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Nice to meet you I am Kengo of HUGS
Nice to meet you I am Jiro Kurokawa of HUGS
So, well. We will be updating our video with this interview kind of style from now on
Well, I'm asked to talk about HUGS for this first video shoot
Memorable
Memorable first shoot
It's actually quite difficult to talk about what's HUGS, right?
But I think most of the people are visiting this website without knowing what HUGS is, or they probably only have seen our Youtube page
So, we would like to talk a little bit about HUGS for them
You are good at this kind of thing, right?
Umm, so so.
What? Just an easy one, easy introduction of HUGS, like starting with our profile is okay
HUGS, ah ok, let me tell you about it briefly
The biggest project we are working on now is agriculture
Yes
We are currently doing 1,000 hectares of agricultural project operation
Uh, huh.
And other things what we do now are pig farm, chicken farm and aquaculture
Yes, around in here, in Siem Reap, such agricultural projects are the main thing
And in the capital Phnom Phenn ...
Did you just say the word "capital" very loud?
Haha! I had to say it loud as a person who lives in a capital city
In the capital, Phnom Phenn, we do restaurant operation
Recently we are doing school for young Cambodians like teaching Japanese or teaching customer service as well
We are doing various projects in these 2 years, Lots of things happened in these 2 years, yes
Well, at first we started with our main office in trendy Singapore and our company stands as its' 100% subsidiaries
And we two are here as CEOs of this subsidized HUGS company
As a company we started two years ago, but how long has it been since you moved to Cambodia Jiro?
Uh... It has been 2 years and 2 month I think? Something like that since I moved to Cambodia with my family
It was actually pretty random, right?
First I came here before you came with Mr. Nagae, our famous big boss, well...we must ask him to appear on the interview soon though
Anyway, you visited Cambodia with Mr. Nagae then at very first time of your visit you said you maybe move in permanently here. Haha!
How did it give you inspiration so quick at that time?
Well, at that time, I have just turned to 31 years old and it was after I have already launched my own company at the age of 27
And uh...well, I actually was born in Iraq and...
Well, if I start to talk about this it will be long
But anyway, I was born in Iraq and I came back to Japan because of the Iran ? Iraq war in 1980
Probably because of such fate of me being born in the time and place always makes me feel that I need to go out to the world
And I was feeling to launch my company globally as well
You were in UK with your football thing as well right?
Yes, It was when I was 19 years old. I was living in England for 10 months aiming to be professional soccer player
And at my phase of being over 30 years old of age, I went around the world once again
I visited Europe, Africa and Asia and I was thinking where should I go
Then in Cambodia, actually you, Kengo, were already living in here and somehow I had inspiration of choosing here when I come to Cambodia at very first time
Oh wow
Yes, the feelings was very well matched somehow
Well, I can tell it's matched very well Haha
Yes, it was matched accidentally
And when you come here, you come by yourself without your family at first and before that, have you told your family that you and your family might move to live in overseas?
Well, very lightly I have talked to them
Lightly
Yes
Maybe they weren't taking it serious
I think so, I think they weren't taking it serious
I see. Then when you went back to Japan, you all the sudden told them to move to Cambodia
Yes, well. It actually was the time we just finished building our brand new house in Shinagawa, Tokyo which took one year to complete
3 months after the house is finished building, I said let's sell the house
hahaha!
Then if I reveal the punch line, your wife came with you and your kid as well. Right?
How old were your kid at that time?
She had just turned 2 years old
2 years old, right? What is surprising is that for your wife and kid, their first visit to Cambodia was already to move in. It is really random again!
They came once before
Really? Did they come before?
Only once. 3 years ago in July I came here first time and then decided to move in
Then in October of the same year I came again in Siem Reap with my family
How many days...uh...it was only few days I think but I have already decided to move in though
I brought them here to just show them where they will be living
Like, here! This is where you will be living!
Ah, not to make a decision together but just to let them know they will be living here! Haha.
And then February, next year of February, I moved in to Siem Reap with my family
The house in Tokyo was able to sold right at the time so I was able to move in to Cambodia without hassle
So, we all moved in to Siem Reap anyway
And from there, we established a company, HUGS, together
And then, since there are two major bases in Cambodia, we should not gather together at one place
So you moved to Phnom Phenn and I stay in Siem Reap to work on for our department
How is it since then?
Like, for me, before I have come to Cambodia I never imagined I would have met such many Japanese.
Well, it is because you, Jiro, are introducing them to come to here
But how many of them in last year? It is more of how many company than how many people I think
Moe than 100 companies visited
Are they mostly small and med sized company owners?
Yes, they are owners and president of a company
And when you decided to come here there was a good feeling you told me
But were there any good feeling about business as well?
Your smelling sense for business worked like, yes this will grow! or something maybe?
And were you expecting that we will get this much of attention?
Well, I was not expecting it clearly but I was feeling the potential. I was thinking there are wide margin to grow and there must be something
I see
But really, it has grown really rapidly in these two years. The country itself is growing as well.
I am thinking I would like to take one whole session to talk about Cambodia one day
Well, for today I just briefly go through, but two to three years ago when I come to Cambodia, people were all saying to me like, Are you going to do volunteer? Or, Please stay safe not to be kidnapped! Or I was told to not to step on the mines
I think Cambodia was looked at only for those kinds of stuff
We realized it was a wrong perception after we came here but still only very few people were thinking to do some business in Cambodia at that time
However, recently more than 100 companies come to Cambodia all the sudden for inspection with business purpose
It is only the companies around us and there are many other companies and people are coming to here, it means it is such a big wave
Yes. I think so
It is a big difference if I compare it as two years ago
Let's do another video shoot about it soon
And one more important thing about HUGS is that our company is not only for business
Yes
We are actually started our company to work on social activity, more of like NGO than company
And with our vision of what we are able to do for Cambodia, we have been doing several projects such as supporting land mine removing organization or support the orphanage
Well, focusing not only on business but also on social projects, is what differentiate HUGS with other companies
Yes. I think so. And so, the view we have for an education as well, something which has social value. Pursuing both business and social acts is very important view of HUGS
Yes. Next time let's talk more about it and we will be done this for today
Thank you so much
Thank you so much