Since 2023, international lawyer Mina Kobayashi has been working alongside Lively as an advisor, focusing her efforts in the field of “Business and Human Rights.” In this interview, we look back on her journey so far and hear her thoughts on the future she hopes to build together with Lively.

The Eye-Opening Experience That Changed My World — The Lasting Image of Sadako Ogata

 As an internationally active lawyer, Ms. Kobayashi not only handles corporate legal affairs and international transactions but also dedicates herself to the field known as “Business and Human Rights.” To begin, could you share a bit about your childhood, which laid the foundation for your current work?

I was born in the countryside of Gunma Prefecture and grew up in a relaxed, peaceful environment. At the time, the internet hadn’t yet become widespread, so the only real opportunity I had to experience the outside world was during our once-a-year family trips within Japan.
My dream for the future back then was to become an elementary school teacher — the idea of becoming a lawyer never even crossed my mind.

So, what inspired you to turn your attention to the international community?

The moment my closed-off world opened up was when I saw Sadako Ogata on television during high school.
As the head of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), she was visiting conflict zones, wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest, leading a team through the rubble…
Seeing her in that role made me realize, “There’s a whole other world out there.” That moment became a formative experience that still connects to what I do today.
From then on, I developed a strong interest in the international community and went on to study international relations at university.

 So seeing Ms. Ogata truly changed the course of your life.
Of course, what struck me most was the shocking realization that there are places in the world so far removed from peace.

But over time, I also began to wonder why Ms. Ogata’s image stayed with me so deeply.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was a woman.
These days, I’m also interested in gender issues, and whenever we talk about stereotypes—like “men should work outside, and women should stay home and do housework”—the topic of role models often comes up.
I think the experience of seeing someone you admire and being able to picture yourself in their place — like I did when I saw Ms. Ogata as a child — can have a profound impact on your future.
Through this interview, I’ve come to appreciate once again how grateful I am to have had her as a role model.

Seeing the World, Engaging with the World — The Journey to Becoming a Lawyer

So for you, Ms. Ogata was a role model of a woman active on the international stage. When was the first time you traveled abroad after turning your attention to the global community?

My first trip abroad was during the summer break of my first year at university.
I went to Turkey with a friend. I had always enjoyed English and world history classes, and I chose the destination because I wanted to see the mosques I had seen in my textbooks with my own eyes — which, looking back now, feels like a very earnest reason for picking a travel destination.

What was your experience like traveling to Turkey? Do you have any memorable moments you can share?

When I visited Turkey, I passed the same road every day that connected the old city and the new city for sightseeing.
Along that route, I noticed a spot tucked between two buildings where an elderly man and his grandson would sit and drink chai (Turkish tea) together.

After a few days, they started calling out to us, saying, “Why don’t you stop by for a bit?”

From then on, my friend and I would sit and chat with them over tea every day. It was a short trip, but it taught me how wonderful it is to connect with local people.

 I heard that you also visited countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam during your student years. What kind of experiences did you have there?

Much like my trip to Turkey, I visited those countries because I wanted to see historical sites and ruins.
But what struck me during those travels were the scenes I encountered that I hadn’t expected.
At tourist spots, I saw children — some as young as three years old — selling postcards to tourists. In some ruins, children around ten years old would say, “I’ll be your guide,” and then ask for money.

These were firsthand encounters with child labor — something that’s now more widely recognized as a serious issue.

I remember talking with my friend at the time, wondering, “These kids clearly need money right now, but is it really right to give it to them if we think about the long-term consequences?”
It was one of those moments that made us stop and think deeply, and it’s stayed with me ever since.

It sounds like you had a strong awareness of human rights issues even back then. Was it during your travels that you decided to become a lawyer?

Actually, no — although I was interested in international human rights as a university student, I had never really considered becoming a lawyer.
I had a vague aspiration to work for an international organization someday.
The turning point came when, just as I was graduating from university, the law school system was introduced in Japan.

I heard that it had widened access to the legal profession, and I began to think that having a legal qualification might open up more possibilities for the future.
That’s what led me to take the bar exam — and that brought me to where I am today.

After becoming a lawyer, what kind of work have you been involved in?

I began my career as a lawyer working in corporate legal affairs.
At the time, human rights were rarely discussed in the context of corporate law, so I engaged with human rights issues on my own, as a kind of personal mission alongside my professional work.

In 2012, I temporarily left legal practice and studied at the University of Washington School of Law. There, I focused on topics such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were the precursor to the SDGs, as well as international human rights and development issues.

Among my classmates were women from Muslim-majority countries like Afghanistan and Indonesia, which sparked a deeper interest in gender issues.

I also became involved in a project addressing the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth among young women in Indonesia.

How did studying abroad change you personally or affect your environment?

After studying abroad, I returned to Japan and resumed working as a lawyer.
While the core areas of my legal work didn’t change significantly, I became more actively engaged in my human rights-related efforts as a personal mission.

In particular, since the United Nations adopted the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011, there has been growing global awareness around the importance of respecting human rights in business practices.

In Japan as well, following the rise of SDGs and ESG initiatives, I’ve seen increasing attention being paid to the concept of “Business and Human Rights.”

In the second part of this interview, Ms. Kobayashi will share more about her journey as an international lawyer and her involvement with Lively.

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