Atsuhiko Nakata's 'I Will Become a Member of Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS': Simple Commonalities of People Who Make Their Dreams Come True
You want to start something, but you can't bring yourself to say it because you're afraid you'll be laughed at the moment you do.
You have things you want to try, but you stop yourself in advance, thinking, 'It's too late now' or 'I can't do it.'
Many people have surely experienced that feeling at least once.
And what makes it even more troublesome is that 'stating the dream' is more embarrassing than the dream itself.
The bigger the thing you want to do, the more people will advise you to be realistic.
You know it yourself, too.
That it's difficult, that it will be a long road, and that there's a high possibility it won't work out.
Even so, somewhere in your heart, you think, 'I don't want it to end like this.'
The title of this video, 'I Will Become a Member of Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS,' was a phrase that struck right at the heart of that 'embarrassment.'
In his entrance ceremony speech at Kindai University's Faculty of Engineering, Atsuhiko Nakata speaks very simply about what is necessary to make dreams come true.
Those three things are: 'First, state your dream or what you want to do,' 'State it and get help from someone,' and 'Don't give up.' Furthermore, this way of thinking emerged from the gritty, uncool, yet essential trial and error that existed behind the massive hit 'PERFECT HUMAN.'
In this article, based on the core of this speech, I will explain:
Why dreams won't progress unless you put them into words rather than keeping them in your heart; Why you can't reach your goals just by working hard alone; Why successful people go through failures repeatedly; How we can break this down into a form we can use starting today.
I will explain these points thoroughly for note readers.
I myself sometimes watch speech videos like this alone at night.
The room is quiet, the light from my smartphone is strangely bright, and the anxieties I was able to brush off during the day suddenly take on a clear shape at that hour.
When I think, 'What do I really want to do?', I sometimes realize that it's not that there is no answer, but that I just didn't have the courage to say it.
This speech hits home not because it talks about dreams beautifully.
It's because the process until a dream comes true is surprisingly awkward.
That is exactly why it is so redeeming.
Dreams do not belong only to the talented; they move closer to those who keep speaking them aloud, even at the risk of embarrassment.
By the time you finish reading this article, your perspective on dreams should change a little.
Whether you have a grand goal or one that you haven't even put into words yet, there are ways of thinking here that you will surely find useful.
Dreams do not start with the person who articulates them perfectly at first, but with the person who speaks them aloud even when laughed at.
What is striking about Atsuhiko Nakata's speech is how he distills the method of achieving dreams into very simple words.
First, say what your dream or what you want to do is.
Say it and get someone to help you.
And then, don't give up.
He says these three things are everything.
It is easy to say in words.
But in reality, all three are difficult.
This is because stating a dream also means exposing your current position.
"You?"
"Do you really think you can do it?"
You might be told things like that.
Nakata himself frankly admits that it is embarrassing to say what you want to do. Moreover, the specific example he gives is the rather bold declaration, "I will become a member of Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS." He explains that the starting point was watching Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS' "R.Y.U.S.E.I." and thinking, "I want to do that."
What is important here is that there was no well-prepared plan from the beginning.
Rather, he spoke it while feeling like he didn't even know what he was saying himself. That is why it is real. He then asked his younger brother, FISHBOY, to "gather dancers," and proceeded by saying, "I'll sing, and then wouldn't that make us Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS?" It is quite reckless. However, in many cases, dreams only start from a point that looks this reckless.
We tend to try to organize our dreams into an "explainable form" before talking about them.
Is there a market?
Is there a track record?
Will those around me be convinced?
Of course, that is also important.
But at the initial spark stage, what is needed is not a perfect explanation.
It is a raw declaration of 'I want to do this.'
For many people whose dreams aren't progressing, it's not a lack of ability, but that their first step is too quiet.
They don't tell anyone.
They don't write it down.
They don't ask for help.
In other words, they close the door to possibility themselves.
Nakata's words resonate because he treats dreams not as 'polished resolutions,' but as 'slightly embarrassing declarations.'
From that perspective, our own challenges suddenly become much more realistic.
I want to start a side hustle. I want to make content creation my job. I want to change how I work. I want to make a living in a field I love.
All of these are a little embarrassing at first.
