English Below
2023年の秋、知人が急死しました。
つい最近、近々Tokyoで会おう、アジアで一緒にビジネスを作ろう、そう言っていたその人物が、突然この地球上から消えてしまったことが衝撃的でした。ご家族やご友人もさることながら、本人が全く予想していなかった最期 。そのことが、来る日も来る日も頭から離れませんでした。
「いつかやろう」 ー そう物事を先延ばしにしていたら、その日はやって来ないかもしれない。以前から持っていたそんな想いに、改めて強く駆り立てられました。後悔がないよう、やりたいことは今まで以上に何でもせねば。
そして、以前アメリカに住んでいた時にUFCで観てずっと憧れていた、コンバットスポーツに挑戦することにしました。
その過程で、プライベートレッスンを教えてくれていた若い選手を、個人として、それから自身で経営する会社を通してスポンサーするようになりました。多くの選手が経済的には決して恵まれない環境の中で、直向きに夢を追う姿 ー 殊に、若かりし日の自分と同じように、海外の舞台で孤軍奮闘する姿に心動かされたからです。
2025-2026年で、7名のアスリートをスポンサーしました。みんな素晴らしい活躍でした。彼らの活躍を見て、たくさん励まされ、元気づけられた。もっと多くの選手の支援ができたらな、と思うようになりました。
また、選手と話していて、彼らにとって競技が人生の中でいかに大事な存在であるかを感じました。彼らは幸運にも競技に出会い、居場所を見つけ、仲間を増やし、夢や目標を持てるようになった。一方で、その最初の出会いさえなく、自分の可能性を試すチャンスや夢を知らずに、時が過ぎてしまう子どももたくさんいるんだろうな…。
私も子供の頃、ありがたいことに色々習い事をさせてもらっており、それが今の自分の人生を彩豊かにしていることは間違いありません。でも、全ての子どもがそのように恵まれているわけではない。
もっと低年齢層のためにも何かできないかと考えるようになったのです。
In the fall of 2023, someone I knew passed away suddenly.
Just shortly before, we had been talking about meeting in Tokyo soon and building a business together in Asia. The fact that this person — who had been speaking so enthusiastically about the future — suddenly disappeared from this world was deeply shocking to me. Of course, my heart went out to his family and friends, but what stayed with me most was that he himself had never expected his life to end so abruptly. I could not stop thinking about it, day after day.
It made me feel, more strongly than ever, that if we keep telling ourselves “someday,” that day may never actually come. It reignited something I had long believed deep down: if there is something you truly want to do, you should do it now, before it becomes a regret.
And so, I decided to finally pursue something I had admired for years while living in the United States — combat sports, which I had first discovered through the UFC.
Through that journey, I began sponsoring young athletes who had been coaching me personally, both as an individual and through my company. I was deeply moved by the way so many athletes continue chasing their dreams with unwavering dedication despite not coming from financially privileged backgrounds — especially those who, much like my younger self, were fighting alone on international stages far from home.
Between 2025 and 2026, I sponsored seven athletes. Every one of them achieved something remarkable. Watching them compete inspired and encouraged me in countless ways, and it made me wish I could support even more athletes in the future.
At the same time, through my conversations with these athletes, I came to realize just how important their sport was in shaping their lives. They were fortunate enough to encounter something they were passionate about — something that gave them a sense of belonging, lifelong friendships, dreams, and goals to pursue.
But at the same time, I could not help wondering how many children never even get that first opportunity — children who go through life without ever discovering what they might have loved, what they might have been capable of, or what dreams they could have pursued.
When I was young, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to many different activities and lessons, and there is no doubt that those experiences enriched and shaped the life I have today. But not every child is given those same opportunities.
That realization led me to start wondering whether there was something more I could do — especially for younger children.