Name: Kumi
Position: Production Associate
Hometown: Tokyo born and bred
Hobbies: Walking with friends and family
Favorite food: Anything homemade
Ask anyone on the FunkyCorp team to name a time they got out of a sticky situation, more often than not, they’ll tell you it was Kumi who saved the day.
There’s seemingly nothing this wonder woman can’t turn her hand to, and it’s this diversity in her role that she thrives on. “Every day holds a new challenge — I can be assisting, translating, doing financial tasks or asset management…” Lucky for us, she says she gets a kick out of helping people out, “I’m a people person. It’s in my system, I guess. I love seeing people happy about something I did.”
Kumi started her FunkyCorp journey in 2017 as a freelance researcher on our Visit Nara website project and soon proved herself indispensable for her knowledge of Japanese history, itinerary planning — and keeping a calm head when lost in a mountain forest with wild boars! She was snapped up as a full-time member of staff — and the rest is history.
When she’s not putting out fires in the office, she spends her free time exploring the city on foot. It’s this hobby that makes Kumi a font of knowledge when it comes to Tokyo’s hidden gems — you name it, she knows it. Her absolute favorite spot to return to is Hamarikyu Gardens on Tokyo Bay. Its Japanese gardens and teahouse, serving green tea and traditional sweets keep her coming back. Tokyo is, she says, where she is happiest — and most of her holidays are spent further discovering the city and further afield in Japan. One of her favorite spots is Yoron Island in Kagoshima, a laid-back hideaway with its own unique culture. She isn’t immune to the charms of international destinations, however, having just come back from a trip to Hawaii!