“If I had to choose between the sea and the mountains, I’d go with the sea,” says HOSOMI Kensuke. He was drawn to Kobe’s open, free-spirited atmosphere, its welcoming spirit for foreign cultures, and, above all, the fact that the university had an American football team, the Ravens, which played a key role in his decision to choose the school. His university years were centered around American football, with the Ravens being the only club on campus competing in the top division of its league. At that time, national university American football teams were at their peak. Among them, Kyoto University achieved a remarkable victory by winning the Japanese championship, highlighting the excitement and popularity of national university teams during that period. There was pressure to live up to the reputation of Kobe University and the pressure of expectations from students and faculty. His academic advisor, Professor IGA Takashi, was understanding of his involvement in sports and supported his balancing academics with athletics.

This experience laid the groundwork for his professional life. However, the way he sets goals has changed dramatically since he was a student. “In the professional world, there are people of all ages. “If you set goals that are completely beyond your experience or too ambitious, you may lose motivation. We always set goals in a way that builds up so that the whole team can demonstrate its strength,” he explains. There are many things he has gained through football, such as team building and planning strategies to win. The same is true of the human network of teammates and alums with whom he has shared hardships and joys. Even far away from his alma mater, there are many friendships that began with football as a common denominator.

After graduating from Kobe University, Hosomi joined Itochu Corporation. For 35 years, he worked mainly in the brand business dealing with textiles and fashion. “A few years ago, I was sitting in the front row at Paris Fashion Week, next to Anna Wintour, the inspiration for ‘The devil wears Prada,’” he recalls. In 2021, he became the representative director and president of FamilyMart Co. Ltd., where he has been focusing on the company’s “convenience wear” initiative, expanding the range of high-quality daily goods, including apparel and stationery. In 2023, he held a fashion show at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, which shocked the convenience store industry and became a worldwide sensation, with 100 diverse models walking the runway.

Until then, convenience stores have mainly sold underwear and socks for emergency demand, but Hosomi observes, “The coronavirus pandemic forced people to stay home and made it impossible to go to specialty stores even a short distance away to buy clothes. The new concept of being able to buy high-quality, fashionable products at a nearby FamilyMart resonated strongly with consumers.” He also recalls that the sales project could not have been expanded without the cooperation of Itochu’s textile division and its alums who are active in the industry.

Though society has emerged from the pandemic, many university students who had to spend their time at home are still struggling with how to connect with others. Hosomi says to such students, “You can study, you can fall in love, you can play, you can do whatever you want. Whatever it is, don’t waste even a moment.” And he continues, “My youngest son also had to stay at home for two or three years due to the pandemic. But since last September, he has been studying in London. It’s like a samurai training. I want to tell young people that they must go outside. Adults should encourage them to seek out such experiences, and universities should create systems to support this, even if only a little.”