Belts

2022/12/20

Kohei Murakami

Actor, 1999 Economics

It has been 19 years since I appeared in the TV drama "Kamen Rider 555 (Faiz)." I played the role of Masato Kusaka/Kamen Rider Kaixa, and the transformation system involved entering the code "913" into a revolver-style mobile phone and attaching it to a transformation belt. At the time of the 2003 broadcast, everyone was surprised by that innovative gimmick, and I heard that the transformation belt toys sold like wildfire. Today, those phones are called "garakei" (feature phones) and service shutdowns are being announced, yet the popularity of the work and its characters has not faded. There are still many people who face the work with unchanging passion.

For the 15th anniversary in 2018, a transformation belt for adults was released, and people who fell in love with the current Reiwa-era Kamen Riders have gone back to watch 555 and become fans. Being able to appear in a work loved by so many people for such a long time is a treasure of my acting career. Next year, 2023, is the 20th anniversary. I hope to be able to give something back to the fans.

Seiko Sugiyama

Representative Director of Mamenoki Co., Ltd., 2011 Policy Management

I wonder how many people know that "American Coffee" is not "coffee produced in the mainland United States." Similarly, there is the fact that products named "European Blend" contain not a single bean grown in Europe.

The zone between 25 degrees north and south of the equator, which is suitable for coffee cultivation, is called the "Coffee Belt." It includes Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, as well as Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands. Even among owners who have run coffee shops for a long time, there are many who have never visited a coffee-producing region.

Fortunately, I had an encounter with Mexican coffee even before I entered the coffee industry. After entering university, the laboratory I belonged to was conducting a project aimed at the economic independence of indigenous Mayan people engaged in coffee production who were struggling with poverty. Twelve years have passed since graduation, and Mamenoki Co., Ltd., which I founded, has reached its 11th anniversary. Even now, we continue to import Mexican coffee based on the principles of Fair Trade. I want to spend the rest of my life traveling the Coffee Belt and continuing Fair Trade.

Maria Takada

Irish Aran Riding School Instructor, Equestrian Athlete, 2017 Commerce

The "horse belt" is a piece of equipment called a "girth." It is no exaggeration to say that we cannot ride horses without this equipment.

As you may know, a saddle is used when riding a horse. The equipment that acts as a belt around the horse's belly to secure that saddle is the girth. If you put your foot in the stirrup and mount the horse while the girth is not properly tightened, the saddle will spin around and you will fall off. However, that doesn't mean you should just tighten it as much as possible; depending on the horse, a tight belly can be uncomfortable or prevent dynamic movement. Therefore, in recent years, there are various shapes that are precisely calculated, such as those that stretch with rubber or those designed not to hinder movement, and we often change the girth to suit the horse.

While communicating with horses that do not speak words, I pay attention to every piece of equipment used and strive for better performance where human and horse move as one, practicing hard with my beloved horse every day.

Yoshinori Katsumata

Senior Lecturer, Keio University School of Medicine Institute for Integrated Sports Medicine, 2005 Medicine, 2013 PhD in Medicine

Exercise is a medicine for all ailments. But it is hard to do. It is hard to continue. There may be many people who do not want to live long if it requires that much effort. Even when we say "exercise," many don't know what they should do.

Aerobic exercise for about 30 minutes with a heart rate of around 110, five or more days a week, is said to be effective. In the golden age of smartphones, I would like to recommend exercise using the latest devices. However, as a result of aging, medical treatment, or the progression of heart failure, muscle atrophy in the lower limbs can sometimes progress to the point where walking becomes difficult. In such cases, even aerobic exercise cannot be performed sufficiently. For such individuals, treatment for muscle atrophy using electrical stimulation (recovery of muscle mass) is being considered as a new approach. By using belt electrodes wrapped around the waist or legs, an increase in skeletal muscle mass in the legs and improvement in exercise capacity can be achieved.

Exercise is diverse, including aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and skeletal muscle stimulation via electrical stimulation, and it is important to combine them in various ways. Why not try incorporating exercise into your life starting next year?