Guest: Mr.Takumi Nagai – Present to the Future vol.30

30th Online Talk Live “Present to the Future”

Guest: Mr.Takumi Nagai (Representative Director of Sokka General Incorporated Association)
Moderator: Satoshi Seki (editor, producer)
Host: Bruce Osborne (Photographer), Yoshiko Inoue (Parent and Child Day Promotion Committee)
Sponsored by: Parent and Child Day Promotion Committee
Distribution date and time: January 19, 2025 (Sunday) starts at 13:00(LIVE distribution)

The guest of the 30th online talk live is Mr.Takumi Nagai.
*This article introduces the highlights of the video.

Click here for video

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Cast:

Takumi Nagai (CEO of Sokka General Incorporated Association)

After a nearly-drowning experience in his childhood, Nagai became fascinated with the ocean after a long-distance swimming experience in high school. After graduating from university, Nagai worked at a black pearl farm in the Tuamotu Islands. He started the Kuromon Flying Fish Club on Zushi Beach in 2010. In 2016, he founded Sokka General Incorporated Association with a friend. He runs a community for outdoor sports and sea and mountain play for preschoolers to adults.

Seki Satoshi (Editor, Producer)

He has participated in the planning and editing of culture magazines such as POPEYE, BRUTUS, and Takarajima. He is currently a part-time lecturer at Nippon Engineering College and other institutions, and the director of the Stimulus Switch Research Institute. He is in charge of “Seki Satoru’s Movie Oyakodon” on the official website of Oyako Day.

Bruce Osborn (Photographer, Originator of Oyako Day)

He began taking photographs with the theme of parents and children in 1982. Since 2003, she has advocated for the fourth Sunday of July to be Oyako Day. He was awarded the Higashikuninomiya Cultural Award in recognition of his social activities through photography such as Oyako Day. As an artist, he continues to spread the message of “Present to the Future.”

Yoshiko Inoue (Oyako Day Representative Producer, CEO of Ozone Inc.)

As Bruce Osborne’s professional and private partner, she has produced numerous exhibitions and events.

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Seki: Hello everyone. This is the first online talk show of the new year. Time flies and this is the 30th one! We have invited Nagai Takumi as our guest. Thank you for your support.

Nagai: Thank you for your support.

Introducing Nagai Takumi

Seki: Could you tell us about your activities so far?

Nagai: I live in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, where I run an after-school nature school and nursery school called “Sokka General Incorporated Association.” It is a place where children can have as much fun as they want in the sea, mountains, and rivers, based on a connection with nature. You are now showing us our website.

Seki: What kind of activities does Sokka do specifically?

Nagai: Our activities place importance on children and their guardians having fun together in nature. After school, we gather at the beach and, when it’s beach season, we dive deep into the ocean. When it’s not beach season, we go to the mountains, learn first aid, or go exploring with a topographical map.

When my children were born, I studied lifesaving in Australia and aimed to compete in a wide canoe competition in Hawaii. There were a lot of programs for children there. So I thought I would create a similar place in Zushi, where we started living as a family.

Seki: That’s wonderful. It’s like a never-ending summer vacation.

Nagai: That’s how it feels. The photo you’re looking at is Zushi Beach, and you can see Mt. Fuji to the west, and it’s really nice at sunset. If you come to the beach, you can find your friends and play freely by yourself. I think that’s important. That’s why at the club, we also play games that you would play during school breaks.

Seki: Nowadays, there aren’t many places for children to play. They can’t play at school, and they can’t even take detours. There are no places where children can freely express their feelings like in the past, so this activity is very valuable. Can anyone participate?

Nagai: It’s a registration system. Members who attend an information session and join can participate. However, the beach doesn’t belong to anyone, and it’s open. So sometimes friends from school play soccer together. In the past, you could do this kind of thing on your own. I think it’s important to make it a world where such things are commonplace.

Yoshiko: I think it’s wonderful that children can do what they like freely and have adults around them who can do it with them. I think that’s the mission of “Tobiuo Club” and “Sokka”. I think it’s wonderful that everyone can enjoy it while the children are at the center. I hope it spreads more and more.

Bruce: Everyone speaks directly and communication is excellent. Children and adults talk on an equal footing. They also enjoy experiencing things related to the ocean. I think children who grow up like that are very lucky.

Hated the ocean as a child

Seki: I heard that you used to hate the ocean. Is that true?

Nagai: Before I started elementary school, I lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. So I went to the ocean. It was my first time in the ocean, and when I jumped in, I got swept away by the waves.

Seki: This is the ocean in Brazil.

Nagai: And I drowned twice on the same day. After getting out of the ocean, I went to the pool. But I was scared, so instead of getting in the water, I played with a toy boat floating in the water. Then the toy slipped out of my hand, and when I reached out, it fell on my head. It was very traumatic. After that, I hated water so much that I couldn’t even go to the ocean or take a bath at home.

The ocean, which I hated, turned into something wonderful

Seki: What made you turn that around?

Nagai: In the summer when I was 16 and a high school student, we went on a seaside school trip to the ocean in Chiba. We swam long distances every day for a week and dived off rocks, which was something I hated at the time. But I couldn’t avoid it, so I did my best without showing any signs of it. In the first half, I really wanted to run away. However, when I was offshore, the unpleasant feelings left me, and I suddenly felt like I could accept everything. I was able to come this far because of the sea and my friends. The sea feels so good. There was a moment when my whole body felt like it all made sense. And then, everything changed.

Seki: So you reached a state of enlightenment.

Nagai: That’s right. I think that experience is still alive in me today.

Seki: I guess drowning was very important. You could say that it changed my life.

Nagai: You’re right. That intense experience turned a negative into a positive.

