Model Dad: Hideo Muraoka Shows Us The Meaning Of A Well-Rounded Life

The father of two shares that everything comes down to balance

Aisha Anwar

September 23, 2019, 01:55 PM

Hideo Muraoka was a law student back in Brazil, when one regular afternoon, on his way to class, he was approached by a talent scout. “What? Modeling for guys? I didn’t even know there was such a thing.” He lets out a chuckle as he reminisces. “I took the chance, because I was working on the weekends as a bartender and studying full-time. It was a very stressful lifestyle so I said, ‘Let’s take a break and travel.’ I enjoyed it. I was able to make more money. Traveling around the world and meeting interesting people, I said, ‘I don’t want to go back anymore.’”

Before he knew it, Hideo was living the jet-set life, jumping from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand, until he landed in Manila. The Philippines would soon become his forever home following the birth of his daughter, Daniela. Almost a decade later, his family is growing. After recently welcoming little Kenzo into their family, Hideo discloses that he has chosen to take a step back to spend more quality time with his wife Fatima Rabago and their two young children. “I want to be there, especially in the first three to five years, just so he can build self-esteem and self-confidence. Once you have that in life, whatever you want to do, once you believe in yourself, you have enough love for yourself, you’re going to succeed. So that is my main concern now, to be present as much as possible.”

Photo by Daniel Soriano

Readjusting family life, work, and personal hobbies was no easy feat. Hideo shares that everything comes down to balance. “That’s what I struggle with, but I try to create a routine.” He is up by six a.m., kicking off his mornings with meditation, followed by movement practice, such as yoga, functional training, or swimming. He skips breakfast as he currently exercises intermittent fasting, and caps off his morning routine by reading or listening to something positive through his collection of books and podcasts.

From there, you can find him traveling back and forth between modelling jobs. In his free time, Hideo practices photography or holds yoga classes which have slowly evolved into a second profession. “Somehow all my hobbies transition to work! My (next) goal is to organize retreats. Since I like traveling, photography, and meeting interesting people—probably by next year, since my baby is very small—I’ll start holding more retreats: Bali, Siargao, Palawan, Boracay, places like these.” A man who finds deep fascination in the physical form, Hideo reveals that apart from yoga, and his current fitness regimen, he has also grown interested in jiu jitsu.

Working in an industry that tends to look at the surface, Hideo conveys his personal definition of success: “To be home. Family and close friends. I value a lot of experiences over material things, so most of my money goes to travelling with friends and my family. And being happy, which is knowing your purpose, vision, and doing what you like. And right now, through yoga, I find interest in helping people become the best version of themselves. I think to be successful, you get all those aspects; being healthy, happy, in a loving relationship, doing what you like and (connecting with) as many people as possible. It’s hard to be happy alone.”

To many, Hideo Muraoka is a top model with a magnetic confidence, and an equally striking charisma. At his core is a peaceful spirit, a family man, who admits that he is, even to this day, on the path to self-discovery.

Hideo's Essentials:

1. Backpack. “I’m a minimalist, so as much as possible I try to carry what I need—the essentials—it’s in my backpack. Wherever I go, it’s really essential for me because I bring my camera, which is with me all the time. My computer, and books.”

2. Helmet. “My helmet is my shelter, my protection. It’s my companion because I use my motorcycle a lot, because of the traffic in Manila; it saves me so much time.”

3. Camera. “My camera is where I collect my memories; that’s how I started photography. Mainly, with my daughter, Daniela. Because as much as possible I want to collect moments.”

4. Keys. “The keys signify the motorcycle aspect, too. It’s freedom, it’s my transportation to go everywhere.”

5. Grooming. “The perfume: I love the scent. Facial care is something I started recently. This company is the brand that I worked with this year, it’s from Europe. Since then, I’ve been using a lot of their products. That’s the only thing I do for my skin. Lately, I just scrub or exfoliate, and then I put on moisturizer.”

6. Macbook. “Where I do all my work. Editing pictures or when I need to work on a casting video. Basically, it’s work-related.”

7. Yoga Mat. “Yoga is essential. I do it every day to keep me balanced. Everywhere
I go, I always bring my mat with me because it’s easy, you don’t need much space. When I’m traveling, in the hotel, anywhere.”

8. Headphones. “I love music. I feel motivated and inspired by music. And in traffic, I like that headset specifically because I can use it under my helmet.”