Yuto Nagatomo's Ally Reveals Business Tactics #01

The terms "venture," "startup," and even "intrapreneurship" have been in use for quite some time. Amid the "Work Style Reform" movement, major corporations—indeed, major corporations especially—are being compelled to fundamentally reexamine their personnel and evaluation systems. However, the reality is that they are still groping their way forward. In this series, Yuta Tsumura, who runs Cuore Inc. in tandem with Yuto Nagatomo, will delve deeply into the essence of this issue over three installments.

Cooperation: Kohei Shiraishi (Dentsu Inc. CDC)

Mr. Tsumura (right) shortly after founding the company

A producer is both a behind-the-scenes supporter and a strategist

The company Cuore, founded four years ago with his high school classmate Yuto Nagatomo, focuses on healthcare. It aims to scientifically analyze and apply "exercise" and "diet" in practical ways.

The "exercise" aspect, reflecting the image of "Yuto Nagatomo = core strength," involves making equipment like "Flowin" and training methods he actually used accessible to non-athletes. The latter, "diet," involves spreading Nagatomo's exclusive chef's method—established over three years down to the gram—primarily focused on "blood sugar management," again to non-athletes. This latter approach is particularly the polar opposite of the traditional "carb-dependent method." We aim to spread understanding throughout society via books and the web.

FLOWIN, a training device developed by a former Swedish Olympic athlete.
This item is used by top European teams like Inter Milan and Juventus, where Nagatomo Yuto played, and is also employed in rehabilitation settings for recovery from injuries. In Japan, the company obtained exclusive sales rights and has been selling it through the CUORE ONLINE SHOP and Amazon since December 2016.

The FLOWIN website is here.

A book detailing the dietary approach developed by a team comprising Chef Chouya Kato, exclusive chef to Yuto Nagatomo, and Dr. Satoru Yamada, serving as advisor. It covers the benefits and expected effects of practicing Fat Adaptation, along with practical methods. Published by Gentosha in June 2019.

Fat Adapt cooking examples. Dishes that allow you to consume high-quality fats and ample protein while managing carbohydrates to 40-60 grams per meal. A recipe site for the Fat Adapt diet features over 300 recipes and more than 300,000 meal plans.

The Fat Adapt meal plan recipe site is here.

The core of the business ultimately lies in Nagatomo's own "experience." How well that "experience" can be translated into products and services—that, I believe, is the producer's skill. In a word, it's about "challenging the mold." First, Nagatomo's personal experience is shaped into a "mold." It's cast into what business terminology calls a "frame." Next, the question becomes: how can that "mold" be broken?

The energy unique to top athletes—their flexible thinking, sharpened senses, and overflowing passion—exists, in a sense, beyond logic. Only by approaching that realm can one achieve true production. That's what I believe.

Yuto Nagatomo is definitely not a "superhuman."

How do you picture Yuto Nagatomo as a person? Many probably imagine overflowing passion or a challenger's spirit, right? Certainly, those aspects exist. But what I feel most as his partner is how Nagatomo overcame countless setbacks and hardships.

Nagatomo once said, "I always visualize the best version of myself." If you break down that image of his best self, I believe it boils down to "curiosity × investigative spirit." Curiosity is something everyone possesses. I think everyone unconsciously engages in what you might call "self-discovery." But in Nagatomo's case, beyond mere curiosity, his investigative spirit is extraordinary.

For example, when he delves into a dietary method, he examines every aspect—from ingredients to cooking techniques—checking every single menu. The same applies to his investment business; he gathers and analyzes all available data. Of course, intuition is important, but he relentlessly questions why that intuition is correct. That is Nagatomo's style of "inquiry," and it's my role.

I'll share more details about this starting next time.

Yuto Nagatomo's official website is here.

Nagatomo at the Low-Carb Event. On June 22, 2019, he held a release event for the Fat Adapt Diet book at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi. He passionately spoke about practical methods and the importance of the food we put into our bodies, based on his own experiences. Over 15 sponsoring companies gathered. The Fat Adapt service has over 85% female users, operating with a ratio completely opposite to Nagatomo Yuto's fan base.