“I Already Used My Retirement Money” — Osaki Hiroshi and Ikushima Hiroshi on Staying Active for Life

“I’ve already spent all my retirement money”

Freelance announcer Hiroshi Ikushima (75) and former Yoshimoto Kogyo Holdings chairman Hiroshi Ōsaki (72) spoke on a wide range of topics in a FRIDAY project.

【Part 1 here】Hiroshi Ōsaki, former Yoshimoto HD chairman × Hiroshi Ikushima: From stories of major entertainers’ personal connections to behind-the-scenes tales of television’s golden age

Having both passed their seventies after a lifetime of working at full speed and playing just as hard, Ikushima—who has started anew in a new environment—and Ōsaki—who completed his role as head of the Osaka-Kansai Expo—discuss what comes next.

Ōsaki: “You know, I’ve basically already spent most of my Yoshimoto retirement money, and I’m at the point where I might have to cancel my life insurance. People think I’ve got money, but I really don’t. I need to go back to basics and earn my daily living properly.”

Ikushima: “If you want to keep working, health comes first. Actually, I’ve recently started treatment for frequent urination. Thanks to it, I don’t wake up even once at night anymore and sleep really well.”

Ōsaki: “Wow! I wake up more than ten times a night.”

Ikushima: “You should get treatment! I’ve even started hair-loss treatment. They used to say, ‘When the hair on top grows, the lower parts don’t work,’ but a doctor I know told me there’s now treatment that can fix both.”

Ōsaki: “Medical science is amazing. This is a bit off from health, but I had circumcision surgery when I turned 60. My wife had passed away, and I wanted to be prepared so I wouldn’t trouble anyone who might take care of me in old age, so I made the decision.”

Ikushima: “That’s wonderful! I also had surgery done a long time ago.”

Ōsaki: “Really? Then this wouldn’t be titled ‘The W Hiroshi’ anymore—it’d be ‘The Circumcision Brothers: Talking About the Entertainment World!’”

Ikushima: “Seriously! (laughs) As for the future, my favorite, Tokumitsu (Kazuo), is still active at 85. Even when he’s asleep, it becomes work—that’s amazing (laughs). I want to surpass Tokumitsu.”

Ōsaki: “Is that really true?”

Ikushima: “He really does sleep (laughs). But I’m envious. When I turned 75, a doctor I know told me, ‘At your age, you could die at any time, so you should enjoy life.’”

“As Sanma-san’s (Akashiya Sanma) saying goes, ‘Just being alive is pure profit.’ I think that’s truly wonderful. I’m not ready for retirement yet. I want to keep working as long as possible.”

What they should do in the years ahea

Ōsaki: “On that note, I’m going to become a school principal next year. We’re planning to open a correspondence high school in Hiroshima, and we’ll recruit students from all over Japan. I want to focus on teaching practical, life-related skills—things like music, art, and home economics, or skills that lead directly to making a living.

I think it would be interesting if I could make it my job to create a place for kids who struggle with studying or can’t attend school. I’ve spent 46 years as a manager raising entertainers, and now I’ll be teaching children as a principal. I feel like life really connects together.”

Ikushima: “For our generation too, we have to keep learning. I asked a dementia specialist, and they told me, ‘If you don’t want to become senile, keep working until you die!’ Having work also gives you a connection to society.”

Ōsaki: “You can’t just stay at home once you get older, and most people can’t keep up hobbies even if they try hard to find them. If that’s the case, it’s better to stay engaged with society—in other words, keep working. I don’t want to lose that mindset of always finding new things and not dwelling only on the past.”

Ikushima: “We’re both still full of energy. Let’s keep working!”