Well, I was bound to challenge myself overseas anyway, so it just happened a bit earlier. The stage I want to go to doesn’t change.

"I was unsure whether to continue playing volleyball, so I went for advice. But my hesitation was seen through right away."

...Have you already realized your own limitations? Even though your skills, physique, and mentality are far from complete?...

...It's not too late to lament that people born with something superior to you are different from you from the start and that no amount of effort, ingenuity, or camaraderie can change that until you've exhausted every bit of correct effort...

...But believing that your potential is greater than this and moving forward with relentless determination is perhaps a much tougher and more painful path than lamenting and giving up because you think you are different from a genius...

"I decided to learn from this person. Then the next year, they returned to Argentina! Well, I was bound to challenge myself overseas anyway, so it just happened a bit earlier. The stage I want to go to doesn’t change."

These are the words of Tōru Oikawa and José Blanco from "Haikyuu!!" and Tōru Oikawa's words again.

I've recently realized that setting goals is very scary.

When you set a goal, you face various fears like what if you fail, what if the goal is wrong, or what if your efforts are in vain.

People who can set goals have the courage to fight these various fears.

The Seibu Ikebukuro flagship store is undergoing a wave of closures.

Since my nearest station when I first moved to Tokyo was Nerima, along the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, I've been visiting Seibu Ikebukuro for over 12 years since I came to Tokyo.

Every time I go back to my hometown, I buy souvenirs, leather shoes, socks, and other items from Seibu.

I love the luxurious atmosphere of Seibu, and I remember how I used to naively think, "If I keep coming here, I might succeed."

The images of New Year's lucky bags shown on TV are filmed at Seibu Ikebukuro, which has been a representative department store in Japan.

In fact, Seibu is not an independent company. In 2006, it was acquired by Seven & I Holdings, merged with Sogo, and became a subsidiary of Seven & I Holdings.

However, Seven & I Holdings, seeing no potential in the department store business, announced on September 1, 2023, that it had completed the sale of its subsidiary department stores, Sogo and Seibu, to the U.S. investment firm Fortress Investment Group.

The decision to shift Sogo and Seibu to a new management system under Fortress was made by the executives of Seven & I Holdings.

Yodobashi HD, a major electronics retailer, has indicated its intention to open a store in the flagship Seibu Ikebukuro location after acquiring the real estate.

Sogo and Seibu's corporate value is estimated at 220 billion yen, but considering their approximately 300 billion yen in interest-bearing debt and the waiver of part of Seven & I's loans amounting to 91.6 billion yen, the actual sale price is said to be around 85 million yen, which is very surprising.

On September 1, the executive team was revamped. According to sources, President Hiroto Taguchi became a director without representative rights, and a representative from Fortress took over as the new president. Additionally, several people from Fortress were appointed as directors, comprising the majority of the board, effectively stripping Seibu affiliates of any discretionary power.

On August 31, 2023, Seibu employees went on strike, the first in the department store industry in 60 years.

However, this action did not lead to any significant results. The discussions continued behind the scenes, unbeknownst to the employees and Seibu enthusiasts, leading to the current wave of closures.

After visiting a place for 12 years, you naturally remember the faces of the staff who have been working there for a long time.

Watching the elevator girls working with perfect makeup and straight posture, I would often think, "I need to work hard too."

Thousands of people working at Seibu, including elevator girls, will lose their jobs.

Each of these people has their own thoughts about their job and their own connections made through their work.

I believe the responsibility lies with the president.

If the president cannot steer the company correctly and fails to deliver results in numbers, the thoughts and connections of each employee will be rendered meaningless.

Entrusting your job, which constitutes a large part of your life, to a company that you cannot control is a risk, in my opinion.

Of course, starting your own company and continuously delivering results in numbers is also a risk.

However, even while belonging to a company, it is necessary to ensure that the company does not hold all the power over your life and death to protect your passion for work, your connections through work, and most importantly, yourself and your loved ones.

Seeing the employees of Seibu Ikebukuro working with smiles as if nothing had happened, even though they know they are going to lose their jobs, makes me feel sad.

I want to change something.

I want to achieve something.

I want to protect myself and my family from the company and society.

To do that, courage is definitely necessary.

The courage needed is not the dramatic kind that decides life and death like in manga, anime, or movies.

The necessary courage is the kind that involves making little efforts every day, taking small actions daily, and challenging new things bit by bit every day.

Living a life where you don't make decisions and lack courage might be easier.

However, living a life where you don't make decisions is, in fact, much scarier than making decisions, and you should be aware of that.