There's a lot we can learn about
making our daily lives happier.

My travels have made me
a different person.

Nakata Hidetoshi was once a star player on Japan's national soccer team.

Selected to represent Japan at age 20, he played a central role in 3 FIFA World Cups.

He spent most of his career in Italy, where he wowed fans with his creative play.

After retiring, he became fascinated with Japan's traditional industries.

He was also made aware of the many issues that faced these industries.

He's spent 15 years traveling all over Japan to deepen his understanding of the situation.

In soccer, I was in the spotlight.
I made people happy by playing well.

Now, I'm shining light on producers.

They're the star players.
How can I connect them with people?

Former soccer star Nakata's goal is human connection.

Robert Campbell joins him on his travels to learn about his new passion.

Every two months, Nakata heads out to meet producers around Japan.

Over the past 15 years, he's visited more than 3,000 such individuals.

Listening to their stories and working alongside them, he's come to appreciate their techniques and way of work.

He actively shares this information with others through his web magazine.

On this day, he's visiting the southern prefecture of Oita in Kyushu.

He's planning on meeting with 30 producers over the coming week.

Hello.

- I'm Nakata, hello.
- Thanks for coming!

Tea farmer, Anami Koji.

He cultivates black tea on this farm.

He's been working to revive the production of black tea, for which this area was once famed.

What a view.

Over there is Oita City,
and closer to us is Kitsuki.

- That's Beppu Bay?
- Yes.

When was this tea farm started?

After the war.

My wife's grandfather was a doctor.

Making house calls, he saw farmers
struggling to make a living.

And so he suggested they
switch to a cash crop.

So they started to grow tea.

What varieties?

They started out with "Benihomare."

Then "Benitachiwase" and "Hatsumomiji,"
which I'm growing now.

So they crossbred large Indian
tea leaves like Assam.

"Benitachiwase" is a cross of a small
Assam leaf and native Japanese tea.

It suits the climate here better.

But now, Anami's black tea farm is the only one left in this area.

He cares for his farm with his wife.

This whole area used to be
a tea plantation.

When neglected, tea bushes
grow into tall trees like that.

All that is a forest of tea trees.

- Wow!
- They're overgrown tea bushes.

It only takes 4-5 years.

I don't think I'll be around
20 or 30 years from now.

I don't know who will take over
the farm.

It would be wonderful if someone was
willing to get it back into shape.

Now for a taste of Japanese black tea, once famed worldwide for its flavor and aroma.

- It's astringent and bold.
- Delicious.

When contacting a specialty store,
I always submit taste test data.

I learn a lot from it, too.

While demand for Japanese tea is increasing worldwide, the price of tea leaves is decreasing.

This has forced farmers who produce high-quality leaves to abandon the industry,

and led potential successors to seek work elsewhere.

Nakata, however, sees a window of opportunity for Japanese tea amid the increase in overseas exports.

In 2022, he joined forces with a group of tea experts to produce teas that suit modern food trends.

He's exploring what's needed in the tea industry today.

We need to raise the price
of tea leaves.

So much work is involved.

But sometimes tea is cheaper
than water. That's just not fair.

Producers work hard, but
they're not good at communication.

Most consumers don't go
looking for information.

So we need to inform them.

We need to connect the producers
with the consumers.

That will allow the industry to grow.

The expert markets for sake and tea
have actually grown at the same time.

A steady increase for over a decade.

The popularity of Japanese food helps.

So I believe tea produced in Japan
has great potential.

I totally agree.

People have started to ask for
black tea at sushi restaurant.

We need people like him.

He provides us with advice and
helps us reach out to consumers.

So I'm thrilled to be able
to meet with Nakata-san.

Nakata used to play soccer on the global stage.

How does he feel about his new role in supporting Japanese culture?

You were a striking personality
on the field, especially in Japan.

You refused to compromise
your beliefs.

Now you play a support role,
serving as coordinator and liaison.

How does that work?

Nothing's changed really.
In soccer, I was in the spotlight.

I made people happy by playing well.

Now, the producers are the stars.

My goal is to make people happy.

I want to share joy with others.

I want to connect the producers,
the star players, with consumers.

I want to share my joy at finding
their amazing products.

Many people are unaware of them.

By bringing people together,
I can make everyone happy.

That's what I enjoy most of all.

During his early travels around Japan, Nakata was particularly impressed by the sake breweries he saw.

But at the time, domestic sake consumption was falling, and breweries were struggling to survive.

Let's do this.

In the hopes of improving the situation, Nakata launched one of the largest sake events in Japan.

Bringing together breweries from all over the country,

the annual event has welcomed over 600,000 visitors in total, including buyers from abroad.

Nakata has also developed a sake smartphone app.

It provides a platform for breweries to share product information with consumers.

Traditional industries are out of touch
with cutting-edge technology.

They don't have a presence
on the internet.

So I visit them to build a network.

But it's no use if I don't share
what I've learned.

I want to turn the spotlight on them.
Develop a framework for growth.

Connecting people is
what makes me happy.

You're still in the midst
of your journey.

Which direction will you take
from here?

I want to understand what it is
that compels me to travel.

Learning about Japanese culture
helps me understand other cultures.

When I was living abroad,
I didn't know much about Japan.

So I wasn't able to compare and
appreciate what I saw.

Studying Japanese culture opened
my eyes to other cultures.

Understanding your roots gives
meaning to life and enriches you.

I've come to realize this
over the past 15 years.

Life is about finding joy.

We need to eat in order to live.

To eat, we need tools.

Food, clothing, and shelter are
key to living a happy life.

We need to give more thought to this.

My travels have made me
a different person.

In what way?

I didn't really pay attention
to my everyday life.

