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Making an International Contribution, Instead of "Just Charity"

During my high school years, I had several opportunities to spend time abroad, which significantly impacted my life thereafter. I learned that people had such different ways of thinking across the world. Around the same time, I watched the television drama Daichi no Ko (in which the main character struggles to reconcile his place in two distinct cultures) and began thinking about how I could contribute to Japan, the country where I was born. These experiences were transformative, creating in me the desire to bring Japan and the world closer together.

As I began to plan my future, I decided to study medicine and diplomacy, which I thought would be useful anywhere in the world. While studying medicine, I interacted with people from different academic departments. After graduating, I worked as a physician at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (formerly the International Medical Center of Japan) and then studied public health at the Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Before joining GHIT, I worked as Health Specialist at the World Bank after the fellowship at the East-West Center in Hawaii.

When I first learned about GHIT, I intuitively felt that its approach was close to what I had always wanted to do. This was a place where I could realize what I had envisioned: to be involved in both the medical and the diplomatic fields, while contributing to Japan. I was also impressed with the idea that GHIT is “not just a charity,” and that the business model could benefit all stakeholders. I decided to join the team, and was fortunate to be able to do so while GHIT was gearing up for its official launch.

Urgency in Medicine and Diplomacy

When I was working as an emergency physician, I had to make on-the-spot judgement calls about whose treatment should be prioritized, based on the conditions of the medical site and the symptoms of the patient, a process known as “triage.” I would repeat this day in and day out, and this habit has stuck with me to this day. When I worked at the World Bank, I learned how to work with high-level stakeholders such as countries and international organizations; specifically, I learned how to move things along and act diplomatically. These contrasting experiences have benefited my current work immensely.

When GHIT was first established, we were looking for ways to create impact quickly. I was in charge of screening projects in those early days, and I remember negotiating over the phone from morning until night to coordinate with Japanese pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, and global product development partnerships. Even now, I value that sense of urgency, and still feel that the sense of urgency and tension I felt at that time was on par with that of a medical site.

Currently, there are more opportunities for collaboration and cooperation with domestic and foreign organizations than ever before. Communication will naturally become more sophisticated and complex, and quite a few variables need to be taken into account when discussing investment strategies. This challenge requires diplomatic skills, and I am excited to take this on.

A Job That Challenges and Engages

No one working in a hospital, particularly in emergency settings, would object to saving a patient who is right in front of them; in that sense, everyone is on the same page. By contrast, each of GHIT’s collaborating institutions has its own vision and mission. First and foremost, a consensus on major goals is absolutely necessary in order to move things forward. This is a big difference between my clinical work and my current role. In addition to clear identification of GHIT’s goals, strategic thinking to determine the best way to achieve results that satisfy all participating stakeholders, as well as clear and diplomatic communication, are necessary.

I have never before experienced a workplace that continues to stimulate my curiosity to this degree on a daily basis. We often create things from scratch. I look forward to tackling new things each and every day, and enjoy challenges as they come.