Go to Korea to Learn Design.
A little trip. My travel companion is always a book. Itochu chairman Okafuji-san.. What a remarkable man.
Ranked No.1 in the university graduate dream employer survey. From a cocky junior employee all the way to the CEO dream.
“Profit lies downstream” — Chairman Okafuji is still right in the middle of the action, on the sales floor, even now at the top.
Perpetually fourth place, fueled by the inferiority complex of being “first-and-a-half rate,” he overtook the old zaibatsu conglomerates to claim No.1 in net profit. A dream come true.
Big Five Trading Houses — Net Profit Ranking (FY2026/3 Latest Forecast)
1st Itochu Corporation: approx. ¥900 billion
2nd Mitsui & Co.: approx. ¥820 billion
3rd Mitsubishi Corporation: approx. ¥700 billion
4th Sumitomo Corporation: approx. ¥560 billion
5th Marubeni Corporation: approx. ¥510 billion
The zaibatsu-backed 2nd and 3rd place companies are overflowing with employees whose brains have gone idle, obsessing over meaningless internal politics like “I’m a director” or “I’m a section chief.” Their pampered B2B business has no future.
If China implodes, Itochu might get caught in the blast too. But even so — with Okafuji-san at the helm, no problem.
A truly great book.
So anyway, here we are. Came to eat some good food.
And to study architectural design.
See how the windows are set back from the wall like this? Don’t you think that’s lovely?
Cafés are overflowing with architectural inspiration.
Everything here is a design lesson.
In Korea, it’s apparently totally normal for boyfriends to take beautiful photos of their girlfriends. You see this everywhere.
LOL
Got to meet IU too.
Got to meet aespa too.
Went to Wiggle Wiggle too. Studying architectural design.
Don’t bother going to Myeongdong. Way too many people..
Had dakhanmari too. There’s a place with a huge line on “Dakhanmari Street” near Dongdaemun. The one next door is actually better though (lol)
Had samgyeopsal too.
Everything was delicious, but my first-ever clam broth udon this time…
That was the absolute best…
Clam broth, man. Just a simple clam broth udon…
I’m definitely having it again next time.
I’ll let you in on a secret. I went to the newly opened Seongsu branch of this restaurant in the video.
The jeon was insanely good too. You think “how can something this simple be that good?”..
Well, go eat it yourself before you complain.
On the way home I heard the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, so I stopped by Osaka to see them..
