Yu Nakajima Interview (by Shotaro "Macky" Makisumi), Part 1

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mEUmh-LRko

Questions aggregated from speedsolving.com and people in the room.

Macky's comment: My Japanese accent comes out a bit when trying to talk more carefully. I get better at translating as the interview goes on. I fleshed out or took liberty with some of the audience questions when translating to Japanese.

Filmed August 14th 2011
Camera: Canon HF10
Microphone: AudioTechnica ATR-6550

As per request by Nakajima there are some small cuts.

Questions in this part:
Why did you come to the US Nationals?
Can you tell us a little bit more about your work?
Nakajima you left the cubing world after winning Worlds in 2007, almost at the height of your career why did you decide to quit, and why come back now?
How many times have you been out of Japan?
What do you think of the US, more specifically Ohio?
What is your practice regiment now, and what was it in 2007 and 2008?
What do you think about new development in finger tricks that have developed since you left and come back?
Are you done with school?
Before you came to you US did you realize how much a celebrity you would be seen as here?
What do you hope to do with cubing in the coming years?
What is your favorite drink?
What is with your goatee and your mustache?
You had blonde hair, why?
Was the one handed world record your most favorite record, you seemed to celebrate the most after it?

Some translation supplements:
2:15 not damaged
2:18 (right, I have to know not just the main idea but the exact formulation of his answer....)
2:20 all he said was "select the good parts and assemble a solid speedcube for Japanese cubists" lol
4:23 started this year
5:43 (yeah sorry)
5:52 and he's jealous (urayamashii)
7:14 (holy, long answer)
7:38 sainou, not tarento
8:04 11-12
8:12 he didn't
8:22 He's thought about practice, and
8:29 finger training
13:39 (my explanation of Hokkaido)
13:47 (I'm thinking of Taka, but maybe he already wasn't cubing much in 2006.)
14:03 Practicing was basically doing what he wanted without thinking deeply (tekitouni)
14:13 ("admire" comes from another conversation I had with him. here, just:) cubers here think a lot and know many algorithms
14:32 not how he practiced
14:58 "The shapes of the individual parts...I wonder what Dayan's head is like inside"
15:26 (I'm not quite sure what senmonngakkou, literally specialized school, is)
15:43 (sorry!)
16:40 (Nakajima was recovering from a sickness, plus jetlag)
17:30 that he was being watched
17:46 and it made him happy
21:35 C.C. Lemon
22:21 "adult"
22:24 "Japan"
22:56 both inside and physically
23:12 to look a bit adult
24:22 interpreting from what he said, "it came out more bleached than I asked"
26:12 his face doesn't change, and he's not conscious of it
26:22 he again wasn't conscious of smiling at the one-handed record

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• yu
• nakajima
• nakaji
• shotaro
• macky
• makisumi
• interview
• US
• nationals
• 2011
• speedcubing
• rubik's
• cube
• part

[AvidCuber]

Thanks for uploading this, Tristan!!

[Thrawst]

@AvidCuber Thanks Macky for the idea and translation, and of course Nakaji for his time!

[collinbxyz]

I feel special because I understand some words of the Japanese =0

[Thejeditusken2]

@aznhelsed123 he knows english but he has trouble going through a language barrier

[Thejeditusken2]

uploaded on my birthday lol

[aznhelsed123]

I thought Yu can speak english D:

He knows how to name all his videos xP

[razajac80]

at 0:07 did someone say holy s***

[yoshimasa4869]

Where at in Ohio? I am from there!

[taiwannerfman]

@CuberTubers i hope... im not sure

[JBoogie300]

i was there it was awesome lol but it went to like 12:30

[CuberTubers]

@taiwannerfman haha nub I have that gun too <3

well, my dad does anyway..BTW you coming to next nats?

[taiwannerfman]

@taiwannerfman .357 magnum : )

[xxoxia]

@taiwannerfman - Shooting! hahahaha. What were you shooting?