Episode 124: Ichigo Ichace (Once in a Lifetime ACE)

August 4, 2026

This morning, I had an interview and photo shoot for the magazine Enshu, where I had the privilege of holding a dialogue with Sojitsu Kobori-san, the Grand Master of the Enshu Sado School.

Kobori-san welcomed me with incredible warmth. Once our conversation began, I was so deeply moved by the weight and depth behind every single word he spoke that I found myself completely spellbound—listening intently, even though I was supposed to be one of the interviewees! (laughs)

What struck me most during our talk was what he shared about the manners, etiquette, traditions, and meticulous rules that the tea ceremony has carefully protected and preserved for hundreds of years. At first glance, the world of sado (tea ceremony)—where you sharpen your spirit amidst a tense, serene silence—and the world of professional wrestling—where athletes collide body-to-body amid the roaring cheers of a packed arena—might seem completely opposite. However, as I engaged in a deep conversation with Kobori-san, I realized that the core spirit underlying both actually shares a surprising number of commonalities.

For instance, in pro wrestling as well, there is etiquette when stepping into the ring, a tradition built upon the promotion's history, and strict rules to protect human lives. Above all, the heart of Ichigo Ichie (treasuring once-in-a-lifetime encounters) that tea ceremony values most—namely, "doing everything in your power to serve and host the person sharing this exact moment and space with you"—aligns almost perfectly with a wrestler's attitude of "fighting with everything you have against the opponent before you, ensuring the fans who made the trip to the venue go home entertained."

They merely differ in their outward form—one being "stillness" and the other "motion"—but I was strongly reminded that the underlying philosophy and mutual respect are identical.

This wonderful dialogue turned out to be an incredibly dense, meaningful, and invaluable experience for my ongoing journey as President.

Now then, after concluding such a fulfilling interview and photo shoot, I headed to the office in the afternoon. If anyone at work asks me "So, how was the tea ceremony interview?", I'll definitely reply with this...

"Well, how (sado) was it, indeed?"

(Sa, dou deshou?)