From 1.75 Million to 140 Million Won a Month... Former National Team Player Earns '80 Times More' After Putting Down the Racket

Former National Badminton Player Akane Araki

Switches to Live Streaming After Retirement

Broadcasting Income Soars to 80 Times Her Playing Days

A former Japanese national badminton team player, who has shone with four international tournament victories, has made headlines for earning as much as 16 million yen (approximately 14 million won) in a single month after retiring and becoming a live broadcast streamer. Her story is attracting attention not just as a tale of individual success, but also as a case that highlights the reality faced by elite athletes who struggle with career paths and livelihoods after retirement.

Akane Araki. Instagram capture

Starting With Just One Smartphone Despite Family Opposition

The subject of this story is Akane Araki, 176 cm tall with outstanding athletic build and a so-called 9-head-to-body ratio. Following in the footsteps of her mother, who once topped the World Championships, she picked up a racket at the age of seven and went on to become an elite athlete, capturing four international titles. However, in January 2020, she announced her retirement in her mid-twenties without any lingering regrets.

The primary reason she left the court was financial reality. Araki revealed, "It was hard to make good money in the badminton world," and added, "Even if I stayed on to work at the corporate team after retiring, the monthly salary there was only about 200,000 yen (approximately 1.75 million won)." She explained that even during her career, she had to personally cover expenses such as individual training fees, shuttlecocks, racket and string replacements, which gradually led to doubts about continuing as an athlete.

Just two to three months after retiring, Araki noticed the rapid growth of the non-face-to-face live streaming market during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite strong opposition from her family, she left her parents' house for a small apartment in Tobunerima, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, with a monthly rent of 60,000 yen (about 520,000 won), armed with nothing but a single smartphone and began her solo broadcast journey. To cut off any interference or critical views regarding her decision to switch to broadcasting, she even blocked all her former teammates' social networking service (SNS) accounts.

Akane Araki. Instagram capture

Maximum Monthly Income: 16 Million Yen... Hardships Including Scams, Harassment, and Rumors

Live streaming generates revenue by communicating with viewers in real time and receiving paid items and sponsorships. According to Araki, her highest disclosed monthly earnings reached 16 million yen – 80 times her 200,000 yen monthly salary as an athlete.

However, the journey was not smooth. Early on, she joined an agency and paid around 1 million yen (about 8.75 million won) under the pretext of "training fees," but did not receive proper guidance, with the pandemic cited as the reason. There were times when agencies took up to 70% of her broadcasting sponsorship revenue.

Araki confessed, "Having spent my life only playing sports, I had no sense of how the world worked, so I was deceived and suffered great losses." Since then, she has grown wary of people who approach her in the online streaming industry.

She also shared experiences involving high-stakes sponsors. According to Araki, some viewers demanded private meetings in exchange for donations, and when she refused, would sponsor her competitors with large sums, thereby causing her rankings to drop.

Araki Akane. Instagram capture

Rumors regarding her changed appearance have also plagued her. After losing 15 kg and adopting a new style compared to her athletic days, online rumors speculated about plastic surgery, with some even claiming she was a virtual person generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Araki refuted such claims, stating, "During my athletic career, I maintained extremely low body fat and built a bigger physique, but after retirement, my way of managing myself simply changed."

Using Her Experience to Support Retired Athletes' Second Acts

Overcoming numerous setbacks and adversities, Araki established herself as a professional broadcaster and, in August last year, founded an internet broadcasting management agency based on lessons from her own experience. Around 10 creators are currently affiliated with her agency, including former badminton athletes just like Araki herself.

Her business idea is closely linked to the chronic issue in sports of helping retired athletes transition into society. Most athletes struggle to adapt to society after retirement because they focus solely on sports from a young age, with few career options outside of re-employment in corporate teams. She aims to change this reality.

Araki commented, "For athletes, building a second career is an extremely difficult challenge. Having devoted my entire life to just one competition, I've had little experience in society." She added, "I want to prove to retired athletes that there are various opportunities and paths outside the arena and share this message with them directly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.