Repechage, why it burns January 8th, 11:44
At the end of the year, when I watched a competition on TV to compete for the best young manzai master in Japan, I suddenly thought.
Why is the "repechage", which is now taken for granted in sports and entertainment, so established?
There is a big reversal drama that overturns the situation where everyone gave up when the victory was far away, and there is also a famous game that is engraved in people's memories.
Why are we so enthusiastic about the "repechage"?
At the beginning of the year, I decided to explore from the experienced people, gimmicks, and experts on the road.
(Network News Department Reporter Kayoko Tamaki / Sports News Department Reporter Takao Kamada, Shigeru Sato)
A man who knows humiliation and joy
The world's biggest stage, the Olympics.
There is a man who has experienced both humiliation and joy in the repechage.
Currently, Kosei Inoue is headed by Judo All Japan Men.
Inoue won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he was a player.
Uchi mata in the final was praised as "the most beautiful in the world" and became a star in the judo world.
However, at the 2004 Athens Olympics, which aimed for the second straight victory, he lost in the quarter-finals despite high expectations as captain of the Japanese team.
Inoue, who said, "I had a dream and was stunned," was defeated in the subsequent repechage in the trend of "gold medal is everything" in judo.
It ended without a medal.
I was able to ask Inoue about his thoughts at that time.
Director Kosei Inoue
"I couldn't regain my feelings even though the Olympics weren't over yet. I still regret it very much."
Inoue made use of this experience after becoming a leader.
The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which led all-Japan men as a coach.
Naohisa Takato, a 60-kilometer class who appeared on the first day of the judo competition, was the top candidate for the championship.
However, he lost in the same quarterfinals as Inoue in Athens.
Inoue called out to Takafuji, citing his bitter experience, for a short time before the repechage.
Director Kosei Inoue
"I regret it. Don't regret it. There are still opportunities. It will be painful, but fight."
Takafuji, who won the repechage and the third-place playoff, won the bronze medal.
In this tournament, Judo Japanese boys were the first in history to be in the 7th class, and all players wore medals around their necks.
Of these, three bronze medals were won by the players who lost once by winning the repechage.
On the final day of the tournament, Inoue cried, "I felt happy to be able to fight the best players on the best stage."
What is the meaning of continuing to fight even if you lose?
Inoue said.
Director Kosei Inoue
"
Each
event is just a passing point in life. I will do everything for my own further leap. It will lead to the next growth if I finish it. That is very important. I think that's how to make use of the regrets, bitterness, and pathetic experiences that I couldn't finish. As a manager, I value it in approaching the players. "
Repechage and Warring States period
When will the spirit of "resurrection of losers" be seen in us?
While exploring the history, an interesting story was told by Professor Emeritus Tetsuo Owada of Shizuoka University, who studied the history of the Warring States period and was in charge of era proof of many taiga dramas such as "Kirin ga Kuru".
Professor Emeritus Owada
"The experience of losing or failing is rather a reminder of the person, and makes the human being one or two bigger. In fact, the warlords of the Warring States period also experienced losing battles many times. I was doing it, and I used it as a spring for the next one, and I survived. "
Professor Emeritus Owada mentioned this as a symbol of the "repechage" of the Echizen Sengoku daimyo, a passage of the family morals left by the warlord Asakura Norikage, who was said to be a fierce warrior.
"The
master
and the monkey can say that they will meet after the important event." The
expert general, that is, the master, said, "After the important event = defeat in the important battle = that is, 1 You must have the experience of losing a lot, "he said during the Warring States period.
Somewhere, director Kosei Inoue of judo does not have to overlap, but Professor Emeritus Owada mentioned Ieyasu Tokugawa as a military commander who applies.
At the Battle of Mikatagahara in December of the 3rd year of Genki (1572), Ieyasu was overwhelmed by Shingen Takeda, who was said to be the strongest in the Warring States period, and was hit hard enough to be called "unrecoverable."
However, at this time, the military commander, Ieyasu, notices that there are many vassals who died in his place.
Later, he cherished his vassals as "my vassals are my treasure" and built a monolithic unity, and also showed the flexibility to take in even his enemies.
In addition, Ieyasu later abandoned his military art and switched to the superior Yabusame military art, showing the strength to turn negative into positive.
It is said that he became popular as a military commander who made a leap forward with his failure, such as the tradition that he used a picture of himself to escape from the great defeat as a commander.
There is much to learn from history, says Professor Emeritus Owada.
