Here I take off my national team jersey. The end was anticlimactic, but that too is the essence of competition. The moment it ended, my emotions were a tangled mess of regret, but after some time passed, I realized this is the message it carries. "You should retire now. It's time to pass the baton to the next generation." My World Cup career began in 2009. Back then, the Japanese team was weak, and it was uncertain whether Akiyo alone could win a gold medal. The first major impact in men's bouldering was Hori Tukuru's World Cup victory. He broke through the dominance of the European and American powerhouses. After that, I was able to follow in his footsteps. Things seemed smooth sailing until then, but it wouldn't last long. Sport climbing evolved rapidly, and it didn't take long for the Japanese team to become the world's strongest. I was left behind. In recent years, there were too many new moves, and the things I couldn't do kept piling up. I was furious at myself for not being able to do them. I struggled for years, clinging on desperately, and that's how I got here. I'm not a strong climber at all, so why have I survived this long on the Japanese team? Because I've kept fighting with an unyielding desire to compete. 2025 is a miracle year for me. I don't care if they tell me old soldiers should get out of the way. Even when I was on the verge of being cut from the team selection multiple times, I held on tightly, refusing to let go, and seized my chance myself. But the last World Championships were a complete disaster. "You should quit competing and move on quickly." The climbing gods must have knocked me off to help me come to terms with my feelings. I may no longer be on the Japanese national team, but I will always be a climber and a competitor. I want to keep getting fired up about climbing with all of you! Thank you to everyone who supported me.
Thank you to the @japan_national_climbing_team for pushing me to my limits until the very end!
photo @ifsclimbing
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The World Championships are finally about to begin. Let out a roar!
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