July 17th, 2023
written & edited by Mew
November 13th, 2024
translated by Mio
Good evening, Everyone! This is Mew, who owns this site.
Thank you for reading the both interview articles (Vol.1 / Vol.2) I released the other day.
I’ve received a lot of reviews and I’m really happy and pleased. Please accept my deep appreciation to those who read these.
As a closing for the interview series, Let me share the editor’s note.
While I say it’s editor’s note, it’s more like my impression, yet, hope you still enjoy!
When I first got this opportunity to interview him, what came to my mind first was “What should I ask him and how?”
Some of you may said, “Is that in the first place?!”, but it was my first experience to interview someone like this, thus, I started to prepare from “what’s the best practice” for interviewing.
At my job, I have opportunities to listen to others due to my daily work, and I like to listen to others. Of course, Shinonome-san is great at storytelling, so it can be already good, if I just ask him to speak freely, and I listen to it. Yet, I also thought, it can be the lost opportunity that I may not maximize this great opportunity for 100%.
As a result of various thought, even though I’m new as the interviewer, I want to deliver something which both Shinonome-san as storyteller and fans who read the articles fully agree and satisfy, and if so, I wanted to equip myself with the interviewing skill, and I read several books about interviewing.
In fact, which I was not expected, but the books were interesting and it stung in my heart as good reference book for my life, so I want to introduce these 2 books.
“Listening skill – 35 tips to open heart”
Auther: Sawako Agawa
https://amzn.asia/d/9EQBh3X
Many of you may know about this book. This is the book summarized the rich, unique, sometimes bitter experience of Ms. Sawako Agawa who is known as an interviewer – who is known as authentic individual and have cheerful dialogue with others.
Ms Agawa’s interview has been, from audiences perspective, always fair and hold adult to adult relationship between interviewer and interviewee, and I had the impression that she also talks well as much as the guest does. However it has been her concern which “she talks too much”
As I liked the way she talks, I found her concern unexpected, yet it’s true that it may not be considered “Interview” if interviewer talks too much, and the guest, who is supposed to talk didn’t have a chance to speak…. Yet, if you keep asking to withdraw the stories from the guest, it may also not be comfortable for the guest, and s/he can’t be authentic. If you just follow prepared questions, it’s not interesting either.
So, as I read her book, she also has been struggling how to best perform as an interviewer, whenever she got requested.
After multiple experiences with twists and turns, she found her own solution – which was to react naturally to the words or attitude speaker shows. Sometimes, it may not proceed as planned, but don’t feel scared even if it goes to the different direction than you expected. Also, time to time, there are moments when speaker shows the facial expression, or they change the atmosphere. So, be sensitive to these tiny changes, then you may find the authenticity of the person from unexpected moment.
Other than this, she was also sharing some techniques with “How-to”, but I was attracted more of her attitude toward the person in front of her with her authentic feeling, warm curiosity, so I decided to plan the interview with “What!?” moment towards Shinonome-san.
“Listening skill of the interviewer – who has long que. 88 tips on how to relax one’s heart”
Author: Eriko Miyamoto
https://amzn.asia/d/2zyqAHC
The theme for Ms. Agawa’s book was “Sense”, on the other hand, the theme of Ms. Miyamoto’s book was “Skill” which included a lot of tequniques. Actually, there are a lot of interviews going on, yet there’s not much of “how-to” book to improve the interviewing tequniques, so it is valuable book which captures specific examples.
Ms. Eriko Miyamoto is well known as “great” interviewers and she receives the requests from previous interviewees with the comments such as “I want Miyamoto-san to listen to my story” or “I discovered authentic self which I never realized”. I really respect her….
What stroked me the most from the book – as a new interviewer was “Support how to verbalize” and “Prepare thoroughly to let the speaker share in safe environment”.
Based on these tips, there were several actions I took – some of them I could introduce was “I shared the draft plan in advance” and “Repeated or rephrased what speakers said during the interviews”. I’m not sure how these 2 actions helped the successful interview, it made the interview not just one-way that I listened to speakers, rather made two way communication.
Also, the book told that “Peace of mind” depends on “Trust” between speaker and listener, and it was also important point.
While there were also some tips how to produce “Peace of mind” or “Trust”, it’s not something you can control with techniques, rather “show the interest to others and respect others” is the most important thing to begin with.
This mindset is consistent way of thinking with Ms. Agawa-san’s book, and most precious experience for me through this interview was to experience the reality this mindset is the most important thing for any relationship with others.
Suddenly, it became the book review, yet, I wanted to share my experience with great books in my preparation phase, thus I introduced (sorry that I didn’t touch on Shinonome-san much here…)
Lastly, let me share my own reflection from interviewers perspective.
I actually interviewed him through Zoom, but without video, but only sound, such as telephone interview.
It was very strange experience as I look back, my honest reaction was that I was surprised that I could communicate with others even I don’t see the facial expression or movement. And what made me feel so is solely Shinonome-san’s interpersonal skill as well as his kindness.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to him.
I hope these articles will reach to any future funs and help them understand his attractive talents to various individuals.
From the site owner.