But unless you overcome that embarrassment, nothing will ever begin.
Sometimes dreams start with a grand plan.
However, most start because you 'let it slip out.'
And from the moment you say it, the way you see the world changes.
For achieving dreams, the strength of being helped by others is more effective than the beauty of struggling alone.
When it comes to stories about making dreams come true, many people romanticize 'self-reliance.'
To rely on no one, to work hard in solitude, and to win in the end solely through one's own power.
It is certainly a cool story.
But in reality, it is rare to move forward with that approach alone.
In his speech, Nakata also touches upon the difficulty of 'getting everyone to help you.' At some point, people want to achieve things on their own. They are afraid to borrow the strength of those around them. I think this is a very honest sentiment.
In fact, the birth process of PERFECT HUMAN was not a story of a single genius completing it in a closed room.
He consulted his younger brother, FISHBOY, and had him gather dancers. Furthermore, in a later lecture, Nakata spoke of a four-step process: 'first, work silently on your own,' 'let someone see you struggling against a wall,' 'get them to become your partner,' and 'don't give up,' placing significant importance on the process of turning others into allies.
There is a misconception I want to break here.
That is the idea that 'getting help is a sign of weakness.'
That is wrong.
Getting help is not dependency; it is design.
In fact, the more people make their dreams a reality, the sooner they admit that they cannot complete things on their own.
People who are good at singing.
People who are good at dancing.
People who are strong at planning.
People who are strong at spreading the word.
People who are good at creating systems.
The more you can involve people who have strengths you lack, the greater your reach will be.
In the story of PERFECT HUMAN, Nakata did not hide his weaknesses and used the power of those around him to give it shape. This is not about throwing away your pride. It is about changing where you place your pride. Instead of placing pride in doing things alone, you place pride in realizing what you want to do.
This applies directly to managing note and side hustles as well.
Even if you are the one writing the article, your choice of theme is sharpened through dialogue with others.
Even if you are the one building the service, the flow design and delivery methods become stronger when external perspectives are included.
If you carry everything alone, your perspective will inevitably narrow.
Especially for serious people, they tend to think, 'I'm still inexperienced, so I can't show this to anyone.'
But it is easier to get help if you show it while you are still inexperienced.
People who can consult others along the way end up faster than those who try to show it only after it is finished.
People who make their dreams come true are not necessarily strong people.
They are people who can say, 'I want you to help me here.'
That one phrase turns a lonely desire into an actionable plan.
Even if success looks like a 'lucky strike,' it is actually made up of a series of failures that no one sees.
Many people judge only by the results.
Looking only at the fact that 'PERFECT HUMAN' was a huge hit, one might want to think, 'He must have aimed for that and hit it.'
Nakata himself is often seen that way, but he clearly states in his speech that this is not the case. He says there were quite a few twists and turns before he reached that point.
What is particularly impressive is the story that 'PERFECT HUMAN was not the first song.'
In his speech, he looks back and says, 'I released five songs' and 'five songs were rejected.' While the expression is a bit energetic, the point is that before that one song we know, there were many trials and errors where he slipped and things didn't go well.
There is a very important implication here.
We conclude too quickly that we are 'not cut out for it' after a single failure.
The article didn't get much traction.
The product didn't sell.
The video response was weak.
People didn't gather for the first announcement.
At that moment, we decide we have no talent.
But in reality, most hits are born only from the accumulation of improvements.
Nakata does not hide the fact that he is not good at singing. He talks quite candidly about experimenting with using someone else's singing voice and getting scolded by fans, and knowing the limits of trying to manage with processing. In other words, before the finished version, he went through 'this is not it' many times.
Behind a hit work, there is usually a pile of prototypes that you don't want to show anyone.
Just by having this perspective, the meaning of failure changes significantly.
Failure is not a denial of ability.
It is material for updating hypotheses.
Someone else's singing voice didn't work.
There were limits to processing.
Then, instead of erasing my weaknesses, can I change the structure itself?
This re-questioning leads to the next invention.
It is the same with content creation.
It is normal for your first article not to go viral.
There are times when you don't get traction even after writing ten.
Sometimes, it is only after writing thirty that you start to see your own style.