Professor Emeritus Owada
"The warlords who have broken through the crisis have given us some hints. Everyone wants a smooth sailing life, but in the current predicament, there are failures and difficult experiences. It's something that comes with it. I've often talked to young people, but I think it's very important to look back on yourself, not to drag your mistakes, and to seek the next leap as your own food. "
"Gekokujo" talks about the central figure
Let's turn our eyes to the present age again and explore the world of professional baseball that attracts many fans every year with the drama "Resurrection of the Loser".
The mechanism for reviving the losers of professional baseball is the "climax series" that takes place after the pennant race to decide the league championship in both the Central League and the Pa League.
Even the team that finished in 3rd place in the league can aim for the best in Japan if they win by overcoming the advantages of 2nd and 1st place in this climax series.
The best example of this system is the 2010 Lotte known as "Gekokujo".
Lotte, who advanced to the climax series in 3rd place in the Pacific League, defeated Seibu in 2nd place and Softbank, who won the league, to advance to the Japan Series.
With that momentum, he defeated the Central League champion Chunichi and took the top spot.
It is a feat that remains in the history of professional baseball, which is still only Lotte, who became the best in Japan from 3rd place in the league.
The president of Lotte's team at that time was Ryuzo Setoyama.
This time, I was able to hear the story of that time.
At the end of last year, Setoyama said, "I don't know if I can talk about something useful ...", but when I asked him about "Shimokatsugami" 10 years ago, he began to talk hotly.
Mr. Ryuzo Setoyama
"Satozaki (the catcher at that time) said" Gekokujo "in an interview. I don't think it's good. At that time, all the players, staff, teams, headquarters, fans, and the community I had never been able to unite. It was Gekokujo who gathered together. "
Challenge from financial difficulties
The mechanism of revival of losers that gave birth to the drama of Gekokujo.
How was the system created?
Setoyama, who has been involved in team management with three teams, Daiei, Lotte, and Orix since the 1990s, is also a person who knows in detail how the Pacific League introduced the predecessor system of the climax series ahead of the Central League. ..
Setoyama first talked about the "playoffs" that took place in the Pacific League for three years from 2004 in a format similar to the current climax series.
At that time, the management of each team was strict in the Pacific League, which is less popular than the Central League, and "team reorganization" such as team mergers and one-league system was being discussed.
At the Pacific League stadium, old birds often squeal, and the playoffs were introduced with the aim of "recovering the losers in order to attract even a little spectators in the second half of the season."
At that time, Setoyama was the representative of Daiei's team.
In fact, he was initially in the "opposite" position.
He talks about the situation of each team at that time.
Ryuzo Setoyama
"Agree is Orix, Lotte, Nippon-Ham, Kintetsu. Opposition is Daiei, Seibu"
Setoyama, who was at the forefront of the opposition, insisted, "What is the reason for doing the pennant race for a year? It should be done by the self-help efforts of each team to increase the number of spectators."
However, Daiei's own management also deteriorated.
Together with Seibu, he agreed that he couldn't replace his stomach on his back, and finally introduced the playoffs.
“Introduction is the repechage”
It was a playoff that was introduced after some twists and turns, but when it started, the number of spectators increased significantly, and it was more successful than expected.
Later, the Central League decided to follow suit, changing the name and establishing it as the "Climax Series".
At first, Setoyama was opposed to the introduction of the playoffs, but now he says, "It was absolutely correct for the baseball world."
The reason why the repechage is touching.
Setoyama overlaps with the way of life of many people.
Ryuzo Setoyama
"It's the same with all people's lives. Not only the winners are praised. In Japan," Judge Biiki "is accepted. There are not many people who replace the figure of aiming for the top even if it is not good. "?"
And, based on the current situation of the Pacific League, which has now overwhelmed the Central League in the Japan Series and exchange games, and has become as popular as it is, it concludes.
Ryuzo Setoyama
"Pacific League, the repechage itself"
I'm not losing
The only way to make a leap from a difficult situation is to try new things.
From a business perspective, Professor Seiichiro Yonekura of Hosei University Graduate School, who is familiar with domestic and overseas corporate management and innovation research.
He has also published a book called "Business Administration for the Resurrection of Losers."
As long as you try new things, you can make mistakes.
Professor Yonekura says that it is important to share the process of challenges and failures with organizations and teams.
Given that Japan is still a society that is not tolerant of failure, I think it is necessary to change the way we think about failure.
Professor Seiichiro Yonekura
"For example, every company is launching a new project, but can you share what happened after that? If you make a mistake or fail, look back on why it happened. If you have the opportunity to share it with the next generation, it may not only reduce the mistakes of your peers, but it may also lead to the opportunity to commercialize a project that has fallen asleep once. If you can have the idea of
Nowadays, it is often painful.
But losing is not losing.
I feel that "repechage" is talking about that.