The streets are full of 'fools' during the Awa Odori. But it's been going on for over 400 years. Maybe 'Stay foolish' actually means something like this.
Watching the news this morning, the Awa Odori in Tokushima is really something.
On August 12th, the dancing in the streets began in earnest, with dancers from famous groups performing all over Tokushima City.
The city of Tokushima is completely,
occupied by 'dancing fools'.
That's how it feels.
Speaking of Awa Odori, this saying is famous.
'The dancing fool and the watching fool, if both are fools, you're missing out if you don't dance'
I actually quite like this.
When you think about it calmly,
'Since everyone is a fool anyway, don't just watch, you should dance too'
is what it's saying.
It's quite pushy.
But I think there must be something to a saying that has survived for over 400 years.
The Awa Odori has a history of over 400 years.
There isn't just one definitive origin, but a famous one is the theory that it originated from the construction of Tokushima Castle.
It's the theory that it began when the people of the castle town danced to celebrate the completion of Tokushima Castle by Hachisuka Iemasa in 1587.
There are other theories, such as it being based on 'Furyu Odori' or that it developed from Bon Odori.
So,
'It started when Hachisuka Iemasa served sake and everyone got drunk and danced!'
is not quite right to say definitively.
When you look into history,
there are surprisingly many things that have 'various theories'.
Well, it's impossible to expect records of drinking parties from over 400 years ago
to include details like
'who drank how many cups'.
However, what is clear is that
it has been passed down by the townspeople over a long period, developed as a symbol of reconstruction after the war, and has now become one of Japan's representative traditional performing arts.
This year, the Awa Odori is being held from August 12th to the 15th at dance stages in Tokushima City and other locations.
And, while watching this
'If you're going to be a fool anyway, you might as well dance'
for some reason, I was reminded of Steve Jobs.
The Jobs who created Apple.
In 2005, he gave a famous speech at the Stanford University commencement ceremony.
The words he sent to the students at the end were,
'Stay hungry. Stay foolish.'
In Japanese, it means something like,
'Be hungry. Be foolish.'
or thereabouts.
To be precise, Jobs was not the one who originally coined this phrase.
It was a phrase that appeared in the final issue of a publication called 'Whole Earth Catalog,' which Jobs loved to read when he was young, and he cherished it as a wish for himself.
It's interesting to look into this, too.
Famous quotes,
even if they spread as 'Jobs' quotes',
often turn out to be from someone else when you trace their origins.
Of course,
'Dancing fools' and 'Stay foolish' don't mean the same thing.
But to me, they feel a bit similar.
Are you okay with a life where you do nothing because you're too worried about how others see you?
That kind of thing.
When I was young, I also
thought it was embarrassing to fail.
I didn't want to be made fun of.
I thought about those things naturally.
No, I still think about them now.
I'm quite a worrier, so
before starting something new,
even before I've begun,
'What if I fail?'
'What if I just lose money?'
'What if nobody shows up?'
I mean, I've gone bankrupt in my head countless times.
If we're counting imaginary bankruptcies, I'm quite the veteran CEO.
But in the end,
I'd rather regret doing something and failing than regret not doing it at all.
It was the same when I started the company.
It was the same when I opened a new sales office.
When you start something new,
from the perspective of those around you,
they might say,
'Are you sure that's a good idea?'
But there are things you can only understand if you actually do them.
You might fail.
You might embarrass yourself.
You might not make as much money as you thought.
Even so,
you won't know until you dance.
I feel like this saying from the Awa Odori applies quite well to life, too.
According to Tokushima Prefecture, there are over 1,000 'ren' in the Awa Odori.
'Ren' refers to a dance group.
You aren't just dancing on your own.
The person beating the drum.
The person playing the flute.
The person ringing the gong.
The person dancing.
The person leading and coordinating at the front.
Everyone has a different role.
This is similar to a company, isn't it?
A company won't function if only the president is dancing.
Employees.
Craftsmen.
Partner companies.
Business clients.
Only when everyone performs their own role does it become a single 'ren' (dance troupe).
No matter how enthusiastic I am,
'Yattosa!'
even if I say that,
if all the employees go home, I'm just a strange old man.
Jobs'
'Stay hungry. Stay foolish.'
and,
The Awa Odori's
'If we're both fools, we might as well dance'
The meaning is different.
The country and era of origin are completely different.
But to me, both of them
'Don't just stand there looking cool, give it a try'
sound like they are saying that to me.
Life, after all,
only happens once.
The day you're perfectly prepared probably won't ever come.
I can't say anything high and mighty either.
Things that are scary are just scary.
If I fail, I get depressed just like anyone else.
But,
rather than staying a 'fool who watches' forever, it's more interesting to be a 'fool who dances' at least once.
Watching the Awa Odori, which has continued for over 400 years,
made me think about that.
Well, in my case, if I actually danced,
I think I'd be out of breath in about five minutes and go back to being a 'fool who watches'.
But as for life,
I want to keep dancing just a little longer.
If we're all fools anyway, you're missing out if you don't dance.
Surprisingly, this might be a pretty good life lesson left behind by people of the past.
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