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Hideo Kojima Got Chased By Bees And Fell Out Of A Tree At His First Job

According to a recent tweet from Kojima Productions, Hideo Kojima had some interesting experiences before he joined the video game industry.

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If you're a fan of Hideo Kojima's work--from the famed Metal Gear Solid series to the divisive Death Stranding--you likely know that he's had an interesting career path over the years, particularly when he parted ways with his longtime employer Konami in 2015. However, what you probably don't know is that he held several interesting jobs as a student prior to joining Konami in 1986.

According to a recent tweet from Kojima Productions, Kojima worked as a wedding photographer while in university, as well as a live-in gardener during holidays. Kojima says this gig in particular was quite hazardous, as he once got stung by "at least" 10 bees at once, and he came down with a case of lacquer poisoning due to his work there.

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When he worked as a gardener, Kojima's boss instructed him never to decline any offer of food or drink from a client, because it would be rude. In one case, Kojima fell from a tree after drinking beer that he was offered, and another time he had to throw away his packed lunch when the client insisted on serving him lunch. Kojima concludes the interview by saying that these student jobs helped him learn the Japanese spirit of hospitality, known as "omotenashi"--which involves prioritizing a guest's needs above your own in every possible situation--which in turn prepared him for his career in games.

Recently, Kojima appeared to tease a sequel for Death Stranding in another tweet, though he could just be teasing his fans. In another interview, Kojima also said that the thematic connections between Death Stranding and the coronavirus pandemic are entirely coincidental, joking that if he were a prophet, his games would sell better.

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