Seki: So multiplication happened.

Starting to walk with the sea

Nagai: I’ve always been involved with the sea in various ways. In college, I did various marine activities and sports such as lifesaving, surfing, and canoeing. I also worked for a black pearl farming company, a weather forecasting company for surfers, and a wave information company. I also worked for an outdoor sportswear company and a surfboard store.

Connection with Bruce & Yoshiko

Seki: What kind of person is Nagai to you, Yoshiko?

Yoshiko: There are a few people who I think, “If this person likes me, I’ll be fine,” and Nagai is one of those important people.
When I’m walking on the beach, he calls out to me from the ocean, “Yoshiko-san.” He came from really far away, and it wasn’t just once. It feels like he’s back home, and I’m really happy. I’m so happy that he appeared at our talk show again today.

Seki: What kind of person is Nagai to you, Bruce?

Bruce: Nagai loves the ocean. He respects not just knowledge and love, but everything about it.

Nagai: You two are always walking along the shore together, so when I found you in the water, I was so happy that I called out to you. I was moved by the way you picked up all kinds of things that had washed up on the beach, old toys, shells, and so on, and found love and interest in each one. It was a great inspiration.

Bruce: You put the things you found in a cookie jar.

Seki: He elevated that to art, and a while ago a piece was exhibited at the Imperial Hotel. Isn’t it amazing that the rubbish from Hayama is decorating the entrance to Tokyo? I think it’s very satisfying. There are many issues, such as environmental destruction and global pollution. It’s good to be able to send out a warning in such a happy way, without being preachy.

Bruce’s “Zodiac Exhibition”

Seki: Yoshiko and her team are holding a “Zodiac Exhibition” at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) throughout the month of January as an annual New Year event. Let me see some photos. What kind of people are participating?

Yoshiko: The third person from the left in the spiral is Mick Haggerty, who has created works that are fairly well known to many people. Next to him is Shigenari Onishi, from Shigechan Land in Hokkaido. They are all snakes, but they have put a lot of thought into their New Year works. The exhibition is being held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) throughout the month of January, so please come and see it.

Bruce: It is free to enter except on Sundays and holidays. Children are also welcome. Please come and visit.

※”Zodiac Exhibition” : https://www.fccj.or.jp/exhibition/january-2025-exhibition

Introducing the Nagai family

Seki: Let’s take a look at this photo of Nagai and his child taken by Bruce. How many years ago was this?

Nagai: This child is 15 now, and was probably 3 or 4 years old at the time. So it was more than 10 years ago.

Nagai: This photo was taken at Zushi Beach.

Bruce: Nagai is the mood maker of the family.

Nagai: Our eldest son loves running, and our second son loves fishing and the sea. My wife’s grandfather was an Olympic marathon runner. He’s often mentioned in a historical context, as he competed in the Berlin Olympics hosted by Hitler. His Japanese name is Son Kitei, and his Korean name is Song Ki-jeong. He is featured in the film “Boston 1947” (directed by Kang Je-gyu).

Seki: It’s the new film from the director of “Shiri.” Korean films are interesting too.

I want to design a society where people don’t damage the natural environment even if they live normally

Seki: Nagai, what do you think about adults today?

Nagai: Well, I’m getting older too. In today’s world, even if you live a normal life, you can still damage the natural environment. It’s not about who is good or bad. That’s why I want to design a society where everyone can live a normal life and don’t damage the natural environment. I think it’s a shame that nowadays you have to push yourself to do something good for the environment.

Seki: I think adults up until now have been irresponsible. I feel like they haven’t thought about important things like the environment.

Yoshiko: Adults need to change, like being more grateful to nature. Nagai’s activities embody that, and they’re wonderful.

Announcement of the Lecture “Coastal Ecosystem – For the Conservation of Zushi Coast”

Seki: By the way, Nagai-san, you have some news to share.

Nagai: On February 15th, we will be holding a lecture on the ocean and the environment at Zushi City Hall entitled “Coastal Ecosystems – For the Preservation of Zushi Coast.” We have invited Professor Satoko Seino, an associate professor at Kyushu University Graduate School, to speak on the theme of the ocean ecosystem.

Seki: What kind of talk can we hear?

Nagai: We will hear about Zushi’s ecosystem, how small things can change it, and we will get hints on what we can do in that environment. For example, measures to prevent sand runoff from the beach are usually carried away by power shovels. However, for example, if you let grass grow, it will become a base for the sand, and sand will accumulate at the base. That is how you can enrich the vegetation and protect the beach. We will introduce some small ideas to solve problems using the power of nature.

Seki: So there are a lot of hints for changing adults, as I mentioned earlier. Please come.

*For inquiries, please contact Zushi Tourism Association, Tel: 046-873-1111. Participation is free.

Takumi Nagai’s “Present to the Future”

What is Nagai’s gift for the annual “Present to the Future”?

Nagai: Even if everyone lives a normal life, the sea, the city, birds, and flowers. Let’s create a world where these things are abundant and beautiful. It’s not a matter of trying too hard, pushing yourself too hard, or spending a lot of money, but a society where it’s normal for everyone to live normal lives and not destroy the environment.

Seki: That’s truly sustainable. It has to continue, doesn’t it? Finally, let’s say goodbye by watching “By the Sea,” a video that summarizes Nagai’s activities.

Nagai: Our base is playing in the local nature, but we don’t just enjoy outdoor sports, we are also involved in various activities with the aim of protecting the local nature. As part of that, we asked Ben Matsunaga, a resident of Ninomiya, to create a video introducing our activities with farmed wakame fishermen.

Seki: Thank you very much for today. Please watch the video!

Video Screening
By the Sea : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNhHTnkQkq0