At the end of a long and difficult week for Nintendo employees, fans and many involved in the gaming industry, it seems fitting that Nintendo has released Genyo Takeda's full eulogy from Satoru Iwata's funeral, which took place on 17th July.
Takeda-san, currently co-leading the company on an interim basis with Shigeru Miyamoto, gave a touching address - we shared a reported excerpt yesterday. Below is the full memorial address, which provides a fitting farewell to the former Nintendo President.
As we gather here today for a joint funeral with Nintendo Co., Ltd. and Mr. Iwata's family, I would like to share my heartfelt condolences. President Iwata, allow me to call you Iwata-san, just as I always used to.
Iwata-san, you left us far too soon. Having just chaired our shareholders' meeting the other day on June 26, the news of your sudden death has left all the employees overcome with a deep sorrow. The late Yamauchi-san passed the baton to you in naming you the president of Nintendo in 2002, and the two Senior Managing Directors of the company, Shigeru Miyamoto and I, have been assisting and working alongside you. Being rather short-tempered myself, the thing that I am most deeply struck by is that you were a true leader in every sense of the word, overflowing with compassion for people. You always maintained a two-way dialogue, even with the next generation of employees, or with much younger members of the development and marketing teams, or with employees outside of Japan whose different customs and cultures can make communication challenging — sometimes even admitting your own mistakes to them. You demonstrated this through your belief that people could eventually come to understand one another, and your strong conviction that the best way for us to grow is through patient communication, even if it took several times, a dozen times or even seemingly endless discussion.
You succeeded in planting the seed in employees' hearts that, in order to solve an issue, there is a fundamental cycle whereby you make a hypothesis, execute the plan, see the result and then make adjustments, and by which you have caringly nurtured these seeds to sprout and mature into plants.
Until now, our successors and the younger generation would take a few first steps and then look back at you for guidance because they could not tell if they had chosen the right path. Today they cannot ask for your guidance anymore.
However, I am sure that they have already made the firm determination that they will continue on their own, making the hypothesis, executing the plan, seeing the results and reflecting on the results to improve and adjust by themselves.
In the face of your unbelievable passing it will surely take some time before we can emerge from this deep sorrow. Please know, however, that the seeds you have planted, and the plants that have sprouted will put forth small flowers as they bring smiles to the faces of people around the world, blossom into a grand flower bigger than even you, our leader, Iwata-san. Together with Miyamoto and others of our generation, we swear in our hearts that we will continue our efforts so that, someday, we can report and present to you the blossoming of these flowers. May you continuously watch over and guide us managers, our employees and your family.
On behalf of all of us, I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences and sincerest prayer. May you rest in peace, Iwata-san.
[source polygon.com]
Comments 29
Well now I'm sad again.
Huh. I literally just finished reading this elsewhere before I saw this article. Anyways, it's been nearly a week, and I still can't believe that he's gone .
Eloquently said while feeling just a bit too far on the good-for-the-company-outlook-message side of things. For a funeral I mean. On the other hand, he died dedicated to this company and it seemed a huge part of his life, so maybe it is just fine. It would dishonor him to let the event of his passing damage the company more than it has to.
I'm still in shock tbh.
"Takeda-san, currently co-leading the company on an interim basis with Satoru Iwata" do you not mean shigeru miyamoto!?!
Great eulogy though for a great man, many company directors get famed for the money they made. It makes me really happy that iwata will be remembered for the lives he touched. Now THAT is successful!!
@ULTRA-64 yea i did a double take reading that too.
but thanks for posting this article NL. it was good to read.
I still have a hard time believing he's dead. I'll probably start feeling the effects by the next direct.
Wow, it's done with. He's actually gone and he's actually buried, and to think just a week ago everything was fine in my mind. It's all so sudden, and even now after the funeral, it still almost doesn't even seem real. Like I half expect to see him on the next Direct or something as if none of this ever happened.
I do think it's starting to sink in though, and full gravity of this event is beginning to become clearer.
"Takeda-san, currently co-leading the company on an interim basis with Satoru Iwata"
Think you meant Miyamoto there
RIP, Mr. Iwata.
What a week of sadness it has been ......... rest in peace dear Iwata. Nintendo is truly an amazing company that is more reminiscent to a real family structure with responsible leaders at the helm.
