As you all know from
mingming, Dai appeared in the popular talk show 'Kinsuma' here in Japan last night. They recreated his life history into a mini-drama and interviewed him in between episodes:
1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h6bDxU5D3A2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN9HLFShFGc3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_olJgEJLaE4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAMrFIkIqAE5.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oytXdg8Eh5YI'm going to translate roughly, up to part 2 only:
1.(From around 6:20) The miraculous story of Dai all started here, in this small barber shop. Dai was born in March 1986, in Kurashiki city in Okayama. He was the youngest son of 4 brothers. His father Kumeo was in the carpeting business, and his mother Kiyoto worked at a barber shop called Tamura Barbers. Since his mother so wanted a girl after 3 boys, she was quite disappointed at first that Dai was a boy, too. So when Dai was small, she sometimes dressed him up to look like a little girl(6:55 photo at 2 years old...cute!). His father on the other hand taught his sons masculine sports like karate. But feared the violence and was the only one who showed no interest. He was a total coward, so he was bullied at school being made carry other schoolmates' bags on their way home.
Dai at present:I was scared and cried alot. There were times I didn't want to go to school for days. I was weak towards the outside world as a child.
The only place he can relax was Tamura Barbers where his mother worked. The shop owner's daughter;Hideko was also very close to Dai. She was the one who named him Daisuke when he was born.
Hideko at present:There used to be quite a few famous Daisuke's in sports in those days...Daisuke Nishikawa of gymnastics, Daisuke Araki of baseball...and then when I was thinking what I should name him...there was this cassette tape of the rock singer Daisuke Shima on the table which somebody gave me...and so I thought, okay then, Daisuke it is! (8:25)
However, Dai was not at all like the rock singer. He was too shy and gentle for a boy. His parents introduced him to various sports to make him stronger. But he gave up baseball after being hit by a dead-ball, rejected tennis because it seemed exhausting, and was too afraid to start kendo. He was scared of everything.
2.However, when Dai was 8 years old, a customer at Tamura Barbers suggested he try ice-hockey. Some days later, Dai went to take a look at the customer's team practicing and was asked to join them. But again he rejected saying it was impossible for him. Hideko blamed him of being a coward again, but just then Dai saw a group of kids learning figure skating in the other side of the rink. He told his parents and Hideko that he is up to trying that instead of hockey.
Dai at present:I felt right away that...this was it!
It was the first thing he ever stepped forward into doing. After that day, Dai started taking lessons after school. Hideko took him to and back from the rink in place of his mother who was busy working. He practiced every day, and changed into a very active boy. Even after the lessons, Hideko would take him to a different link and they'd practice until late at night.
Footage of Dai practicing when he was 8 years old. (1:38)
Letter to the program from Dai's mother:I was worried whether he can continue practicing, since Dai was such a cry-baby. But since he liked doing it so much, I thought it was for the best. He always seemed so happy when he was skating, it made me feel the same, and felt that the rink was taking care of my cry-baby. However...I never imagined it would cost that much money!
Yes, figure skating did cost alot of money. Usually, you'd need around 200000yen per month to cover all the costs. The costumes for competitions cost 30000yen just for the pants. This pushed Dai's mother and Hideko to create handmade costumes for Dai. They used recycled and cheap cloth to make them, which helped to save over 100000yen per costume. Dai's father would sharpen his skating blades with a whetstone for his son, though he was never sure if it was the proper way to do it. Dai answered their expectations little by little.
Dai at present:Since I had no confidence in myself...I still don't...so, I guess the rink was the only place I was able to feel good about myself.
Dai's mother started working night shifts at a packed lunch making store in order to earn money for Dai to continue skating.
Dai at present:Yes, it cost alot of money...in the day-time my mother worked full time at the barber shop, and worked part-time at night. I always wondered when she went to sleep.
After entering jr-high, Dai went to a international competition for the first time. Around the same time, his mother's customers at the barber shop started leaving their change for her to support Dai. They knew the Takahashi family were having a hard time since figure skating fees were so expensive. They even made a donation box for Dai in the shop, which became a habit for them to leave money in. One of the customers were kind enough to give Dai's mother a whole bunch of half-price tickets for the ice rink, too. Because of those tickets, Dai was able to go to the rink everyday to practice. Some of them also volunteered to take Dai to the rink when his mother or Hideko wasn't available.
Letter to the program from Dai's mother:It wasn't just my husband, myself and his brothers who supported Dai. Everyone living nearby Tamura Barbers had helped him, and I am still very grateful for all of them.
Dai won his first international competition in 1999. It was his first competition abroad. A young unkown boy from Kurashiki had won with handmade costumes and choreography. In summer that year, Dai went to ask a skating coach to create a program for him in order to go on competing in juniors. The coach was Utako Nagamitsu, and she is still Dai's coach today. Nagamitsu was pleasantly shocked when she saw Dai skate for the first time.
Nagamitsu at present:This may be a rude way to put it, but since he was only a 14 year old boy from a small local area, I thought he'd only be able to do 2 or 3 out of 10 of the things I taught him in a program...because that's the usual case with most children. But he did like 100 out of 10! He had great sense for the sport, and I was truely surprised.
Nagamitsu was certain that Dai can become a top skater, so she decided to become his coach. She not only taught him how to skate, but prepared a room for him to stay over the weekends in her house in Osaka, and made all his meals for him during his stay. In 2001, Dai won the National Jr Championships. Even then, his costume was still handmade by his mother and Hideko. In his first year in high-school, he entered the ISU Junior World Championships for the first time, delivered an almost perfect program and won. It was the first time a junior Japanese male skater ever won the title.
Dai in the show studio:The more I got better results, everyone in the neighborhood supported me. (I'm very grateful) Since figure skating does cost alot of money. /I'm still a cry-baby like when I was a kid...I almost started crying even watching the video of my life right now! / I think when I first saw figure skating, and said I wanted to try it...I think maybe I said so partly because I wanted Hideko to like me more. She had always loved figure skating, and was one of those people who wanted to learn but couldn't. I think she influenced me alot then. But after I did try it, it turned out to be so much fun.
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Sorry for not translating only but the first 2 parts...the rest from part 3 is more or less what you already know about him, I think. There were alot of things I didn't know about up till part 2, so I thought I'd translate at least up to that part. But in the very end of the whole program, Dai said that whenever he needed help, someone would always appear and lend him a hand. He said he thinks he's a very lucky person, and as he is grateful to everyone who supported him, he'd like to find a way to give back what he was given from them, by maybe helping out future skaters in some way.
It was a pretty good show...Mind you I don't compliment Japanese tv shows that often!
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Fri May 21, 2010 10:26 am
It is cute that the overprotective fan in you has come out.
I don't think we have to worry about Mao. Dai and all of Mao's peers are excited that she will be able to drink soon. They are just curious about what she'd be like drunk. I think that Mao is curious too. Dai has already asked Mao to go out drinking with him when she turns twenty. Someone with Mao's self discipline will be just fine.
Dai with big ribbon on the head @7:00 of Part1! 
He has 3 older brothers, so his mom wanted a girl 
I was surprised that Dai can't do eagle. Maybe the injury of right knee have an effect on it. 
they are both so lovely on ice... 
Stephane Lambiel has also choreographed an exhibition for Daisuke Takahashi. I hope Dai will perform it this weekend on DOI!!! He's helping him with spins also. 
) 
(Maybe the rumors can finally wake Kozuka up to the truth! 