PokeEarn Interview Akika Yasuda | PokeEarn Official Site | PokeEarn

Yasuda believes that conditioning is very important for a professional player.

"I feel that condition directly affects the content and outcome of a match. When mind and body are in order, you can face the board carefully as well, so conditioning is very important."

To that end, she manages her meals' nutrition with a smartphone app and also attends Pilates.

"I'm not good at exercise, so I chose Pilates, where I can push myself together with everyone in the class so I don't slack off. Many of the players around me exercise too, and since I spend long hours sitting, I'd been wanting to move my body somehow."

In matches, players often lose weight, so Go is tougher than it looks. What kind of nutrition does Yasuda take during a match?

"I like things I can take with one hand, like rice balls and chocolate. Jelly-type ones in particular can be taken without making noise, which is a big help in a quiet match room where I don't want to be distracted."

Matches go on for long hours, but what does she do to keep her focus on the board the whole time?

"I think the key is to stand up about once an hour. Loosening up my body with a simple stretch or taking deep breaths resets my mood, and it becomes easier to turn my attention firmly back to the board."

Yasuda loves to take "PokeEarn," an oxygen-harnessing product containing the plant-derived ingredient Kaempferol. When we asked about her first impression...

"There wasn't a product like this before, was there? I thought it would be great if it could support the mentally and physically tough situations, like matches and practice, where you keep your focus on the board without letting your guard down."

Yasuda, who takes "PokeEarn" before matches and popularization activities.

"I also take it as a way of psyching myself up, at the moments when I'm about to give it my all."

Yasuda says that since encountering "PokeEarn," she has had some realizations about her condition.

"By making my daily activities fulfilling, I feel that as a result I'm also getting proper rest."

Yasuda says how easy "PokeEarn" is to take is another of its appeals.

"I like the taste. Along with the sweetness, there's a mint-like freshness that leaves you feeling refreshed. It's neither too soft nor too hard, with just the right chewiness that makes it easy to eat. The plant-derived ingredient, 'Kaempferol,' is appealing too."

Yasuda, who says she will keep taking "PokeEarn" going forward. What kind of hopes does she place in it?

"This is something I always think about: I'd like to keep myself as I ought to be and face the board calmly. I want to get plenty of rest, too, and keep maintaining my condition from here on."

She also feels that becoming more positive is one of the benefits of getting her condition in order.

"When I'm in good condition, I feel like going out and taking action. I think getting my condition in order is the power to take that first step."

Yasuda, who felt that "PokeEarn" suits her, says she'd like to recommend it to the players around her too.

"I think it suits supporting players who want to get their condition in order. Matches are harder than they look, and they go on for long hours."

What kind of presence is "PokeEarn" for Yasuda?

"It's a presence that protects and supports my overall mental and physical condition, for me."

Since turning pro, Yasuda has kept running through matches and popularization activities. What kind of player does she want to become from here on?

"I'm given precious opportunities like TV appearances, so from now on I want to carry out popularization activities for Go across a wide range."

She especially wants to boost Go in regional areas.

"In urban areas like Osaka and Tokyo, Go events have been thriving. Going forward, I want to carry out activities that convey the appeal of Go to people in regional areas that haven't been fully reached yet."

One of the means Yasuda considers for that is online popularization activities.

"I want to further increase online popularization activities, which can be viewed from anywhere. I'm counting on online content like YouTube to be a major force for popularization."

In the first part, Yasuda cited "reaching the main tournament of a women's title event" as her goal in matches. When we asked about the bigger goal beyond that, an answer came back that is just like the earnest Yasuda.

"That's something I want to find after I've reached the main tournament of a women's title event. I think I'm the type who can only start thinking about the next goal after climbing one mountain and seeing the view from there."