Looking only at the numbers, it may seem like a detour.
But without that detour, you cannot see your own unique path to victory.
When reading stories of successful people, it is better to focus on the number of failures they had beforehand rather than getting intoxicated by their glamorous results.
That is where the hints for reproducibility lie.
Much of what appears to be a difference in talent is actually a difference in the number of times one has been embarrassed.
Rather than erasing their weaknesses, those who create a structure where they can win despite their weaknesses are the ones who break through.
The secret story behind the birth of 'PERFECT HUMAN' is interesting because it doesn't end as a 'heartwarming story of overcoming weaknesses'.
Normally, if you are bad at singing, the story would be about training to sing better.
But Nakata's thinking was not directed solely at that.
The idea of using someone else's voice failed.
There are limits to audio processing.
On top of that, he was not good enough at singing or dancing.
After organizing this situation, he said, 'Even so, I want to sing in the center.' It was quite reckless. However, his ideas took a leap from there. Shingo Fujimori would sing, dancers would dance, and he would stand in the middle. And so, he arrived at the structure of 'Why don't you just sing about me?'
This is not just an interesting story about a comedian.
It is a story close to the essence of work.
Many people try to win after eliminating their weaknesses.
But in reality, it takes time to bring everything up to average.
Sometimes it is faster to create a structure where your weaknesses do not become a fatal flaw.
If you are bad at writing, have someone structure what you have spoken. If you are bad at sales, organize your inquiry flow. If you are bad at consistency, change the system to something you can keep up with, even if it is only twice a week instead of every day.
What is important is not to become your 'ideal self,' but to create a 'form that works for your current self.'
Nakata's way of thinking lies exactly there.
If you cannot sing, think about a position where you can provide value without singing.
Moreover, instead of just running away from it, turn it into a central part of the production.
This is powerful.
Just hiding your weaknesses is weak.
When you restructure based on your weaknesses, originality is born.
Many hits in the world are born not just from straightforward effort, but from design changes that make people think, 'I never thought of that.'
Therefore, when you take on a challenge, it is better to change your question before you blame yourself.
What is a form where I can win even if I am bad at singing? What is a form that I can continue even if I don't have time? What is a form that gets read even if I don't have name recognition?
Effort is not just about filling in your weaknesses with grit; it is also about inventing a way to win.
When you have this perspective, taking on challenges becomes a little easier.
There is no need to aim for a perfect version of yourself.
You can fight just as you are now, depending on how you structure things.
Just being able to think that way lowers the hurdle for trying again significantly.
A pitfall that people chasing dreams easily fall into is 'trying to make it come true in a cool way.'
Towards the end of Nakata-san's speech, there are some very essential words.
You cannot achieve your dreams in life in a cool way.
State what you want to do, ask for help, embarrass yourself, and do not give up.
It is a message that something happens only after such an awkward accumulation of efforts.
Many people should find salvation in this.
This is because we unconsciously seek 'beautiful success stories' too much.
Taking the shortest route.
Without failing.
While being recognized by those around us.
Without lowering our own reputation.
But that is mostly an illusion.
The bigger the dream, the more awkward the journey inevitably becomes.
There are moments when what you are doing does not match your current ability.
There are times when it looks like you are overreaching to those around you.
Even so, if you do not move forward, reality will not change.
Nakata-san even goes so far as to say, 'Achieving a dream is not a sane act.' And he says, 'Innovation only comes from things that people call crazy.' These are quite strong words, but they well represent the essence of taking on a challenge.
Here, I will narrow down three concrete steps you can take starting today.
Write down what you want to do now on paper or in a memo in 20 characters or less
Tell someone about it, even if it is just one person
Decide on just one minimum action you can take within this week
For example,
'I want to make 10,000 yen a month on note'
'I want to use AI to create a side business model'
'I want to start posting in a field I like'
This much is enough.
You do not need a business plan from the start.
What you need is to put the outline of your dream into words.
The numbers can be small, too.
Four articles in 30 days.
15 minutes of planning notes a day.
One post per week.
When things are broken down into units like this, people can take action.
A common misconception is that 'big dreams require big preparations.'
In reality, it is the opposite.
