I had two classes today. It’s been a while since I’ve exercised (not the political kind), but I think I’ve managed to make up for my lack of exercise.
With the glasses I bought on Amazon for 3,680 yen (a simple design), I couldn’t see my opponent’s hands during rallies, so I was hitting the ball more by instinct—but I actually felt like that helped me execute my backhand strokes, which have been a challenge, better.
Indoor tennis is a bit pricey, but it isn’t affected by the weather, and since it’s not one-on-one, I can take lessons whenever I want by adjusting my schedule. This isn’t possible with activities like chess or guitar, which are based on one-on-one lessons.
Another hidden benefit is that, since the venue is outside the city, there’s no risk of people suspecting that my lesson fees are actually campaign donations for mayoral, city council, metropolitan assembly, or House of Representatives elections. Plus, I avoid the awkwardness of bumping into other students around town or getting caught up in romantic rivalries.
I’ve been attending tennis school since my third year of junior high, and my physical activity in high school was strictly limited to tennis every weekend (2–4 sessions). Back in junior high, I lacked stamina and would be completely exhausted after being jostled for 90 minutes on the commuter train each way. Yet in high school, I led such a disciplined life that I received an Attendance Award (I missed only five class periods over three years), and I was able to cultivate the foundation for the mental stamina that serves me to this day—all thanks to tennis.
Those two and a half years—during which I never slept in class, focused solely on studying during class time to maintain average grades, spent weekdays reading (mainly re-reading manga), stayed up late playing video games on Saturday nights, and played 2 to 4 sessions of tennis on Sunday mornings—are still deeply ingrained in me today. It wasn’t until much later that I realized my weekly Saturday “health maintenance” routine throughout high school was what heightened my PMPP toward world politics and ultimately drew the attention of the Imperial Family.
(Incidentally, the manga I re-read were *Saint Seiya*, *Yu Yu Hakusho*, *Rurouni Kenshin*, and *Dai no Daibouken*, and they served as excellent material for thought experiments in political science.)
As I recall these things while playing tennis, the feeling of those days—when I was a (dangerous) “sword-wielder” driven by a desire to educate—comes flooding back. It’s just part of my charm that, even though spin is the monthly assignment at the tennis school, I end up hitting flat, laser-beam shots that make the hall fall silent for a moment.
By the way, my desire to educate is self-perpetuating. I believe that for the past 25 years, I’ve been able to provide the best education to the best students with the best instructors.
(Character count)
Leo J Toyama