Kumiko Moki

'Charismatic' saleswoman on Yamagata Shinkansen enjoys brisk business

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blvtzpk at 09:48 AM JST - 10th August

Well, well. I'm not a 'hater.' I believe in the dignity of labor and (although you may read what into my original post) respect her for what she has achieved. Everyone should be respected for their work, especially those in the hard-scrabble, physical world of retail. She's become VERY good at a job and is now training people in that. At least, now that she's a trainer, she won't get dumped on her ass when she reaches the non-employable age in this field (ever seen a shink-cart-gal over 30 yoa?). And unlike what Pukey 2 said, I don't think she pulled herself out of the gutter - she realized that she had few options given her high school behavior, and took what she could and made more than a decent go at it. I just don't understand someone who had a particular aspiration when she was young couldn't quickly come up with this job as a possible career option. Like I said, she's simply a cabin attendant of a different type. Nah, I'm not a hater. Still, I worry about those 'back sales'. Ahem.
Wakarimasen at 10:26 AM JST - 10th August

why is being a kogyaru wasting your youth? Maybe she had a fun before going into this dead end job. She started when she was 18, so not much waste there.
METinTokyo at 10:27 AM JST - 10th August

Imagine that, someone who goofs off in high school actually can become a success in business, no doubt if she had an MBA her sales would have been less as she would be spending too much time writing CYA documentation about why the items she had to offer were not selling, and unequivocally proving on paper that it was through no fault of her own. My hat goes off to her, and I don't doubt that this is just the first step in a long successful and varied career for her.
bamboohat at 12:13 PM JST - 10th August

The only potential drawback to this story, (and I hope I'm incorrect) is that Japanese companies generally don't pay sales people based on commission. At least that hasn't been the case with sales people I've dealt with. If this girl gets some kind of commission based on her sales skills, she's really doing well. Good for her.
Wheelie777 at 12:33 PM JST - 10th August

It's better to be the best at selling on trains than suck as a doctor or lawyer.
magpie at 01:13 PM JST - 10th August

All kudos to her. She seems to have pride in her work which above else gains my respect. A lot of people may earn more in higher lines of work, but how many of us can actually say we are proud of what we do or more so, enjoy what we do...
rei307 at 03:32 PM JST - 10th August

Good for her!
netrek at 05:01 PM JST - 10th August

Congrats to her. All honest work is honorable. She is cute too ^_^
illsayit at 05:05 PM JST - 10th August

Im wondering exactly how much Yamagata is being promoted and sold? Her trolley seems full of the usual stuff. Walking backwards definitely appealed to locals commonsense, I would say? Perhaps it is an indication of where the crowds are headed?
norinrad21 at 05:33 PM JST - 10th August

I'm 30 and am still trying to figure things out. Glad to see she discovered what she's good at and is having fun while doing it.
betepunap at 01:52 AM JST - 11th August

She symbolizes all Japan and its place&role in the world.
Fadamor at 04:59 AM JST - 11th August

Kudos to her for realizing the college rat-race wasn't the only way to get a steady job. I imagine all the so-called "haters" here (yes, I realize they don't really hate her) are products of that self-same rat-race and are disturbed there was another way to success besides never-ending entrance exams and all-nighter cram sessions.
Jbizzle at 02:11 AM JST - 12th August

Funny how the word "hater" became a wordwide reckonised word. Cool! Good for this girl. 5k in sales in one day is admirable.
Hotbox08 at 11:54 AM JST - 12th August

This is a good example of one of the things I love about Japanese culture...more than any other place I've been, Japanese people strive to do their best in whatever job they occupy, even if it's what we occidentals would consider "just a job".

Good point. I'm still amazed by how much of the word "service" exists when I go to convenience stores, fast food restaurants, etc. here. Back home, I still get shocked when I often hear "Yeah, what do you want?", with a lazy, "I-don't-want-to-be-working-here" attitude, when having my order taken. People caring about the job they do, no matter what job it is, is good. Good for her that she does her best at her job.
PASHA_51 at 12:43 PM JST - 14th August

Unbeleivable sales of Yen500,000 in a day mean 8 hours ? Wow. She must teach in Tokyo University about marketing and sales topics.