Iwata-san: Learning about Life and Leadership in Japanese

Fascinating Japanese-language content that checks all the right boxes

photo credit: Official GDC via Flickr

One of the things I love about interviewing experts and business leaders is the opportunity to learn while I work. I get to hear their experiences, process their wisdom, and share it with anyone willing to read the final product.

While I was working on a recent project, a Japanese startup founder recommended a book called Iwata-san. This book, a collection of essays and interviews, is a tribute to former Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata, who tragically passed away in 2015. As someone fascinated by the intersection of business and video games, this seemed like the perfect book for me. There was just one caveat: the book was only available in Japanese.*

At first, this was discouraging, as I assumed that a book centered on business and technology would be beyond my ability to read without having to constantly refer to a Japanese-English dictionary. Fortunately, a little research revealed that the publisher has released the first three chapters of the book online for free. So, I had no choice but to follow my interview subject’s advice and give the book a try. Surprisingly, I discovered that Iwata-san is a perfect fit for my Japanese reading level. It’s not intimidatingly…