Ryo Shinkawa '09 dreamed of working in the sports industry in the U.S. His childhood was straddled between two countries — one with ancestral family in Japan and the other in the States. The result is a spectacular career that put him alongside top athletes and teams.
Shinkawa is a Japanese-English bilingual freelance sports professional based in Tokyo. He currently works with the Washington Wizards, Cincinnati Reds, Nagasaki Velca (a Japanese professional basketball team), BSMI Talent, Inc., and NHK Global Media on contract-based employment. In addition, he is involved with several other freelance projects.
His work includes translation in many sports categories in different communication formats — live sports broadcasts, interview and article writing, and seminars. He also translated a book on Shohei Ohtani from English to Japanese.
Shinkawa chose Baldwin Wallace because of its sport management major and proximity to Cleveland, a thriving sports center.
"The decision of attending BW was not an easy path," he admitted. "Applying to universities in the States from Japan was a challenge due to a lack of information. Also, some people were against that decision, especially since I already had a path to a university in Japan without taking any exams.
"Even though my dream of working in the sports industry in the U.S. was clear, many people thought it was an unrealistic one. Rather than try to convince them with words, I felt that I needed to convince them through action," stated Shinkawa.
"I lived in the States during my childhood, then returned to Japan for middle school and high school before moving to Berea to attend BW. Sometimes, it felt like my identity was lost, being a minority wherever I went. However, the experiences of being in different environments and cultures has allowed me to be who I am today and has been a strength for me working between different cultures and languages in my career," he emphasized.
"In my junior year at BW, I did study abroad in England to learn about the sports business in Europe. I gained different perspectives and also witnessed the country preparing for the London Olympics," recalled Shinkawa.
"While there, I was able to connect to an internship with the Cleveland Guardians. I saw on the internet that a Japanese pitcher, Masahide Kobayashi, signed with the organization. I reached out to alumni, professors and other people for networking. That led to me to speaking with the media relations director of the Guardians," said Shinkawa.
"Ten years ago, when I returned to Japan, I had an unknown future. I wanted to expand my role of being more than an interpreter to include the business side of the industry. Although I was fortunate to start my career in Major League Baseball, I felt I needed to change my path toward my end of my 20s," he explained.
"There was nothing definite in place when I started as a freelancer in Japan. But many people reached out to me, and one opportunity led to another and evolved my career," he noted.
"My position with the Washington Wizards started with an opportunity I received from NBA Asia attending the All-Star Game in Charlotte as a sports business writer for Forbes Japan. That opportunity led me to work the 2019 NBA Japan Games as an interpreter and eventually to the position with the Washington Wizards as a marketing manager after the organization drafted Rui Hachimura," stated Shinkawa.
"I hope to return to the States or go elsewhere in the world with my family. Finding an opportunity in the sports industry in a different country is not always easy, but I would like to continue to open my path as I was able to find ways to overcome hurdles throughout my career. Being aggressive toward what you would like to pursue was the mentality I was able to build and put into action. I hope to continue aiming higher and achieving new goals in working globally within the sports industry," he said with ambitious propensity.
