What Lies Beyond Courage

The cover boldly displays the title "Baka Tare." in large lettering. One might hesitate to pick it up at first glance, but with a little courage, you'll find the uninhibited conversations of "fools" awaiting you.

The "fools" in this book are not those who are incompetent at their jobs, but rather those who are spoken of with affection and respect. Indeed, the individuals featured are pioneers and innovators in their respective fields.

So, what is the reason for calling capable people "fools"? This book serves as a guide to understanding that. Before unraveling this mystery, let's look at the five tenets of "Baka Juku."

A fool who can stand alone against the world.
A fool who willingly takes on reckless challenges.
A fool who can share a drink with anyone.
A fool who constantly imagines new possibilities.
A fool who perseveres with unfounded confidence.

Those who practice these precepts might indeed be "fools." However, it is precisely because they harbor strong inner convictions and dreams they desperately wish to achieve that they gain invaluable experiences and continue to take on challenges.

Some may call this a waste. But then, who is truly the "fool"? While it largely depends on individual values, reading this book makes one feel that the latter—those who call others "fools" for doing things while they themselves do nothing—are the "true fools."

The "Cool Fools" Are Those Passionate About Seemingly "Foolish" Pursuits

Considering why Keisuke Matsushima himself is the right person to host these talks, he explains in his conversation with Kuniwo Tokuoka, the head chef of Kyoto Kitcho, as follows:

"A restaurant owner is like an art director. You have to oversee not only management but also planning, sales, PR, and team building. When I talk about these things, some people say, 'Just focus on cooking.'

What this suggests is that Matsushima selected 15 individuals who are not only professionals in their own right but also capable of taking a broad, holistic view of things.

These individuals, who have forged their way through the current era, candidly reveal their weaknesses and share stories of failure without hesitation. This is possible because both the host and the guests acknowledge their own "foolishness," and "fools" are always honest with each other.

If you wonder whether there's any shame in that, you're not yet a "fool." They are honest with themselves, confident in what they've done, and harbor audacious ambitions for the future. This book affectionately refers to these "childish adults" as "Baka Tare."

Michihiko Yanai, Hiroshi Shitara, Masamichi Toyama, Kuniwo Tokuoka, Masahiro Chono, Naohisa Mashita, Kashiwa Sato, Chiyo Hana, Daisuke Tsuda, Masamichi Katayama, Akira Senju, Mark Panther, Daiko Matsuyama, Hiroshi Kumamoto, Takafumi Horie.

The 15 individuals featured are all successful people who would never admit it. They likely never will, because they enjoy discovering and mastering new work and projects, much like playing with a new toy.

After reading, you'll feel a refreshing sense of exhilaration from their words, as they approach effort and challenges not as hardships, but as enjoyable pursuits. If it is the power of "fools" that changes the world, then perhaps being called "Baka Tare." time and again is not so bad after all.

Baka Tare.
Author | Keisuke Matsushima
Publisher | Shufutoseikatsusha
Price | 1620 yen
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