I focused on "special" things.
Vacations, or a big purchase.

Travel opened my eyes to
the importance of everyday life.

The awareness enriched my life.

All you need to do is pay a little
attention to what's around you.

Most folks can do that. It matters.

- Quite a climb.
- Yes, we're deep in the mountains.

Oita has many mountains and forests.

- So much nature.
- It's full of life.

Nakata and Robert arrive at their next destination.

Hello.

Welcome.
My husband is somewhere...

Matsubara and Tsunoda are husband and wife potters.

They moved to Oita in 2014 when their first child began elementary school.

They create simple and practical tableware for everyday use.

Their work is gaining attention in China, the US, and other parts of the world.

Nakata was curious about their working environment, and asked to pay a visit.

Your studio is divided
into three sections.

This is my space.
The kiln's in the center.

My husband's space is in the back.

An ideal setup.

We don't want to interfere
with each other.

We need our own space to focus.

We go up for lunch together,
but work separately.

After studying traditional pottery techniques, Tsunoda visited kilns around Japan to develop her own style.

Her white tableware has a warm touch.

Looking at your dishes,
I can tell that you like to cook.

Yes, I do. And since I have kids,
I cook every day.

I think of plates that would make
food look most appetizing.

I talk about the kind of plates
I'd like with my husband.

You can make what you want.

The typical Japanese meal is made up
of several dishes served all at once.

The variety of tableware
is interesting to me.

But stacking and storing
the various shapes can be tricky.

Yes, that's why I make dishes
that can be stacked easily.

You make dishes that
you'd like to use yourself.

When we come up with something new,
we take it home to try it out.

- Hello, nice to meet you.
- Hi, I'm Robert Campbell.

I'm with him.

We had a chance to see
your wife's work.

May we see yours?

Of course.

I meant to ask how you two met.
But I didn't want to seem nosy.

Not at all.

Matsubara studied pottery in Imari, which is famous for its ceramics.

He specializes in slipware: painting patterns with liquified clay, or "slip."

The historical technique was popularized in 17th-century England.

Slipware of this time predominantly featured animals and geometric designs.

But Matsubara's work is characterized by abstract motifs.

- Interesting slipware.
- Quite unusual.

I just paint what comes to mind.
What I think looks pretty.

So it's not typical slipware.

- Quite a contrast from your work.
- We have different tastes.

I find that's often the case
with artisan couples.

We each do what we like.

A tricky technique.
Reminds me of "yuzen" dyeing.

I tried it once and had trouble
controlling the absorption.

The thickness of the dye
affects the speed.

The dye would slip or get stuck.

But I enjoy trying new things.

The couple lives next door to their studio.

Hello.

Thought you were talking to a kid!

Sleepy?

- Lovely.
- So charming.

A gorgeous kitchen.

It's cool and smells of wood.
Very fashionable.

It's interesting to see what
stylish people use in daily life.

I could tell right away that
this was a comfortable home.

- Really?
- It has a nice rustic feel to it.

Work and eating are both part
of everyday life.

Our studio and home are side by side.

I eat, go to work,
and return for lunch.

It's summer, so the kids need lunch.

Then I stop work at 5 PM and
come home to prepare dinner.

I've met with potters who make
traditional pieces like tea bowls.

Their studios have a nice ambience,
but they tend to be cluttered.

They're single-focused.

But you both make
beautiful pieces for daily use.

You bring beauty into daily life.

Everything is connected.
Our work is part of our life.

Potters who make tableware like ours
are now popular abroad.

One of our New York clients says
Japanese craftwork is the best.

They say that intricate craftwork
use to exist the world over.

But it's disappearing.

Whereas in Japan, traditional
craftsmanship is kept alive.

The client wants to put a face
to the people who make such items.

And is willing to spend time
and effort to promote us.

Wow, what's this?

A cheesecake I made yesterday.

- Thank you.
- Try it.

- This is good.
- Delicious!

Traveling has taught me a lot.

For instance, you don't
charge a lot for your pieces.

Yet you're both living
a really happy life. It's great.

It makes me wonder why we're
so fixated on material wealth.

Even at the cost of everything else.

Here, you're surrounded by nature.
But you're not cut off from society.

There's fresh seafood and vegetables.

True.

What more can you ask for?
Do you have any concerns?

- Not at this point.
- None at all.

You can make what you need.
You seem happy.

We are very happy.

Your work is part of your life.
You make things you like.

And they sell.

Making a living doing what
you love is what defines a good life.

While traveling like this,
I've visited many producers.

I can feel their love for life.
They believe in what they're doing.

I've been doing this for
about 15 years now. It's fun.

I'll probably keep on traveling.

- Driven by curiosity?
- Yes.

Until the day I die.
I just want to lead a full life.

Enjoying good food, drinks, fashion,
tableware, scenery, and friends.

What more can I ask for?

But you need to be
well-informed and knowledgeable.

- Thank you for everything.
- Yes, thank you.

I appreciate you allowing me
to join you today.

I noticed how you ask questions.

You get straight to the point.
Nothing's fuzzy.

You manage to connect right away
with the producers.

I wondered how you
acquired this knack.

Perhaps it comes from leading a long,
fulfilling career as an athlete.

You're very alert.

You've spent 15 years on the road.

Where do you see yourself
10 years from now?

I have no idea.
I don't think about the future.

I'll keep observing and learning,
and do what I feel necessary.

There are many producers,
but not many creators of culture.

I'd like to be part of that.

Maybe future people will say:
'This lasted because someone acted.'

But it's not about
going down in history.

A bigger global spotlight
means more opportunity.

It'll take time, but it's worth it.

Thank you. Take care.