Ever since I developed a fondness for it in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school,
I have a question for Mr. Sakamoto, who has profoundly influenced my values.
I heard you quit smoking at your concert in Fukuoka in 2005.
In my late thirties, new concerns began to appear regarding my once-pristine skin...
I'm serious about wanting to quit smoking, but I can't seem to manage it.

I've studied yoga and breathing techniques, and I feel I've made some improvements to my lifestyle, yet I still can't quit smoking.
I believe it was an Eastern therapy introduced by a friend that was the catalyst for you, wasn't it, Professor?
Do you think that was the actual reason you were able to quit?
Or do you believe it was sheer willpower?
First and foremost, for you, Professor, was smoking something you wanted to quit?

The Will of a Falling Leaf

To be frank, my willpower has always been quite weak; I've been called 'the will of a falling leaf' since long ago.
However, after smoking for many years, I began to experience frequent chest discomfort and started to think, 'This is serious.' But as I mentioned, my willpower is weak, so I had resigned myself to the idea that quitting on my own would be impossible.

One day, I met my friend Laurie Anderson, who was known as a heavy smoker, and to my surprise, she wasn't smoking. I exclaimed, 'What happened, Laurie?' She replied, 'I quit with the worst-tasting tea in the world.'

I immediately rushed to the Chinese doctor in New York who supposedly offered this world's worst-tasting tea. 'Please, give me that world's worst-tasting tea too!' I pleaded.

The herbalist then told me, 'It's not the tea. The reason Laurie was able to quit smoking was acupuncture. The brewed tea was merely supplementary.' Though I disliked the idea of pain, I immediately requested acupuncture treatment.

My Body Resisted, Making Smoking Impossible

I continued treatments every other day, but I still couldn't quit. Even after a one-hour acupuncture session, the moment I stepped out of the clinic, I'd light up a cigarette.

After nine sessions without success, I decided, 'If this next one doesn't work, I'll give up,' and went for the tenth treatment. Afterward, as usual, I closed the door and brought a cigarette to my lips, but to my astonishment, my body recoiled, refusing to smoke.

'What... what is this?'

My mind wanted to smoke, but my body resisted. Since that day, I haven't smoked.

What I learned from this experience is how conservative the mind can be.
Conversely, the body is constantly changing. It adapts as the environment changes.
The acupuncture altered my body's internal environment.

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Styling by Masayuki Sakurai
Grooming by Mayumi Fujita (Vitamins)
Wardrobe courtesy of LANVIN JAPAN (Tel. 03-3289-2782). Knit jacket ¥215,250, polo shirt ¥128,100, tie ¥45,150, trousers ¥217,350.
Location courtesy of TIME & STYLE EXISTENCE (Tel. 03-5464-3205). VALLE high chair ¥39,000.

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