WEBVTT 00:00:09.553 --> 00:00:12.619 When I was 14 years old, 00:00:12.643 --> 00:00:14.606 I had low self-esteem. 00:00:14.630 --> 00:00:18.219 I felt I was not talented at anything. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:19.314 --> 00:00:22.303 One day, I bought a yo-yo. 00:00:23.533 --> 00:00:26.868 When I tried my first trick, it looked like this: 00:00:28.771 --> 00:00:33.529 (Laughter) 00:00:33.553 --> 00:00:36.331 I couldn't even do the simplest trick, 00:00:36.355 --> 00:00:38.672 but it was very natural for me, 00:00:38.696 --> 00:00:42.664 because I was not dextrous, and hated all sports. 00:00:43.561 --> 00:00:46.298 But after one week of practicing, 00:00:46.322 --> 00:00:48.715 my throws became more like this: 00:00:54.585 --> 00:00:55.735 A bit better. 00:00:56.834 --> 00:01:00.744 I thought, the yo-yo is something for me to be good at. 00:01:00.768 --> 00:01:03.475 For the first time in my life, 00:01:03.499 --> 00:01:05.324 I found my passion. 00:01:06.856 --> 00:01:09.825 I was spending all my time practicing. 00:01:09.849 --> 00:01:14.174 It took me hours and hours a day to build my skills up to the next level. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:15.348 --> 00:01:19.378 And then, four years later, when I was 18 years old, 00:01:20.068 --> 00:01:23.325 I was standing onstage at the World YoYo Contest. 00:01:23.349 --> 00:01:24.499 And I won. 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:26.049 I was so excited. 00:01:26.073 --> 00:01:28.652 "Yes, I did it! I became a hero. 00:01:28.676 --> 00:01:31.020 I may get many sponsors, a lot of money, 00:01:31.044 --> 00:01:33.830 tons of interviews, and be on TV!" I thought. 00:01:33.854 --> 00:01:35.576 (Laughter) 00:01:35.600 --> 00:01:38.820 But after coming back to Japan, 00:01:38.844 --> 00:01:41.848 totally nothing changed in my life. 00:01:41.872 --> 00:01:43.474 (Laughter) 00:01:43.607 --> 00:01:46.843 I realized society didn't value my passion. 00:01:48.168 --> 00:01:50.712 So I went back to my college 00:01:50.736 --> 00:01:53.843 and became a typical Japanese worker as a systems engineer. 00:01:55.244 --> 00:02:00.851 I felt my passion, heart and soul, had left my body. 00:02:01.575 --> 00:02:03.878 I felt I was not alive anymore. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:04.394 --> 00:02:08.296 So I started to consider what I should do, 00:02:08.320 --> 00:02:11.769 and I thought, I wanted to make my performance better, 00:02:12.920 --> 00:02:17.350 and to show onstage how spectacular the yo-yo could be 00:02:17.374 --> 00:02:19.994 to change the public's image of the yo-yo. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:21.521 --> 00:02:23.472 So I quit my company 00:02:24.409 --> 00:02:27.089 and started a career as a professional performer. 00:02:28.399 --> 00:02:33.054 I started to learn classic ballet, jazz dance, acrobatics and other things 00:02:33.078 --> 00:02:34.875 to make my performance better. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:38.672 As a result of these efforts, and the help of many others, 00:02:38.696 --> 00:02:39.846 it happened. 00:02:40.956 --> 00:02:44.766 I won the World YoYo Contest again in the artistic performance division. 00:02:45.458 --> 00:02:48.140 I passed an audition for Cirque Du Soleil. 00:02:48.751 --> 00:02:52.583 Today, I am standing on the TED stage 00:02:52.607 --> 00:02:55.166 with the yo-yo in front of you. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:55.190 --> 00:02:59.372 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:02:59.543 --> 00:03:02.809 What I learned from the yo-yo is, 00:03:02.833 --> 00:03:06.888 if I make enough effort with huge passion, 00:03:07.698 --> 00:03:08.928 there is no impossible. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:10.096 --> 00:03:12.968 Could you let me share my passion with you 00:03:12.992 --> 00:03:14.623 through my performance? NOTE Paragraph 00:03:14.647 --> 00:03:19.390 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:03:45.997 --> 00:03:48.668 (Water sound) NOTE Paragraph 00:03:52.651 --> 00:03:58.461 (Music) 00:07:34.790 --> 00:07:37.371 (Music ends) NOTE Paragraph 00:07:37.395 --> 00:07:44.322 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:07:44.602 --> 00:07:51.602 (Music) NOTE Paragraph 00:09:03.405 --> 00:09:08.153 (Music ends) NOTE Paragraph 00:09:08.177 --> 00:09:15.177 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:09:30.270 --> 00:09:33.509 (Applause ends) 00:09:33.533 --> 00:09:40.533 (Music) NOTE Paragraph 00:10:03.738 --> 00:10:10.738 (Applause)