Hitose, the Real Estate Agent Making the Impossible Possible - Freedom, Fellows, Future

Hi, my name is Aoki Hitose.

I'm the CEO of a real estate company.

I'm a former night worker and now I help people
in that industry find apartments to live in.

Thanks for having me.

Check out these 5 frames of love for me and you.

Here we go.

I specialize in helping night workers
find apartments to live in.

I've failed a tenant screening because of my job.

I just want people to be proud of the work they do.

It's great to be able to make the
impossible possible, isn't it?

Hello. Thanks for calling.

This is her. I see. Tomorrow?

Understood, I'll pass on the memo.

Thank you very much.
Goodbye.

I'm happy because work wrapped up early today.

Time to spend some quality time at home
and have some drinks!

I'm home!

There's my cat.

I only see one of them.

- What do you normally do at home?

Well, I have a beer.

I only have two cans left.

I'll have this one.

The first thing I do when I get
home is open a cold one.

Is this OK to show on TV?

It's so good.

I based my interior around the color violet.

I used DIY materials to decorate my appliances.

I even did that purple tile by myself.

My home is my castle.

It's full of everything I like, and I don't need
to worry about what people think.

I got these boots from my mom,
and I still wear them.

The heels on these are a little short for my taste,
but I like this brand, so I bought them.

I tried to be good when I was a kid.

But I longed for freedom, and I dreamed of
growing up so I could do what I wanted to do.

I'm on my way to meet the woman
I consider my life mentor.

Growing up, I was taught to
stay in my lane, all the time.

But that didn't sit right with me.

Then one day, I met someone who
lived their life as a free spirit.

Because of her, I learned to
live on my own terms, too.

Hello!

- Coming!

How are you?

Welcome! Come in!

She runs a fashion boutique and
sells custom haute couture clothes.

I call her "Mama," even though
she's not my real mom.

- This is...
- My signature: a jumpsuit.

True, you always wore jumpsuits.

I see you've got new accessories on.

You like to make faces, lips and eyes.

In junior high I went on a work experience,
and I met Mama there.

I remember it... she was such a force!

You should try it on.

- Yeah? This is cute.
- Give it a go.

She can draw out a person's individuality.

For me, she also listens to what I have
to say and enjoys my ideas.

Mama, you always heard what I had to say,
or what I wanted to do with my life.

And you never doubted me or worried about me.

Never.

I was so happy to hear, "Do what you want to!"

As long as you take responsibility for
your actions. I'd never hold you back.

"It's your life, it's your choice!"
That's what I say to young people.

She taught me that it's OK to stand my ground,
voice opinions, and chase my dreams.

I know that you'll always be here in the shop,
if I need a shoulder to lean on.

My business hours are until 7pm.
So, I'll always be here until then.

It's nice to have someone at
the ready when you need them.

That's the feeling of safety you always gave me.

That you're always here.
I hope you'll be here forever.

Mama seemed to be living her life
freewheeling and with freedom.

But as I got older, I understood that
it came with a lot of responsibility.

It's a tradeoff that she taught me.

Freedom to me is...

A reward that comes after understanding
personal responsibility.

On this day, we all worked at the office together.

- What's that?

It's a video we made for our social media,
to show an open property.

Compared to when we started, we've got
a much bigger audience now.

My employees make all our content,
and I rely on them for it.

What should I write on the thumbnail for this one...

I would write about it being white.

OK, "Clean, all-white apartment!"

All my employees are upbeat and fun.

I always say, "We're all unique, and that's what
makes us great!" I run my company that way.

Ms. Hitose, can you show us how to do this?

Haha, how'd you survive all this time?

Wow! Amazing!

Hitose’s company was
established in 2020.

All five employees are
former night workers.

I met her at the club when we worked there together.

I couldn't even use a computer, much less
have experience in real estate.

But wherever she took me I followed.

I was working so hard at the clubs;
I wasted my time away.

So, I had nothing to be proud of and felt lost.

Ms. Hitose was the only one who
saw potential and spirit in me.

Kaede always told me that she looked up to me
and wanted to follow in my footsteps.

I need to continue to be the type of person
these girls can be proud of.

It's hard to put Ms. Hitose into words.

She doesn't know the word "impossible" for herself.

It won't show on her face, but she's
always fighting for something.

- What kind of people do you want
your employees to become?

I never thought about it before...

But I'd want them to enjoy life and have fun.

Yes, she always says that.

I care deeply about the relationships
between us as human beings.

Haha, maybe I'm not real CEO material?

To me, my fellows are...

People I want to live for and protect.

That feeling will never change, it just gets stronger.

I'm thankful to be with them.

On this day, we went to a beach to
shoot some photos for our website.

It was quite windy.

The wind speed was 10m/s,
according to the cameraman.

Well, this is unexpected!
I heard this was a quiet beach.

But it isn't, obviously.

I want to have a wide background
and fill the space with scenery.

We'll just be the party girls in the corner.

I requested a wide, spacious photo.

I want future clients to imagine a space
that's open, where they can feel free, and follow their dreams.

We are here to help them achieve their dream.

In the future, I want to own
a whole building complex.

It would house women-run companies only.

There would be a nursery for kids and a nice
pet hotel for when going on business trips.

There're so many options and ways for women
to live now, and I'm happy to offer support.

My night worker clients tell me to please keep the
company running and continue to help secure homes.

I don't expect society will change soon.

But at least, I hope they know
that I'm a person to rely on.

And if they want a new way of life,
I'll help them find it.

To me, the future is...

One where the visions and dreams
of women can come true.

It's about making lemonade out of the lemons in life.

There are always new beginnings,
and I want a future full of aspirations.