Episode 47: The Writer

March 30, 2026

When I was a kid, I was terrible at writing. I only have memories of struggling with the mandatory book reports we had for summer vacation homework.

We tend to focus on the "writing" part of those reports, but what’s actually important is the ability to read and comprehend—reading comprehension. You can’t write about a book if you don’t understand its content, right? So the correct order of operations is: [Develop reading skills → Put your thoughts into words].

So, how do you improve this reading comprehension? Well, just like squats, you’ve got no choice but to put in the reps. There are certain "nutrients" you can only get by reading a wide variety of books—just like how protein works for your muscles.

You just have to keep reading. I developed the habit of reading novels as part of my studying for Japanese literature exams in high school. After all, if you don't understand the question, you can't give the answer.

Now, why am I suddenly bringing this up? It's because I was recently gifted a book. It’s titled "Prowrestling Shikou" (Pro-Wrestling Thinking) by Hideki Fujimoto. It’s about how to apply the philosophy of pro-wrestling to your daily life. I’m still in the middle of it, but I intend to read it thoroughly and learn from it!

Once I finish, my writing skills are going to level up yet again... My columns are just going to get more and more substantial!

...However, what I need right now isn't "writing skills" or "reading skills." It’s "pronunciation skills."

I just had a press conference where I only had to read from a script, but man, it was a total train wreck—probably my worst ever (cries). To the staff in charge of the conference: I am so sorry. I’ll work on improving my pronunciation too!

Yes, what’s required of me is a balanced pentagon chart of skills—like the nutritional labels you see on the back of a Kellogg’s cereal box. I’ll do my best.

Because right now, my chart is as lopsided as a single star【☆】.