Introduction. About the story I, having reached my 60th birthday, will now begin to write.
Prologue: Thoughts on the morning of my 60th birthday
Today, October 8, 2025, I have reached my 60th birthday, my kanreki.
While many view this age as a milestone, or perhaps the beginning of "aging", I define it as the "start of a second challenge".
Nice to meet you.
I am the author of this note, Stray Cat's Tokyo.
I am a basketball player who has vowed to remain active for life.
This note is a space for reflection where I will document the trajectory of my seemingly reckless personal challenge to "continue evolving on the court even in my 70s", as well as the "
insights" I gain along the way.
Why I call myself a 'Basketball Strategist'
There are two stages for my challenge.
One is, needless to say, "on the court" where I sweat with my teammates.
It is a world of pure joy where body and passion collide.
And the other is the world of quiet thought that exists "off the court".
I record my daily activities as data and, together with my self-developed AI partner "
Phoenix Rising", I unravel their meaning. I resist the common wisdom that "
you can't beat age" with "data
" and "strategy".
It is precisely because I move between these two stages that I call myself not just a "
basketball lover", but a "basketball strategist".
Aging is not an 'enemy', but the ultimate 'research topic'
Since passing my 50s, my greatest interest in life has been hacking my own "
aging". However, as I deepened my dialogue with AI and data analysis, that way of thinking has gradually changed.
Aging is not an "enemy" to be overcome.
Rather, isn't its complex and mystery-filled mechanism the ultimate "research topic" that tickles my intellectual curiosity?
Which bodily functions change, and at what speed?
What kind of training or diet affects those changes and how?
What surprising gaps are hidden between subjective "feelings" and objective "data"?
I view my own body as the one and only, irreplaceable laboratory in the world.
Since adopting this perspective, growing older has turned from a pain into an exciting adventure.
What I will write about in this note
In this note, I do not intend to provide detailed daily practice reports or technical explanations of AI.
(Those are the roles of my main blog.)
This place is like my study, where I can write down the things I stop to think about and the scenery I discover during the process of this challenge.
For example, about themes like these.
What is the true meaning that 'lifelong sports' enjoyed with friends brings to our lives?
About the essence of 'intelligence' and 'memory' that I have learned through dialogue with AI.
The story that the 'light' of growth is hidden precisely within the 'shadows' of slumps and injuries.
I hope to slowly write down these 'realizations' and 'philosophies' regarding sports, health, and life as essays.
If you would be so kind,
I would be happy if you could become a witness to this slightly unusual challenge of a 60-year-old.
And, if you are interested in the stage for this 'practice' where this exploration unfolds—the basketball club I run—please take a look at our website.
Meeting new friends is always the greatest source of energy for my challenges.
▼ The stage for my challenge: 'Honmachi BBC' Official Website https://takagisi.com/basket/
I look forward to your continued support.