*“Yesterday, I Went to Mars ♡”*

In this episode, I talk about Dobot’s new household robot dog, the “Rover X1,” priced at around 160,000 yen. It offers functions like autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, patrol, monitoring, and even carrying small items—features that used to belong to far more expensive industrial robots. What stood out was not only the technology, but the idea that robots may be shifting from specialized t...

In today’s episode, I reflect on a simple phrase I saw during lunch: “Made carefully by just two brothers.” This expression reminded me how language can transform a small number from a limitation into a strength. “Only two” can sound insufficient, but “two people, carefully” conveys pride, responsibility, and intention. It made me think about my own team at Makoto Optical. We are a small group of...

In this episode, I reflect on how environment shapes who we become — and how we also have the power to shape our own environment. While visiting high schools with my daughters, I was struck by how completely each school’s atmosphere changes the way people act and grow. Philosopher Will Durant once said that “greatness is created by environment,” and that heroes are not born, but made by circumstan...

This week’s reflection comes from a trip to India I took with my nephew. He’s now giving an English speech about that journey — turning an experience into action. It made me think about something I recently read in a book called “Indians Don’t Worry.” It says Japan lives by a “GUESS culture,” while India lives by a “DO culture.” In Japan, we hesitate: “Is this okay? What if I upset someone?” In In...

In this episode, I talk about how social media has quietly changed — from a place to connect with people we know, to a place where we just keep scrolling through endless videos from strangers. Journalist Derek Thompson once said that “everything is becoming television.” He’s right — Facebook and Instagram users now spend only a tiny fraction of their time actually talking with friends. Most of it...

Lately, I’ve been watching two Netflix documentaries — Break Point and Formula 1: Drive to Survive . Both tell stories about pressure, but in very different ways. In F1, the tension comes from the chaos — money, machines, politics, strategy. It’s a storm of people and power, all tangled together. In tennis, it’s just one person standing alone on the court. No machines, no team to hide behind — onl...

Sometimes, what changes you most isn’t success, effort, or knowledge — it’s distance. Not the kind you measure in kilometers, but the kind that takes you somewhere unfamiliar. A small diner in a town you’ve never been to. A 100-yen bowl of soup that somehow warms you more than an expensive meal ever could. The quiet moment of feeling out of place, yet completely alive. Travel reminds you that comf...

Sometimes, even the smoothest trips end with small surprises. My flight from Hong Kong was delayed by just an hour — enough to miss the last train home from Haneda. The hotels were full, the bike rentals were gone, and just when I thought I was stuck, I discovered a late-night bus to Ikebukuro. It was unexpectedly convenient — and a reminder that travel is never just about distance. Riding through...

In today’s episode, I share a day of travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The border crossing was surprisingly smooth—almost like moving between neighboring towns. After visiting an eyewear exhibition and a couple of partner manufacturers, I ended the day with another generous dinner from a friend. There was also an unexpected moment: my HSBC ATM card was accidentally locked and then pulled into...

In this episode, I talk about my second day in Shenzhen. I spent the day visiting another eyewear manufacturer and was once again reminded of how warm and generous people in China can be. From thoughtful support during work meetings to being treated to both lunch and dinner, the hospitality was constant. I also stopped by a small local eatery in the morning—simple, unpolished, but serving incredib...

After seven years, I returned to Shenzhen. This time, I discovered a new convenience — a direct ferry from Hong Kong Airport to Shekou, without going through immigration. It was so smooth that I arrived half a day earlier than planned and even managed to visit a factory ahead of schedule. Later, I faced a small problem when Alipay stopped working — a quiet reminder that in China, your phone really...

Paul Valéry once wrote, “To suffer is nothing more than to pay ultimate attention to something.” In this episode, I think about what that really means. We usually see suffering as something to avoid — pain, sadness, or struggle. But maybe it’s also a moment when our attention becomes completely focused. When we suffer, all distractions fade, and we can no longer look away from what truly matters....

It was my first-ever trail run — 35 kilometers through the mountains of Jōetsu-Myōkō. By the end, my legs stopped lifting, and I started to feel what “getting older” might really mean. But it wasn’t sad. It was a quiet reminder that even as the body changes, we can still find new “first times” — and feel, in every step, how alive we still are.

We often chase what’s efficient, profitable, or necessary. But real depth — and real charm — comes from doing what doesn’t have to be done. In this episode, I reflect on how “irrational” or unprofitable efforts often become the quiet seeds of something meaningful. The things that seem useless today are sometimes the ones that grow the strongest roots over time.

When words float above feeling, they lose their weight. The ones that stay are never perfect — just honest enough to reach someone.

Gossip isn’t about others — it’s a quiet reflection of ourselves. When we look closely, even our jealousy and frustration can teach us something honest.

This episode explores a simple but powerful idea: the wealthy don’t argue — they let things go. Not because they’re saints, but because they understand the cost. Every argument takes time, drains energy, and steals focus. Letting things go isn’t weakness; it’s knowing what truly matters. Whether in business, marriage, or everyday life, the strongest people aren’t the ones who fight the hardest — b...

Every Tuesday, I hike sixteen kilometers through the quiet mountains of Hanno — a place close enough to Tokyo that I can be back by noon, yet far enough to feel completely alone. This time, I came across something new: fresh bear droppings on the trail. It was a reminder that nature can be dangerous, but its danger feels different from the kind we face in the city. Bears, after all, have no malice...

What if someone spends their entire life pretending to be kind — and never stops? This episode reflects on the idea that even “hypocrisy,” if lived sincerely and consistently, can become something genuine. If we wear a mask long enough, perhaps that mask becomes our true face. A quiet look at authenticity, perception, and the strange honesty that can exist within disguise.

We often tell children to “make friends” and “get along,” but we rarely remind them — or ourselves — about the right order. This episode reflects on a simple idea: that before seeking approval or belonging, we need to find what we truly love. When we start by trying to fit in, our sense of “what I like” slowly fades under other people’s expectations. It’s not that we can’t find what we want — it’s...

I recently tried to complete Japan’s Furusato Nozei one-stop tax application online. What should have been a quick digital process turned into an hour of confusion on my Mac — plugins, drivers, browser settings, nothing worked. Then I tried the same thing on my phone. It took one minute. This episode is about that small experience — and what it says about how digital systems actually work for ordi...

Just two weeks after my visit to the Louvre, a real-life “Lupin” story unfolded in Paris. In only seven minutes, thieves broke into the museum’s Galerie d’Apollon and stole royal jewels worth over $100 million. The operation was so precise it felt like a movie—yet it was real. In this episode, I reflect on the details of the heist, the history of past Louvre thefts like the Mona Lisa , and how som...

Traveling without a plan might sound unorganized, but it’s often the most relaxing way to see the world. In this episode, I talk about how a tightly scheduled trip to France left me more exhausted than inspired—and how my past, unplanned journeys felt freer and lighter. When we stop chasing our own schedules, both in travel and in life, we start to notice more, breathe more, and enjoy more. Someti...

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how rating systems have changed. On some apps, honesty seems to be punished—leaving a bad review can make you an outsider. From Mercari to Airbnb, everything looks “perfect,” but that perfection feels artificial. Real trust doesn’t come from stars or scores—it comes from friction, honesty, and the small courage to say, “This part didn’t work for me.”

In this episode, I talk about a structural flaw in Mercari’s new auction system — where buyers can win an auction, never make a payment, and still walk away without any rating or consequence. It’s not about frustration, but about how a “kind and easy” system can quietly remove responsibility. I compare this to the older Yahoo! Auctions model, where accountability still had weight, and explore what...