At this point, I have come to accept Iwata's passing but boy did it hit me hard that day... It's still mind-shattering that he's really gone.
I wonder who will be presenting future Directs... Whoever it will be, it just won't be the same without Iwata-san.
It's still hard to comprehend that he's gone.
After reading this.....I'm still shocked by this news.
This did teach me something.......whether you met a person or not, to lose such a life who was always there for us whether outside of us or not can still be a friend to you because of how he/she had touched us all.
And one of those people was indeed Iwata......
One day we had Iwata, the next we didn't. Just shows how impermanent things are in life like the Buddhists say. I was surprised I literally cried when I heard Iwata passed away because I've never met him. Don't know him in any personal fashion, but I guess sadness doesn't have to make sense all the time.
@ThomasBW84 2nd paragraph = Shigeru Miyamoto instead of saturo Iwata? mentioned before but guessing you didn't see
Still think it's a shame he died already. I'm also not convinced this was super sudden - he was ill and people must have known. Although quickly, people close to him knew this was coming.
I will remember him and the work he contributed to fondly though. Rest in peace, you were a blessing to many.
@Sakura Thanks for the heads up, I've corrected that.
@JaxonH Same here, it really did shock me. Mr. Iwata's passing impacted me as deeply as if he were my own family member. He was truly a classy individual, and rarely have I seen someone in such an executive position have so much passion for his job, and be so open. By this, I'm referring to his willingness to admit to his own mistakes (at one point, even halving his own salary instead of laying off workers when profits were low), and communicate directly with fans. His presentations in Nintendo Directs gave a light-hearted playful to them, and I would always have a smile on my face (from staring at bananas, looking in awe at Majora Moon, or even recently, his puppet from E3).
What also makes me have so much respect for this man (aside from his other many attributes and contributions) is how his passing went about. He passed away from bile ducts, and he had a surgery last year to remove the tumour, although this surgery must not have been successful, which was what led to this unfortunate passing (as, since the tumour hadn't been removed, his death was something that people close to him were likely aware of). So, despite how ill Mr. Iwata was, he didn't want any of us to worry, and wanted to keep working, to keep touching people's hearts. That is truly what it means to be a classy individual.
Nevertheless, although Mr. Iwata may have passed, his spirit, his passion, all of which have touched countless hearts—that will live on forever.
We can all be thankful that Nintendo is a ""traditional" Japanese company where dedication and loyalty are the norm. I have no doubt that the company is in safe and capable hands.
I firmly believe that Mr iwata and his style of leadership will not leave a vacuum but clear path and moral direction that his successors, particularly the younger will follow confidently and divert from with his silent approval to break new ground and create new worlds and markets. His legacy is strength of character, respect and a conviction that to create is to take risks. What a privilege and a challenge he has given to those that will follow him.
Nice piece.
People always criticised Mr Iwata for delaying games in the past, but he would rather see a high quality finished game released than a rushed job.
Many of the recent games (Splatoon esp.) were released half done, or were not very polished. I think Mr Iwata was already very sick this year, it has a profound effect on the quality control at Nintendo. I hope they will find someone who is as good as Mr Iwata to maintain the high standard at Nintendo.
@CB85 Mr. Morimoto from some of the previous Japanese Nintendo Directs will probably take over there, and likely Bill Trinen for the US/EU ones, with Satoru Shibata continuing for Europe-specific news
That's my bet, anyway. I expect the next Direct to be late August/Early September.
Rest in peace, Iwata-san. I will miss your contribution to Nintendo and the light heart and humor you injected into each 'Direct' video.
It's definitely been a long, difficult week. During about half of the week, I still couldn't understand the fact that he passed away. My brain didn't seem to be taking it as fact. I knew the news, and my brain still expected him to be around like normal.
Emotionally speaking, I've been doing much better now. I'll never forget the charm he would always present, and the interesting directions he's taken the company. Hopefully his memory will live on forever. Well, it looks like I can give my lasting words and start moving on. Rest in peace, Iwata-san!
Im sad!!
Communication from Japanese to english will not probably be done nearly as well in the future. I do see Reggie as a strong replacement in directs though. Reggie can make excitement and generate emotion, while Iwata was a more calm presenter.
Tap here to load 29 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...