Tamesue Talks: Random Thoughts on His Recent Book "The Theory of Mastery" vol.1

"Free Flow" is a serialized interview column in Web Dentsu Inc. News where Mr. Dai Tamesue freely discusses "what's on his mind right now." This special edition focuses on his book "The Theory of Mastery" (published by Shinchosha), released on July 13th. For Part 1, we asked Mr. Hibi from Dentsu Inc. Future Creative Center, who has long collaborated with Mr. Tamesue on the Athlete Brains project, to contribute a piece serving as the prologue to this series.

From Part #02 (this article) through #06, we feature conversations between the author, Mr. Tamesue, and Mr. Fumio Iwasa, the producer/editor who oversaw the editing of "Theory of Mastery." These discussions focus on "stories you can only hear here," covering the background leading to the book's writing, memories, and the challenges they faced. We hope you enjoy the many profound comments based on the deep theme of "How should humans live?"

(Web Dentsu Inc. Editorial Department)

"I am someone who is doing such-and-such right now" is what matters. (Hiroshi Tamesue)

Iwasa: Long time no see.

Tamesue: Long time no see, Iwasa-san? We met just a month ago.

Iwasa: Well, back then (Editor's note: during the book writing period), we were meeting almost every week.

Tamesue: That's right. Looking back, it feels both nostalgic and painful... (laughs)

Iwasa: "The Theory of Mastery" is structured in five chapters. The editors at Web Dentsu Inc. asked me to hear some anecdotes, background stories, or behind-the-scenes tales related to each of these "chapters" in this conversation. Oh, I accidentally sounded like a host. First, shall we hear about what prompted you to write it?

Tamesue: I'm not sure if it counts as a trigger, but if I had to name one, it would be that I was interested in you as a person from the very first time we met. I wanted to meet you in person and talk to see what kind of thoughts you had.

Iwasa: That's an honor. I remember you mentioned your job title back then, right?

Mr. Fumio Iwasa: Producer/Editor. Graduated from Jiyu Gakuen. Served as a business book editor at the Japan Productivity Center and Diamond Inc., and as editor-in-chief of "Harvard Business Review," before becoming independent in 2017. Producer of the books "Shin Nihon" and "Mousou suru Atama, Shikou suru Te," as well as Tamesue Dai's "Jukutatsu Ron." Currently serves as editor-in-chief of the audio media platform 'VOOX' and as a Fellow at Eiji Press.

Tamesue: Looking back now, it might have been fate. At that exact time, even though it had been ten years since I retired, I hadn't fully shed the label of "former track athlete." I was struggling with what to do next. Overseas, people often ask, "In one sentence, what do you do?" That's what matters. Talking about "all these past achievements and glory..." just gets ignored.

Iwasa: Even "Tamesue of the World"? That's surprising, but honestly, I'm relieved. While I enjoy my work as a freelance editor (an editor not tied to a specific company), I'll admit I sometimes struggle to shake off titles like "former editor-in-chief at such-and-such publisher" (Editor's note: referring to Diamond Inc.).

Tamese: That sense of obligation is part why I started running a company—something completely different from athletics. I'm blessed with great staff, and it's exciting work. But at this stage in my life, the urge to "try my individual skills again" started bubbling up inside me.

Iwasa: When we first met, you said, "This year, I don't want to just run around dealing with management issues. I want to take a good, hard look at myself and share what I find with the world."

Tamura: That's when Miyamoto Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings" popped into my head. It's a bit embarrassing, but I remembered I'd always wondered if I could write something like a "Tamura version of The Book of Five Rings."

Iwasa: I see.

A modern "Book of Five Rings" born from the fusion of experience and contemplation! (From Shinchosha's website)

©Shinchosha

The Tamesue-style Book of Five Rings. Starting with "Yu (Play)"

Tamura: The five chapters of "The Theory of Mastery" were expressed with a single kanji character each, born from my desire to concisely convey the essential hints needed for mastery in life.

Iwasa: The first is "遊 (Yū)". I already know this well, but what does it mean? "遊"? Starting with "遊" to discuss the essence of mastery feels very much like Tamesue-san to me—that was my first impression.

Tamura: Really? To me, it felt like a natural starting point...

Iwasa: But "play" is actually really important when you think about it. I can't tell you how many times Shinchosha's Adachi Maho, famous for her ruthless editing, told me to redo it! Without that spirit of "play," you just can't keep going (laughs).

Tamesue: Huh? Like, "Wait, that gets marked in red?" (laughs). But I gradually started enjoying it. From a professional's perspective, it was like, "Oh, so that's where the problem lies." I think my Japanese skills improved significantly. Honestly, without that mental flexibility, that "playfulness," you get discouraged, give up, and eventually, your spirit snaps.

Iwasa: It's like a form of self-affirmation or self-defense as an athlete.

Tamesue: That's part of it, but starting from "play" (yu) makes things last longer. That background of imitating your older brother swinging a plastic bat as a kid, or those childlike inventions and discoveries, are crucial for personal growth. You suddenly realize you've become a major leaguer... you know, that kind of story?

Iwasa: There's no ambition or calculation involved. It's pure enjoyment. Precisely because it's pure, you start wondering, "Wow, this is interesting!" or "How do you throw a curveball?" – all sorts of things spark your curiosity.

Tamese: It's not about "return to your roots," but as adults, we get distracted by records, fame, money, and all sorts of things. And that's not limited to athletes. Whether or not you have that "backbone" of thinking, "Back then, I was completely absorbed," is extremely important for enriching your life.
 

Iwasa: I see. Adults tend to get bound by things like "formulas for victory" or "pursuing efficiency." Naturally, they hit walls. At that point, they think, "Since I can't escape, I have to grit my teeth and see it through," driven by a sense of mission.

Tamura: And they suffer. But people who have "play" as their foundational experience don't break down there. They have the mental space to think, "I was just playing, but somehow I got completely absorbed," and a playful spirit emerges: "Well, how about we figure out how to overcome this wall?"

Where there is play, fortune follows.

Iwasa: A playful spirit, huh. That's really important, isn't it? As adults, we often hit the brakes without even realizing it. We make assumptions like, "Based on experience, this isn't worth the risk." But for kids, playing is the ultimate adventure. They learn through experience: "If I do this, I'll get scolded," or "But if I stop here, I'll get a smile and permission."

Tamesue: In that sense, "play" might be about the toughness and openness to embrace the irregular and the uncertain. That said, "play" is the first step toward mastery. The second character, honestly, is something I personally struggle with, but I'll talk about that next time.

Iwasa: Now that you mention it, you're absolutely right. Tamesue-san looked pretty miserable while writing Chapter Two (laughs).

The path to mastery is never smooth.

(Continued in #03)

Back issues of 'Athlete Brains: Tamesue Dai's 'Mastering Pace Control'," serialized on Web Dentsu Inc., are available here.