Left: [Wilson] shoes ¥25,300, middle: shoes ¥25,300, right: fleece ¥22,000 (all from Ameer Sports Japan Wilson Customer Service Center), others personal effects
PROFILE
He is in charge of the men's casual wear department at BEAMS. In the spring/summer of 2024, he launched the tennis brand "Setinn", which proposes a style that connects on-court and off-court. He has been playing tennis since he was a child and is well known for his ability, having competed in intercollegiate tennis tournaments.
PROFILE
He works as a barber at "BARBER BOYS", a barber store in Daikanyama. He is a self-proclaimed hobbyist with a deep love of vintage and a deep knowledge of photography and art. He has been playing tennis for about a year and a half, but he is hooked on the joys of the sport. Miraculously, he bought his first racquet, a Wilson Pro Staff, because it was an American brand.
PROFILE
Representative of the design firm DAIKEI MILLS. Through projects such as commercial spaces and public facilities, including CIBONE, ISSEY MIYAKE stores, NOT A HOTEL, and ASAKUSA, he has been consistently thinking about the nature of people and space. From 2020, he will launch SKWAT, a movement to temporarily occupy idle facilities in cities and release them to the public. He is also a part-time lecturer at Tama Art University's Department of Environmental Design. He is also a part-time lecturer at the Department of Environmental Design, Tama Art University. He has been playing tennis for 13 to 14 years. He has been playing tennis for 13 to 14 years and loves to play with Wilson's Pro Staff.
It's hard to get good at it, which makes it even more swampy.
-Please tell us about your tennis career and why you started playing tennis.
Shimada: Let me start with myself. I have been playing tennis for about a year and a half. At first, I played with friends about once a week, but I was not improving at all, so I added a school to my game once or twice a week for the past six months. I like sports in general and have been active in soccer for over 10 years and volleyball a little bit. These two sports require a change of clothes to play and a lot of luggage (laughs). Tennis, on the other hand, suits my lifestyle because I can come to the court, play in the same clothes, put my racket on my shoulder, and go straight to the city. I started playing tennis about two years ago because I was inspired by a game called "Grand Theft Auto 5," in which gangsters were playing tennis in casual clothes. I like America, so I chose a "Wilson" racket from the beginning!
Arai: Wow, I like something like that (laughs). You are a city boy!
Shimada: I am from the countryside, so I admire city boys (laughs). What made you start playing tennis?
Arai: I started playing tennis in the second grade of elementary school. Both of my parents played tennis, and they always took me to the tennis court on their days off, so I became familiar with the sport along with my older sister. I was always taken to the tennis court on holidays, and I became familiar with tennis together with my older sister. At first I was just playing on the edge of the tennis court, but gradually I started to enjoy hitting the ball and eventually became a serious player. From there, I joined a junior development team at a neighborhood tennis club, and until I graduated from junior high school, I went to the school after school as a routine. I was forced to learn about the overwhelming vertical society there (laughs).
Nakamura: I started playing tennis when I was over 30 years old and have been playing for about 13 to 14 years. Now I play tennis every Sunday at "Mori Park Tennis Garden" in Akishima. Tennis Garden" in Akishima, where I play tennis every Sunday. I used to play volleyball, but I had to gather at least 12 players. I used to play volleyball by myself, but I wanted to play a ball game, so I tried tennis by chance. I liked the ease of playing tennis because you only need two people to play. But when I actually tried it, it was difficult, and I didn't get very good at it. Because of my volleyball background, when the ball came to me, I would go in front of it, and I had a hard time getting rid of that habit. But the harder I struggled, the more I enjoyed it. That is the reason why I got into tennis.
-I see. I see that each of you started playing tennis for various reasons. Did anything change in your life after you started playing tennis as an adult?
Nakamura: I'm sure I'm staying healthy. I still don't get caught up in physicals. It's mentally stable, too, because I'm in a routine. I play tennis with people who are completely different from my area of work, so a different personality comes out.... Anyway, it is a time to refresh myself. I can have a great day by going to the super public bath after tennis, so it has become a truly indispensable thing for me.
Shimada: Great - isn't it great to have a public bath after tennis? I have resumed playing sports in the last 5 years or so. I played soccer when I was a student, and when I entered my 30s, I tried futsal, volleyball, and running, but some of them lasted and some did not.
Nakamura: I think it's because it's so difficult. Isn't it really difficult, tennis?
Shimada:
That's true! I think that many people throw tennis away because it is difficult. At first, the ball you hit doesn't even go into your opponent's court (laughs). I want to play tennis for fun, so I want to get moderately good at it, because I know that the better I am at it, the more fun it will be. Recently, I also feel a little change in my life. I cut hair, so I am on my feet all day long. I used to get really tired after work, but now that I play tennis, I feel like I have more endurance. Perhaps it was the sun and sweating that naturally strengthened me. I also have a wider range of motion in my arms.
Mr. Arai, you have resumed playing tennis after a long absence.
Arai: I don't lose weight playing tennis (laughs). (laughs) However, I think I have become more patient because of my tennis career. Also, I have naturally developed a preparatory attitude. Preparation is important for everything in tennis. Even though my peers at work were moving up the ranks one after another, I was not in a hurry and thought that it was just not my turn. Everyone's turn always comes around, so I was prepared to perform to the best of my ability when the opportunity arose. I passed up a few opportunities without realizing it (laughs).
Arai: Now that I am aware of the order of the cards, I am able to easily draw from my stock of cards and say, "I am going to play with this card. When I joined BEAMS, balance was considered important, but as times changed, I was ready when bias became a weapon. The fact that I am able to work with my strength in tennis in this way is thanks to the preparation skills I developed through tennis.
