We Are Tomodachi Spring / Summer 2018

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30How did two French business graduates end up bringing much-needed disruption to Japan’s graduate recruitment sector? What lured them from New York to a coastal town in the west of Japan? At a startup hub located in a former public school, Thomas Pouplin and Yasmine Djoudi sit poised to explain it all: how Fukuoka City is helping them to help brighten the career prospects of Japan’s graduates, how they are capturing the imagination of blue-chip companies and how they think Fukuoka beats Tokyo hands-down for fledgling startups and livability.“It all started when we were MBA students at Kedge Business School in Bordeaux,” says Pouplin. “As part of one of our exchange programs, we came to study at Fukuoka’s Seinan Gakuin University. We didn’t know anything about Fukuoka. To be honest, we really wanted to study in Tokyo,” says Pouplin. But the pair soon warmed to the city. “Tokyo is a great place to visit, but Fukuoka is the best place to live. People are very warm and friendly. We take a run through the park and finish on the beach. You can’t really do that in Tokyo,” he says. “There’s excellent tonkotsu ramen for just 280 yen (USD 2.62), and naturally the seafood is amazing too!” adds Djoudi.To help fund their studies, the two looked for part time work in the city. “Finding a job was a pain. We had to post want ads on a noticeboard, and then wait,” says Pouplin. This inconvenience was part of their inspiration for “ikkai,” a website to provide Japan’s students with a hassle-free way to connect with those who need help with tasks ranging from graphic design and translation to dog-walking and handing out flyers.Yasmine Djoudi (left) and Thomas Pouplin (right) at a startup hub located in a former public school.Series: Friends of JapanFukuoka City Fostering Innovation with the Startup Visa ProgramYasmine Djoudi and Thomas PouplinAfter graduating from Kedge Business School in Bordeaux, France, Djoudi and Pouplin co-founded ikkai in Fukuoka. They like traveling, going to the movies, and discovering restaurants.