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  3. [Future Landscape] 10. Arimyo Uehara -Alumni and Student Interviews
  • Graduate Interviews

Enjoy the changes
We wish you the best day.
I want to keep adding color

Graduates of the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters
Employed by Okinawa Watabe Wedding Co., Ltd.

Ariyo Uehara

Main content

Okinawa is the most popular destination for domestic resort weddings. Weddings held amidst the blessings of beautiful nature continue to captivate many. "While the number of marriages in Japan is declining, wedding ceremonies are a life ritual passed down through generations. Being a part of that happy moment is the joy of this job."
 
Around the same time that she enrolled at Obirin University, Ariyo Uehara encountered the movie "The Wedding Planner." While studying English, her initial goal, and diligently pursuing her teaching career, her admiration for the wedding industry, as seen in the film, grew stronger. Then, upon arriving at Naha Airport for her teaching practice, she spotted "Watabe Wedding Naha," marking the beginning of her current career. "After working as a planner, assisting clients with wedding preparations, I became a chapel coordinator, overseeing the proceedings on the wedding day. Witnessing the clients' happiest smiles made me feel happy too."
 
However, Ms. Uehara continued to take on new challenges one after another. Resort weddings attract many international clients. Frustrated by the need for interpreters, she decided to study abroad and, utilizing a prefectural program, was seconded to an affiliated company in South Korea. After returning to Japan stronger, she experienced further life changes: marriage and childbirth. "My first maternity leave was dedicated to raising my child. I inevitably felt a sense of isolation from society. That's why I decided not to take maternity leave the second time. With the understanding of family and those around them, women don't have to give up their careers."
 
For Ms. Uehara, the greatest driving force behind her words is her two children. Currently, she works as a manager in the planning and sales promotion team, a role that allows her to balance work and childcare without difficulty. While enjoying the changes in her career and life, Ms. Uehara continues to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to making each customer's day the best day of their life.

Uehara's Now & Then

Now
Even now, as a parent raising children, friendships with friends continue. The Obirin friends have set off to various locations across the country. It's difficult for everyone to gather, but they still keep in touch with each other. I am happy to support friends who build their careers by experiencing various life Events together with children.
Then
Okinawans' love for their hometown blossoms at Obirin University. Obirin University welcomes many students from Okinawa every year. Even after moving to Tokyo, their love for their hometown remains strong, and students from the same region naturally become close friends. Uehara and her team, which also includes Okinawan exchange students, set up a sata andagi (Okinawan doughnut) stall at the university festival.

Uehara Arisa

Graduated from the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters in 2006.
The following year, she joined Okinawa Watabe Wedding. As a planner and coordinator, she handled numerous weddings. After taking maternity and childcare leave, she became the first female manager hired straight out of university, leading the Marketing Group's Planning and Sales Promotion Team.

Information

Okinawa Watabe Wedding Co., Ltd.

Established in 2003 as Watabe Wedding's regional headquarters for Okinawa, it offers bridal services rooted in the local Okinawan community, including resort weddings and weddings featuring traditional Okinawan formal attire ("Ryuso").

Interview date:
This was done in June 2023 for the university's public relations magazine, "JF Oberlin Tokyo No. 10".

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