Top graduate quits ¥2.2 million annual salary job for ¥14,000 startup, finds fulfillment

A 25-year-old graduate from the University of Tokyo, Yuki Tanaka, has made a dramatic career pivot, leaving a lucrative position at a foreign investment bank where he earned ¥11 million (about $73,000 USD) annually. Despite handling vast sums of money, Tanaka found himself experiencing profound feelings of loss and emptiness in his daily work.

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Excessive anxiety only narrows one's vision; only a smile from the heart and real emotional connection are the pointers to life's value.

After nine months of struggle and anxiety, Tanaka decided to resign. The turning point came during a trip to Hakone with colleagues, where a moment of shared laughter made him realize the importance of genuine emotional connection and inner joy. He concluded that excessive anxiety narrows one's perspective, and that true life value lies in authentic happiness and emotional bonds.

He then ventured into the unfamiliar field of embroidery, using ¥70,000 (approximately $1,400 USD) and a small, 4.5-tatami mat room to establish his company, "TakeRisk." Despite lacking prior experience in embroidery or fashion, Tanaka is dedicated to quality, often creating up to 40 samples for a single piece. He finds vitality in this meticulous process, which some might deem inefficient.

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Compared to manipulating the cold, intangible vast sums of money on the screen, he yearned to manage a business that could see people's smiles and was full of warmth and tangible reality.

Tanaka shares his journey of building a global brand from scratch on social media, attracting 170,000 followers on Instagram. His story serves as a testament that finding work that allows one to genuinely smile, leave anxiety behind, and live authentically is more valuable than high salaries or fame.

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He finds vitality in this meticulous process and 'wastefulness'.