Masatoshi Uchiumi, 64, is a landlord in Tokyo's trendy Jiyugaoka area. Divorced and living alone, six years ago he lost most of his eyesight due to a hormone imbalance. Although despondent at first, he soon focused on enriching his life, through lessons in karaoke, voice-activated computers, haiku, English conversation and ballroom dancing. At the Japan Blind Dance Championships 2006, the world's first such competition for the blind, held in Tokyo on Aug. 27, he sashayed into the semifinals. He says that with effort, and humor, for him things are always looking up.
Hardships produce strong people. I was in my 20s and already a manager at a company dealing with big corporate clients' car claims. They were furious with our products, and many refused to see me. I would sit silently in front of their company headquarters all night, just waiting for them to calm down and let me in. The job was awful, and I did it for years without any complaints. I didn't run away. That long struggle prepared me to deal with anything.
The key to success is finding out how to motivate people. A truly psyched-up person is capable of amazing achievements. I was the second-worst runner at school for four years straight. Then, in the 5th grade, my mother offered me 1,000 yen if I won the 100-meter dash. I couldn't sleep that night, and I ran straight to first place.