Athlete Brains: Dai Tamesue's "Fluid Pacing" vol.6

A serial interview column where Mr. Dai Tamesue freely discusses "things on his mind right now." The only set theme is "What is autonomy? What is tolerance?" Mr. Tamesue shares his thoughts on various "things on his mind" in response to the mysterious "interviewer's" unexpected prompts. Well then. What kind of stories will come out this time...? Stay tuned.

──Continuing from last time, I'd like to ask about the theme of "Food and Health." First, could you share your thoughts on "food education" as a father of a 5-year-old boy?

Tamesue: Well, my son was a bit unusual. Until he was about 2 or 3, he only ate things like broccoli, rice balls, and carrots. He also liked sausages, I think. I consulted our family doctor quite a bit about it, but the advice was always, "It'll work itself out as he grows." The moment I felt most relieved was when he said, "Miso soup is delicious!" Once he could appreciate the taste of miso soup, I felt reassured.

──Japanese food really is amazing, isn't it?

Tamemasu: Exactly. When you talk to Western athletes, they say eating is about endurance. They endure, strictly controlling their diet until the competition ends. The moment it's over, they gorge themselves on things like French fries. Japanese food doesn't have that kind of extreme temptation. You enjoy the same things every day, savoring how delicious they are, and that's how you become healthy. That's exactly why I felt such relief when my son said miso soup was delicious.

──I understand completely.

Tametsu: The latter half of food education is, you could say, "rational food education." It's like, "Here's the reasoning, so eat this way." But the first part is more innate, or "emotional food education." It's like... a memory of taste, perhaps? I'm from Hiroshima, and when I taste fish from the Seto Inland Sea or any flavor I first experienced as delicious in life, I feel a deep sense of relief, a satisfaction spreading from the core of my being. As a parent, I'm incredibly happy that such feelings have begun to sprout in my son too.

──Let's shift gears completely. On the other hand, I feel like we modern people are "too constrained by food." Diets, gluten-free, vegetarianism. You can't do this, you can't do that. It's like self-discipline and asceticism are the ultimate virtue.

Tametsu: That's a tough one. (laughs)

──It's about the "balance of clothing, food, and shelter," I suppose. I feel like households in the past somehow had a natural balance among these three things. Setting aside extremely wealthy families, ordinary people seemed to think, "If we wear this, eat this, and live like this, we'll be happy." It wasn't extravagant, but dinner at the low table would have simmered pumpkin, simmered hijiki seaweed, and pickles on the side. Now, people come home from work or school and boil pasta to eat alone. Despite all this wealth, our eating habits just seem to be getting poorer.

Tamura: Speaking of which, I heard from a Chinese friend that eating out is becoming the norm in China too. Even if it's not a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, you have this image of Chinese family tables being piled high with an astonishing number of dishes, right?

──I thought so too. Italy and Korea have that image too.

Tamura: There are two types of nutritionists athletes work with. One is the knowledge-based type. They give advice like, theoretically, you should do this or shouldn't do that. The other type is the technical type. They teach you specific things like what kind of alcohol you can drink and when. Knowledge-based nutritionists tend to talk more about ideals. I get that, but where do you actually get those ingredients? On the other hand, technical nutritionists will plan menus using ingredients you can get at a convenience store.

──I see.

Tamesue: It's not about which is superior or correct, but rather, I think we need to explore that "middle ground" between ideal and reality.

(Interviewer: Web Dentsu Inc. Editorial Department)

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From Hibi, Athlete Brains Production Team

Throughout this interview, the themes of "ideal vs. reality," "balance in food, clothing, and shelter," and "reason vs. emotion" emerged. Mr. Tamesue's perspective feels deeply balanced. In developing corporate purpose, products, services, and offerings, I believe it's crucial to seek balance between ideal and reality, reason and emotion, theory and practice. Yet, in practice, ideas often stem more from a reality-based perspective. Top athletes possess a uniquely radical perspective precisely because they have reached transcendent realms. As Athlete Brains, we are determined to forge ahead in seeking convincing solutions by forcibly integrating this radical athlete perspective into corporate thinking.

Athlete Brains Production Team Dentsu Inc. / Akinori Hibi (3CRP) · Kohei Shiraishi (CDC)

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"Athlete Brains," centered around Dai Tamesue.
For details on this team that connects the knowledge cultivated by athletes to solving challenges in the world (businesses and society), click here.