A woman who loves the outdoors and wanted to find a job where she could put her English conversation skills to good use had been struggling to find her ideal workplace—until she joined STRIDE through a local network in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture. Now, as the main point of contact for the brand’s customer service team, she finds fulfillment in a role that allows her to engage sincerely with users.This is the story of Yuri Asakawa, who has achieved her ideal work-life balance in the nature-rich town of Myoko.
Text by Toshiaki Ito
Photos by Gaku Hiramoto
A Job That Builds a Fan Base
In the Myoko Highlands of Niigata Prefecture, in addition to “STRIDE LAB Myoko,” there is an office that handles customer service for all of STRIDE’s brands. It’s been almost two years since Yuri Asakawa started working there.
Asakawa joined Stride after meeting Hiroshi Sano, the man who built up the company’s customer service department. I believe they first met at a local get-together she attended shortly after moving to Myoko. I don’t remember it very clearly because Sano seemed to be everywhere.
“Whenever I went to Stride Lab, Mr. Sano was always sitting at a table in the back, working on his computer. But if I went to the ocean to surf, he’d be at the beach; if I went to the mountains to ski, he’d be in the mountains. It seemed like he was just playing all the time, and I had absolutely no idea what he was actually doing.”
Asakawa moved from Nagano to Myoko after his grandparents, who lived there, were admitted to a care facility. He landed a marketing job at a company in Myoko, but it didn’t last long, so he ended up working at “Myoko Coffee” in front of the station. One day, as he was brewing coffee and wondering what to do next, Sano came in to buy a cup.It was right at that moment—when she loved the outdoors, was interested in working for a brand, and was vaguely thinking about giving it a try.
I couldn’t help but ask.
“What kind of work do you do, Mr. Sano? When I asked if they were hiring, he said, ‘We have work, but we’re busy.’ The very next day, I went to hear more about it. After hearing what the job entailed, I thought, ‘Oh, so he’s actually working hard’ (laughs).”
I’d always wanted to work in the fashion industry, along with a longing to live abroad. However, I’d imagined a role in the spotlight; I had absolutely no idea what customer service—which you could call a behind-the-scenes role—entailed.
Customer service inquiries cover a wide range of topics. From common questions about product features and how to choose the right item, to checking stock availability and handling complaints about defects—we constantly update our information so we can respond to any inquiry, but there’s still plenty to learn with each new situation.
I feel a real sense of fulfillment when I can turn a customer’s negative feelings into positive ones. Even when a product has a defect or breaks, the situation can be resolved smoothly if customer service handles it well. Problems aren’t always due to product defects—sometimes they result from misuse—but no matter the case, I always seek out and propose the best solution for customers in need.
“It makes me happy when, after we’ve done what we can, a customer says, ‘I’m glad I chose ALTRA,’ or ‘I’ll keep using your products.’”
Customer service is often perceived as a job that’s all about handling complaints, but I learned from Sano that this isn’t really what it’s all about.
“I was told, ‘This is the job with the greatest potential to create brand fans.’ Now that I think about it, when a problem arises, whether a customer decides, ‘I’ll buy from them again,’ or ‘I’ll never buy from them again’ depends entirely on the customer service representative handling the situation directly. I want to increase the number of fans as much as possible, and I want to build a loyal fan base.”
I wanted to do work that I could truly love.
I was born in Nagano Prefecture and learned to ski in Myoko, where my grandparents lived. My uncle worked at Ikenohira Ski Resort, so as a kid, I could ride the lifts just by showing my face.
“Until I started going skiing with friends in high school, I didn’t know of any ski resorts other than Ikenohira.”
I’m the youngest of four siblings. Since I played with my older brother, who was close in age to me, I mostly engaged in typical boys’ games.Around the time I started elementary school, my older sister—who is nine years my senior—went on a short-term study abroad program in the UK. Seeing her photos and receiving souvenirs from her made me realize, “There’s a whole other world out there.” Since then, I’ve longed to live overseas. I attended the same high school as my sister and went on a short-term study abroad program in the UK, just like her. After graduating from junior college, I studied abroad in Canada for two years.
My parents ran a kindergarten. I asked them if I could study abroad for two years after I earned my kindergarten teacher’s license and childcare worker certification at junior college.
“I argued that since I’d be able to work on a working holiday visa during the second year, it wouldn’t cost that much financially. Including junior college, it would be a total of four years.I figured it would work out about the same as going to a four-year university (laughs).”
