Ch.1: Masanori Kawana

Note: This is Chapter One, which follows the Prologue: Roppongi. While it can be read on its own, it’s best enjoyed in order.

Masanori Kawana, a Keio University Law graduate with an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg, has recently been promoted to the Executive Vice President of East Asia for Fanatics. He has a career spanning Mitsubishi, McKinsey, and global sports, from PR for Team Japan at the WBC to strategy in the B.LEAGUE, and was the first Japanese to win the 2019 Leaders in Sport U40 Award.

“Come and see the office sometime. Let’s grab tea or something.”

The way he, Masanori Kawana, then Managing Director of East Asia for Fanatics, responded to my first email asking about a high school internship was way more casual than I expected.

Mr. Kawana’s reply cc’d another person, a member of the Admin Team at Fanatics Japan. I instantly contacted her, spurred by the expectation that I might actually make this opportunity happen.

The one thing I probably forgot to remind myself, though, was that he was indeed a managing director, basically like a CEO. So he was, has been, and will always be busy. That quick response to my first email might have misled me. Anyway, that cc’d member, whose name is Rie Kanda, also replied quickly.

Her message said that Mr. Kawana would be on a business trip for a week; accordingly, the schedule would remain unclear. That was roughly the gist of her first email. So I told myself I should wait.

A week passed. Another week was about to pass. I was a bit anxious, wondering if the existence of my email and me had been forgotten inside Fanatics Japan. That was why, even though I recognized he might be away on business again, I urged her to reply back, and even nudged him to do the same. It was around early October.

Mr. Kawana calmly replied that I should coordinate with Ms. Kanda to arrange the schedule. Days later, Ms. Kanda finally replied. After a few back-and-forths, we settled on the date: October 15th, to meet Mr. Kawana.

It was Tuesday, and I was supposed to meet him at six o’clock in the evening. The venue was Toranomon—another beautiful town in Tokyo, by the way. I meticulously followed the route she kindly sent me beforehand to reach the building, one called Toranomon 33 Mori Building. The building was exactly the kind of office I had imagined, though slightly overshadowed by the aura of three skyscrapers that stand within 200 meters, so-called Toranomon Hills, also built by Mori Building Co., Ltd.

As Ms. Kanda told me, when I stepped onto the 8th floor, I should call another person: Naoko Matsumoto, who I would be in touch with for the rest of the process. I called her upon arriving.

Soon after, she showed up with an approachable smile, apologizing for keeping me waiting—a typical courtesy almost every fine Japanese shows. As she let me walk through the door, the scenery fascinated me. There was a sort of showroom, filled with goods from many sports leagues and teams around the world: from the NBA, MLB, and NPB to Paris Saint-Germain, my favorite Golden State Warriors, and even Pitching Ninja. The whole view captured my mind and gave me a nudge that I was truly standing in a company built on love for sports and their fans.

A few moments later, Ms. Matsumoto guided me into the room where Mr. Kawana awaited me.

Although the whole day had made me nervous, the moment I saw him was the most intimidating. I’ll never say he was frightening or threatening, but the way he talked, looked at me, and sat was enough to make me brace myself.

Oh my god, this is how the CEO looks.

That remark lingered in my head, until it disappeared as the talk officially began.

It started off well, as I was asked to explain my motive and the circumstances that brought me there, obvious things I had already talked through enough during the summer, so I felt confident. I also brought up my admiration for going to the United States for college to learn sports management.

After I spoke, he gave me some advice on each topic. First, he mentioned that he couldn’t reply to every email given his schedule and workload, which meant that no response didn’t necessarily equal neglect. It implied that I, as expected, shouldn’t have urged him and Ms. Kanda just for a reply.

He also asked a few questions about my college application portfolio and English ability. Then some tips slipped from his mouth: it is a great experience to be an intern at any company—especially one tied to your passion—but it’s also crucial to reflect your genuine interests and absorb as much information as possible from a young age. He emphasized jotting down a sort of resume, to clarify and share what you learn and want to pursue, with colleges or even the public. This is particularly significant for colleges in the U.S., he added.

The meeting centered around broad, abstract lessons, not concrete examples of what kind of job I would face as an intern, nor what kind of office I’d work in. What he mostly talked about was advice for me—not only for Fanatics Japan or a temporary internship, but for the bigger picture and what lies ahead.

It was a blessing: the CEO of a soaring company spared thirty minutes for an unknown high schooler and gave long-term advice. At the same time, I thought this might be the end, as our talk had gone far from what I expected. It felt more like counseling than a meeting to process an internship. Ambivalence wandered my mind.

After I came back home, I googled him and found that he actually had an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School, allegedly the third-best business school in the U.S. And once again, I truly appreciated the time I had in that office.

Roughly a week later, fortunately, Ms. Matsumoto reached out again for the next meeting. From then on, things flowed smoothly. I sent her my improvised resume and had an online meeting on Zoom on November 5th. Two days after that, I received another email from her, in which she detailed the location and the date for the next meeting, with words like the following:

I’d like you to come to the office again to have a meeting with the Senior Manager of the department you would be in.

Tuesday, November 12, from 5:30 PM

Meeting with Senior Manager at the Strategy Office, Shigeru Mizushima

Matsumoto from Human Resources to sit in company

“The department you would be in.”

The phrase struck me with pleasure and excitement.

Little did I know this Shigeru Mizushima would be featured in the rest of the chapters.

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This chapter is entirely written by Genki Kano. Any disclosed information of people in this chapter has been generously approved for public sharing.

Stay tuned for the next chapter: Shigeru Mizushima.