The Past, and the Future.
History is something that people connect.
For me as an elementary school student, history textbooks filled with printed text and old, musty photos and drawings felt like fantasy. Stories from another world. Creations that didn't belong to this reality. Since I hadn't lived in those eras, it was only natural that I couldn't feel a sense of personal involvement.
It was by chance that I came to feel a sense of personal involvement regarding history, but I realize that I, a human whose heart is currently beating, exist upon that history, and that history continues to be connected with every step I take.
Renofa Yamaguchi FC has opened a new page in its history once again.
Four years ago, when I first stepped into this world for work. It was a time of struggle in J2, which came after a whirlwind of climbing up the categories one by one. That year, when Nobuhiro Ueno-san was replaced by Majoral-san mid-season, and we were clinging on to stay in the league. That year, having just stepped into the work, I spent most of my time watching as a spectator.
The following year, from the year Masahiro Shimoda-san was appointed as manager, my history as a working adult—no, as a human being—began to move significantly.
Originally, I have a habit of constantly thinking about things like why people are born and why we live—questions that seem grand but are actually things that don't really matter either way. This has been a habit since I was a child, so sometimes it works in my favor, and sometimes it works against me. When it works against me, it's tough. Because if I don't find a reason for the meaning and significance of living within myself, I don't even feel like I'm truly alive.
My encounter with Shimoda-san happened just when things were working against me. A time when nothing was going well. Everyone has such times if they live long enough, but it's difficult when you're in the middle of it. I was just filled with anxiety about my own worth and an aimless future, and nothing was moving forward. No matter what I tried, strangely, nothing worked. But then, what do you know? Faced with a true professional in his work, I was made to realize how small, narrow, and naive the world I had been looking at was. At the same time, I felt strongly, very strongly, that this was it!
I wrote 'a true professional in his work.' Shimoda-san was a manager. I am neither a player nor an employee of Renofa Yamaguchi. I cannot ask for his direct teachings. However, I wanted to absorb everything I could from Shimoda-san's every move, his demeanor, and his choice of words—even though, in truth, there were very few opportunities to have a proper conversation.
When Kosuke Onose-san decided to transfer mid-season, Shimoda-san said this: 'I want to show Onose the world I have seen, even if the form is different. The scenery of J1, the scenery of the Japan national team.' When I heard this, I felt something I couldn't put into words. Perhaps the closest phrase would be, 'I want to see it too.' Of course, not as a professional soccer player seeing the scenery of J1 or the Japan national team (obviously). I meant the heights of someone living in this world as a professional.
What I was seeking was the ultimate professional. Shimoda-san has already found his next place to live (and in this day and age, overseas) and is about to be active in a new world. His quickness is a given, but also the breadth of his range of activity, his fearless heart, and the ambition to stay true to the self he wants to be, rooted in his dreams, goals, and what he wants to do. I truly want to become someone who can choose their life like Shimoda-san.
And this year, Susumu Watanabe-san was newly appointed as the manager of Renofa Yamaguchi. When I learned that Manager Watanabe was appointed as the new manager of Renofa, I thought this was fate again. After watching the episode where he appeared as a guest on the 'Judge Replay' streamed in November, I vaguely thought, 'I wonder if Watanabe-san will be managing somewhere next year.' And then I got my hands on Watanabe-san's book, 'Positional Football Practice Theory.' (Though I only read it seriously after his appointment was decided. Haha.) I interpret it in my own way that the Law of Attraction must be what this refers to.
At his inaugural press conference, the new manager Watanabe said, 'This club has a clear vision, and there is play expressed on the pitch based on that vision. I was strongly attracted to the direction and passion shown by the club.' Furthermore, he said, 'Choshu is a place that made its name famous in Japan and the world. Raising players and raising people are things built into the history of this land. Through history, and through soccer, I want to first make its name famous throughout Japan. And eventually, to Asia and the world.'
Once again, an ultimate professional has come to this land. The baton (history) has been passed on without ever falling to the ground. Realizing that, I got goosebumps.
I'm glad there is a J.League in Yamaguchi. It's not just for soccer people; the industry doesn't matter. It has allowed me to meet 'people' who give dreams, hope, and the vitality to live—for the meaning of life, the meaning of work, the things to do right in front of you, and the aimless future. This isn't just for me; it's good news for everyone living here who feels stuck.
The 2021 season. The 2021 season that has arrived after overcoming last year, when we learned that what we took for granted was not guaranteed. Let's live interestingly.