“As a leader, my role is to give people hope—to help them believe that if we act strategically, laws and social systems can be changed.”

On November 18, 2025, Shizenkan University hosted Leadership Night, a signature session within the MBA program. This interactive lecture invites transformational leaders to share their life journey and the essence of their leadership.

For the second edition of the series, we welcomed Kanae Doi, Japan Director of the international human rights NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW). The session was moderated by Shizenkan Professor Patrick Newell, and Year 1 MBA students Nathan and Serina supported the facilitation on behalf of the student body.

Kanae, who left a career as a lawyer to establish the Japan office of an international NGO that previously had no presence in the country, shared the driving force behind her path-breaking work and her perspective on the true nature of leadership.

Childhood Struggles and a Compelling Pull Toward the “Frontlines”

Kanae grew up in Yokohama, but her childhood was far from easy. Her parents took a highly pressuring approach, repeatedly telling her, “You make too many mistakes; you’ll fail in society,” and “Without a professional qualification, you won’t survive as an adult.”

A turning point arrived in her second year of junior high school, when she read The Earth of Mankind by Michiko Inukai. Shocked by the harsh realities depicted in refugee camps, she developed an intense desire to “go to the frontlines and do something.”

While studying at the University of Tokyo, she passed the bar exam, yet her heart remained focused on the field. In her senior year, she traveled alone to Eritrea shortly after its independence, knocked on the door of the Ministry of Justice, and asked if she could directly “help create laws.” She then spent a year volunteering—an early expression of her passion and action-oriented spirit, which became the foundation of her career.

“I want to devote myself to human rights 24 hours a day”—Launching HRW Tokyo from Zero

After returning to Japan, Kanae began practicing as a lawyer while simultaneously supporting refugees pro bono. However, balancing two demanding roles while sacrificing sleep soon reached its limit, leading her to decide: “I want to dedicate all of my time to human rights work.”

Following studies at New York University, she worked as a fellow at Human Rights Watch, where she was captivated by HRW’s professional investigative work and policy advocacy. Just before returning to Japan, the HRW Executive Director approached her with a proposal that became a second major turning point:
to launch HRW’s Japan office and lead its fundraising.

Although she had no prior fundraising experience, she began by reaching out to university friends, who then introduced her to prominent investors—ultimately securing the funds needed to establish the office. It was a vivid example of how passion and action inspire others to join a cause.

The Key to Leadership Is “Followership”

During the session, Kanae shared one of her favorite words: followership.

“A social movement cannot be created by one person. When someone takes the lead, they need followers who support them. While I lead in some contexts, when someone else speaks up, I want to be a good follower. Because solidarity is what creates social change.”

Kanae describes herself as “not a natural-born leader.” Rather, she says she had to become one for the sake of her passion and the cause she wanted to solve. Her leadership style is not based on imitating a clear role model, but on continuous experimentation and self-creation.

Japan’s Human Rights Challenges and the Road Ahead

Today, Kanae works with a team of about ten staff members to drive reform in Japan’s legal and social systems. Their work focuses particularly on neglected issues such as:

• prolonged detention practices known as “hostage justice” 
• protection of the rights of children in social care 

“Changing laws is extremely difficult, and failure is far more common than success. That’s why, as a leader, my role is to keep showing hope—to ensure that staff and partners never stop believing in what is possible.”

She highlighted how combining international pressure (gaiatsu) with domestic public opinion has contributed to shifts such as the Act on LGBT Understanding. Kanae concluded with a powerful message to participants:

“Even sharing information on social media is an act of followership. By continuing to raise our voices, we can transform democracy.”