At a remarkably young age, Yoshiharu Habu became a professional shogi player in junior high school and went on to become a legendary figure in the shogi world.
Among his many honors—such as achieving the lifetime seven crowns and receiving the People’s Honor Award—there is a famous quote of his: “When you focus on defending, you become backward-looking.
If you want to defend, you must attack.” These words convey a fighting spirit that seems to well up from deep within someone who has always faced shogi with utmost seriousness and staked everything on each match.
Seeking certainty by turtling up leads nowhere, and in the end you lose; that is why, even to defend, it is crucial to attack.
It’s a message that pushes forward everyone who is fighting their own battles in various arenas.
At the 2023-03-22 WBC final against the United States, Shohei Ohtani led the team huddle, saying, 'Let’s stop admiring them.' #ShoheiOhtani #WBC #SamuraiJapan
Before the 2023 WBC final, Shohei Ohtani said something to his teammates.
He told them that while the U.S.
team had many star players thriving in the major leagues, they needed to stop admiring them.
His message was: “You can’t win if you’re in awe of them—today, let’s focus solely on winning.” It’s a quote that carries special weight precisely because Ohtani himself plays and excels in the majors; coming from him, it has real persuasive power.
There is only one thing that truly matters in life: the heart.Ken Takakura
[Ken Takakura] A Collection of Famous Quotes Filled with Kindness and Love Left by the 20th-Century Film Star Ken Takakura
Ken Takakura, one of Japan’s most iconic actors who appeared in many memorable works such as “The Railway Man” and “The Yellow Handkerchief,” is known for the quote: “There is only one thing that truly matters in life: the heart.” Perhaps this sentiment arose from having taken on a wide range of roles, lived many lives through acting, and touched people’s hearts.
Whether living as an individual or living a character’s life on stage or screen, the heart must always be cherished.
These words convey a glimpse of Takakura’s actor’s spirit.
Hope is the faith that leads us to success.Madame Curie
[Marie Curie] Hope is the faith that leads us to success.
Marie Curie, known as Madame Curie, who studied radioactivity and won the Nobel Prize twice.
One of her famous quotes is, “Hope is the faith that leads us to success.” Her research has been applied to cancer treatment and continues to impact the modern world.
Even in an era when there were very few female researchers and simply conducting research was difficult, she may have held fast to this belief and continued her work.
She seems to teach us that to make hope a reality, it is important to hold onto hope strongly and to believe in ourselves and in what we are doing in order to achieve success.
The best revenge is to achieve overwhelming success.Frank Sinatra (singer)
"My Way" by Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra live
When someone does something nasty to you, you might find yourself thinking, “I’ll get back at them somehow!” and wanting to do the same thing in return.
But if you do that, you become just like them, don’t you? That’s when this quote can snap you back to your senses.
These are the words of Frank Sinatra, one of the figures who helped shape the American music scene from the 1930s onward.
No matter what someone does to you, rather than directing your anger or desire for revenge at them, channel that energy into making yourself better—this is the positive message the quote conveys.
Quotes Collection: 40 Sayings from the Genius Who Changed the World's Common Sense — Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple, is known for his famous quote: “Stay hungry.
Stay foolish.” Being hungry—meaning ambitious and driven—and being foolish are what matter, he believed.
It may have been this mindset that enabled him to create numerous groundbreaking products.
By always staying hungry toward everything and tackling any challenge without being constrained by rigid values, continually researching and exploring, Apple’s success was likely made possible.
It is precisely when you are in the darkness that you should seek the light.Aristotle (philosopher)
[Strongest] Rhetoric | Aristotle — A Truly Powerful Way to Persuade and Move People
Words left by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.
When we’re striving toward a goal, things don’t always turn out well, do they? At times, difficulties arise or things don’t go as planned, and we may feel on the verge of giving up.
Yet it is precisely in such moments that we are reminded of the importance of focusing on the good and continuing to move forward.
Words that get to the essence of things never fade, even after thousands of years, and they continue to support us.
If you can take one step, you can take another.Todd Skinner (free climber)
Free At Last: The Salathe
Todd Skinner, an American free climber active since the 1980s, was known for free-climbing numerous routes around the world, including the Salathé Wall on El Capitan.
Free climbing is a method of ascending cliffs using only minimal equipment and one’s own body.
Here are his words from someone who climbed in such a perilous style: Taking the very first step is hard in anything, but once you take that step, you can take another, and then another.
His words encourage us to have the courage to start by taking that first step.
The person I aspire to be is myself.Yuzuru Hanyu (figure skater)
[Yuzuru Hanyu's Immortal World Record 'SEIMEI'] 2015 Grand Prix Final Men's Free in Barcelona – Full Performance #GPF2015 #figureskating #yuzuruhanyu #TamoriStation
These are words Yuzuru Hanyu said in 2014, and at first glance many people might have thought, “What does that mean?” The phrase conveys the idea that he wasn’t aiming to be like some other skater, but was focused solely on improving himself.
You can feel the positive attitude of constantly striving to beat his personal best; perhaps it’s a statement only someone like him, performing at the very top of the figure skating world, could make.
