*“Yesterday, I Went to Mars ♡”*

A short reflection on what I learned from orthomolecular nutrition and a gut microbiome test. It felt almost like looking at my body’s own financial statement—showing what it handles well, what it struggles with, and what it truly needs. A reminder that, at 47, paying attention to these signals matters more than ever.

In today’s episode, I reflect on a recent story about Tesla’s newly approved performance-based compensation plan for Elon Musk. The numbers are huge, but what caught my attention was something simpler: the idea of rewarding clear results and accepting the risks that come with big goals. It made me think about how different workplaces approach effort, outcomes, and accountability—and how challengin...

In this episode, I talk about how business decisions today rarely fit into simple either-or choices. Even with perfect planning and endless research, real-world surprises always appear once you begin. I share why trying small versions of multiple paths—rather than choosing just one—can often lead to better clarity. Even big companies have more failures than successes, and that trial-and-error proc...

In this episode, I talk about a school visit I attended for my daughter. The students were studying entirely in English—even first-year students—and the level was far beyond what I expected. During the student presentations, one student shared a phrase that guides them: “Adversity makes you a jewel.” Hearing such thoughtful words from a high school student left a strong impression on me. This epis...

In this episode, I talk about a small but exhausting experience with mobile account settings. While trying to move from an iPhone to a Pixel, my Docomo ID became locked, and I ended up stuck in a loop of apps, logins, and authentication steps. It made me reflect on how digital tools can be incredibly convenient, yet surprisingly difficult when something goes wrong. I also found myself reconsiderin...

In this episode, I talk about something I read in Satoshi Nakajima’s newsletter—his idea that AI is like a “mirror.” As AI becomes part of everyday work and education, it can write, summarize, design, translate, and even act like a personal tutor. But it still has no sense of purpose on its own. We are the ones who decide the direction. The more thoughtful the questions we ask, the more thoughtful...

In this episode, I reflect on recent news from the war in Ukraine, where a large share of casualties now come from drones. Reports also mention new “thermal invisibility cloaks” designed to hide body heat from drone sensors. The situation reminded me of the film Oblivion —not for its action scenes, but for how its imagined future seems to be appearing in real life, long before the beautiful parts...

This episode looks at XPeng’s new humanoid robot and what it says about the pace of innovation in China. I recently saw a demo of the robot and was surprised by how far the technology has already come. XPeng, known mainly as an EV company, is now developing robots with a strong focus on human-like movement and appearance. We’ll talk about why companies like XPeng are growing so quickly: the size o...

In this episode, I talk about Blue Origin’s recent progress with the New Glenn rocket and how Jeff Bezos’s slow, steady approach to space is beginning to take shape. While SpaceX often dominates the headlines, New Glenn’s latest mission shows a different kind of progress—quiet, careful, and built step by step. It’s a short reflection on the two contrasting paths in today’s space development, and w...

In this episode, I share the story behind George Lucas’s long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opening on September 22, 2026. Despite setbacks in multiple cities and years of delays, Lucas stayed committed to the project. His simple but powerful line — “I’ll build this museum while I’m still alive” — reflects his belief in stories and in creating a place where young people can experience the...

In this episode, I talk about how Botox can sometimes make expressions look “frozen,” and how that idea reminded me of the importance of small facial movements. A slight lift of the eyebrows or a soft change around the eyes can communicate more than words. After years of helping people choose glasses, I’ve learned that genuine reactions always show in these subtle expressions. They reveal what som...

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.