I spent the first year at a language school. I was outgoing but shy around strangers and found it hard to talk to people I’d just met. By observing those around me, I managed to change that about myself.
International students had gathered from all over the world. Some were staying for a long time, while others were there for a short while, but everyone was positive and proactive. During class, questions flew back and forth whenever something wasn’t clear, and we talked a lot without worrying about whether we were right or wrong. Even if we made a mistake, not a single person felt embarrassed.
The first person I spoke with—and who became my best friend—was a Brazilian girl my age.
“She just talked a lot. It was like, ‘Talk, dance, tequila!’She was a third-generation Japanese-Brazilian with Asian features, so the huge gap between her appearance and her personality made me think, ‘Who is this girl?’ (laughs). But from the way she carried herself, I learned that you can make friends by expressing yourself. I thought, ‘Oh, it’s such a waste of time to be this shy.’ My mindset—or rather, my awareness—changed so much that I could feel it myself.”
After returning to Japan, my first job was at a company that carried my favorite international brands. The ski school where I’d worked part-time as an instructor received support from that company, and employees would sometimes drop by the school.
“We got to know each other, and when I heard things like, ‘I was in Europe last week,’ I thought, ‘It must be so great to travel abroad for work—that’s so cool.’”
Although I was finally hired as a full-time employee, I was assigned to a department that had absolutely nothing to do with the brand. It was my first time living alone in Tokyo. The work—sitting at a computer in a silent office—and the crowded commuter trains became a source of stress.
“I found out later that my boss apparently had a plan in mind, but I started to worry, ‘Is there even a future for me working with the brand?’…”
After a year, I had a “mental breakdown” and returned to my parents’ home in Nagano.
I rested for a while, and once I was able to work again, I worked at Starbucks in the summer and as an instructor in the winter. I responded to a referral I’d received—seeking “someone who speaks English and loves skiing”—and took a receptionist position at a tour company for foreign visitors in Hakuba.After that, I joined an event management office I’d connected with while in Hakuba.
Supporting foreign athletes was rewarding work. I built good relationships with the staff at the overseas office and we even weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, but I moved on after five seasons. I found a marketing job in Myoko, where I’d moved, but quit after six months.
My friends scolded me, saying things like, “You quit again so soon,” or “How can you quit so quickly?” I think I worried my parents, too. While I understand that’s just how companies are, I simply couldn’t keep working in an environment or with people I didn’t feel comfortable with.
“I want to work at a company I like, and I want to be able to say with confidence, ‘This is the kind of work I do.’ But if those feelings didn’t come naturally, or if I felt like, ‘Ugh, I don’t really want to do this,’ or started wondering, ‘What am I even working for?’—it just didn’t work out. People around me probably thought I was just doing whatever I wanted all the time. But I think, ‘That’s fine.’ After all, it’s my life, so I want to do what I love.”
She says this cheerfully—neither resignedly nor defiantly. She says she’s only been able to speak this way since she started working at Stride. Watching her speak so vibrantly with sparkling eyes, it’s impossible to imagine her ever being anything but strong.
I’m really enjoying my work right now. Since I joined the company, the number of brands has grown, and my responsibilities have shifted somewhat. In addition to my customer service duties, I’ve been entrusted with supporting “Stride Lab Boulder (Colorado, USA)” and handling communications with the headquarters of certain brands, which makes the work even more rewarding.
When asked what she wants to do next, she gave an unexpected answer.
“I don’t feel as strongly as I used to about wanting to become a brand manager. More than that, I want to be able to respond flexibly whenever I’m asked to. To do that, I think I need to learn not just about the brands, but all sorts of other things as well. At the very least, I want to be at a point where, no matter what I’m asked to do, I can say, ‘I’ll give it a try.’”
Her longing to live abroad has also faded somewhat. On the contrary, she now finds herself wanting to live in Myoko permanently.
“All the pieces have fallen into place here in Myoko.”
Despite some twists and turns along the way, Yuri Asakawa has found her place in the world.
Profile
Yuri Asakawa
Born in Nagano Prefecture. After graduating from junior college, she spent two years studying abroad in Canada, where she earned the “TESOL for Children” certification to teach English to children ages 2 to 12.While working part-time as a ski instructor, she earned the “SIA Alpine Ski Instructor Stage I” certification. She also holds a yoga instructor certification. In the winter, she skis. In the spring, summer, and fall, she enjoys running, surfing, road biking, and occasionally fishing. She really loves Myoko, where she can find a refreshing environment right on her doorstep.