today. And she added, “I can never stop my efforts. There’s always so much more to do, so many more avenues to explore – always.”

And what new frontiers does she have now? “Well”, she said reflectively, “as surprising as it may seem, maybe I’d like to have a child. I’m 42, so it’s about my last chance.”

As for juggling career and childrearing, she said, “Why not? I could do it. I know I could. Nothing has ever stopped me before.”

Hopefully if she does have a child, she will shower it with the wonderful attention and opportunities she has provided for so many young people who are not her own. Or maybe they are. “My clients become like family, “ she says, “I know and love them all.”