Ellie Furuya
ELLIE FURUYA’S INSTAGRAM feed has it all – food, travel, fashion, beauty, puppies. The Japanese-born, Hong Kong-raised influencer’s flawless style combined with her charming attitude make it feel like she’s a lifelong friend, even if you only know her on the ’gram.
Having worked as a TV programmer and social media manager at National Geographic Asia, Furuya has a passion for adventure, a penchant for good food and an unwavering love for animals. “I’m a homebody rather than a party person,” she says, while admitting that living and working overseas has provided particularly enriching experiences. “I think those were some of the best decisions I made, just living abroad.”
One of the most important functions of social media today is as a platform for activism. Online-inspired change is by no means new, but a new breed of influencers are shining the spotlight on causes they are passionate about. For Furuya, it’s animals.
“Is it crazy to say that my dogs inspire me?” she says, laughing. “They definitely inspire me to be positive, they make me exercise, they get me out of the house. Even if something terrible happens, they’re a constant.”
For Furuya, her rise to Ins tag ram fame came as a shock at first. “I don’t see influencing as a job; it started out as a hobby and I still see it that way,” she says, “Being able to monetise it is just an added perk. I think as long as you are willing to continue to jump on new things, then you’ll be fine .”
As easy as that may sound, there have been some hurdles along the way. “I’ve always been the kind of person who just says what’s on their mind; I don’t really think about it,” Furuya explains. “But online you actually have to think about whether or not you’re ready to be super vocal about certain things, because it’s easier to be neutral.”
Ultimately Furuya’s aim is to spread awareness and positivity as well as speak out about causes she’s passionate about. “It’s something that everybody can do, whatever your platform,” she says. “If you have a stance that you know people will always oppose and you’re ready for that kind of criticism, then go for it.”
So what’s the next step for Furuya? “I think if I were to choose, I would want to go 100 years into the future – I want to see the technology, I want to know what happens. I talk about this a lot with my boyfriend; we want to freeze each other to potentially wake up in the future, where I hope there aren’t any mosquitoes. They love me, they’re all over me – it’s the worst!”
“I’ve always been the kind of person who just says what’s on their mind. But online you actually have to think about whether or not you’re ready to be super vocal about certain things, because it’s easier to be neutral”
ELLIE FURUYA