What brought Hajime Kasahara to Calliope? A long-traveled journey through career, mental health, and self-expression. Above all, it was his resolve to find fellow open-minded people to surround himself with in a world that can oftentimes encourage detachment.
Hajime has spent the majority of his life in Japan, excluding his residence in the UK during his high school and university years. Upon returning to Japan, he worked at a bank until becoming disillusioned by the strict corporate atmosphere. Starting his own business was a step he took to change his life, as well as seeking out people who were like-minded in their beliefs of creating safer environments and prioritizing self-reflection.
Hajime speaks earnestly about the values that drive him, specifically citing the data that names Japan as having one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Being cognisant of the wide-scale depression that many people in Japan battle has made it all the more necessary to him to practice authenticity and being grounded:
“Having an open mind and being free from societal consensus is very important to me so I can stand up for myself. And what I’ve noticed in acting on this is that you start to attract other people who think the same way. That’s how I met Momo two years ago – just by chance.”
Hajime talked about how Momo, one of Calliope’s co-founders, radiates a fantastic energy when talking about her passions to create positive change around her, and this finally materialized when she developed Calliope.
“She told me about her project and I was immediately curious. I had been searching for the next thing I wanted to do with my life, and this seemed like a great next step.” He signed up for the How to Take Authentic Action program, and was rewarded with the mirrored openness of the medley of facilitators, teachers and participants who he would go on to develop closer relationships with.
“The best part of Calliope is that you can feel that the organizers care about you and want to help with your journey. My favorite lesson was with Sarita Ford, who I ended up having a one-on-one session with as well. Even though she was located in Australia, she was able to lead great classes about neurology, trauma, and how they inform our current behaviors.” Hajime expanded by crediting these differing yet strong interpersonal connections with what makes Calliope unique. He knew right away that this passion project would be fundamentally built of people who understood the significance of a space for people to work on themselves, and in turn, the world around them.
“You won’t regret it,” he says, smiling. “Each of the classes have something for everyone. I really believe that anyone can pick up tools from Calliope that contribute to a community of people who want the same things.” Hajime continues to strengthen this community with his enduring relationships with course educators and participants, and the confidence that Calliope members maintain a constituency who are striving towards a more reflective and conscientious whole.