The bigger the dream, the more you cannot move unless you break it down into small actions at the start.
Coolness comes later.
What you need first is not vanity, but to get started.
Even if you are clumsy, even if it is little by little, those who take action move ahead.
Dreams do not get closer just by looking at them.
It is only by taking a step that is almost embarrassing that you finally begin to touch reality.
What this speech teaches us is not how to make dreams come true, but 'how to live with your dreams.'
If you read this story simply as a success story, it ends as 'a story that only Atsuhiko Nakata could pull off.'
But what is truly important is not the flashiness of the proper nouns.
It is how you face your dreams.
First, say it.
Get help.
Don't give up.
These three things apply not only to the entertainment industry, but also to your job, side projects, content creation, and continuing education.
Moreover, if you look behind the scenes of PERFECT HUMAN, there is no magic for a one-shot turnaround.
Try, fail, feel embarrassed, fix it, and put it out again.
That repetition is all there is.
And in the end, rather than completely erasing one's weaknesses, one creates a form that works while still including those weaknesses.
There is a hint here for us living in the current era.
It is an era where AI is spreading, information flows quickly, and anyone can broadcast.
That is precisely why, if you try to start only after making perfect preparations, you will never start.
Rather, people who release things even when incomplete, observe reactions, make corrections, and gain allies while shaping them are stronger.
In his speech at the Kindai University Faculty of Engineering, Nakata also says that later generations can use what previous generations have built as assets. In other words, in this day and age, there is already a massive amount of learning material and hints available. That is why the message is included that you should not end up being passive, but rather use those things to surpass them.
We tend to try to do things too neatly, especially when we are about to change our lives significantly.
But in reality, being a little bit messy is just right.
Feel embarrassed.
Rely on others.
Fail.
Keep going anyway.
That accumulation might, one day, look like 'talent' or 'sense' to others.
Dreams are not things held by special people far away. From the moment you, as you are today, speak them out loud and start moving, they become your own.
Key Points
What is important in making dreams come true is not a perfect plan, but these three things: 'saying it,' 'getting help,' and 'not giving up.' PERFECT HUMAN was also not born in one go, but was created by changing its structure while failing many times.
Today's Small Step
Within today, please write down what you actually want to do in a memo of 20 characters or less. And then, just to one person, try telling someone those words.
The Author's Perspective
I feel that in the coming era, people who grow while releasing things even when incomplete are more likely to thrive than perfect people. Dreams don't have to be beautiful from the start. Rather, those who keep holding onto them even if they are awkward are stronger in the end.
[Legendary speech by Oriental Radio's Nakata] 'I will become the Third GenerationJ SOUL BROTHERS' ~PERFECT HUMANBirth story ~ Kindai University Faculty of Engineering (Hiroshima Campus) Reiwa 1st Year Entrance Ceremony
[Reference/External information links]
*Although these are English links, on an iPhone you can display them in Japanese by selecting 'AA' in Safari and choosing 'Translate'.
Reference: Atsuhiko Nakata Kindai University Speech (Search terms)
・ I will become the Third GenerationJ SOUL BROTHERS’PERFECT HUMANorigin story (Kindai Picks / article)
・ Oriental Radio Nakata's legendary speech 'I will become the Third GenerationJ SOUL BROTHERS’PERFECT HUMANorigin storyKindai University Faculty of Engineering (Hiroshima Campus) 2019 Entrance Ceremony (YouTube / video)
Reference: PERFECT HUMAN production secret story (search keywords)
・ Oriental Radio Nakata ' PERFECT HUMAN' The reason for the one-shot reversal pitch song's appearance on Kohaku despite being unable to sing or dance (LogmiBusiness / lecture article)
・ Oriental Radio Atsuhiko Nakata ' PERFECT HUMAN' talks about production secrets (Ameba News / news)
Reference: RADIO FISH PERFECT HUMAN Kohaku (search keywords)
・ [Kohaku] RADIO FISH, first Kohaku appearance ' PERFECT HUMAN' (ORICON NEWS / news)
・ RADIO FISHfirst appearance on 'Kohaku Uta Gassen', 'Life is amazing', also held dancer auditions (Owarai Natalie / news)
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This is the reason why I started writing on note.
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