88 years old, a day trader, "working days" start from 2 a.m ，and he has remained steadfast despite the stock market crashing 50 times. His goal is to be like Warren Buffett... Can this path of stock market investment really be sustained?
For Shigeru Fujimoto, who lives in the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe, his "working day" begins at 2 a.m.
This year, the cumulative assets have exceeded 2 billion yen (approximately 12.6 million US dollars), and have continued to set new records.
"I want to increase it by another tenfold," Fujimoto said. "My goal is Warren Buffett.(the famous American investor).
He said that although there is a specific amount target, he does not plan to live a luxurious life with this money. Fujimoto has neither a mobile phone nor a car. His clothes are slightly wrinkled.
His deteriorating physical condition can no longer be concealed.
Nevertheless, Fujimoto views the aging of the body as inevitable and maintains an optimistic attitude. "If I learn shorthand, I can take notes faster and conduct more transactions," he said. "Even though my body is weakening, my trading style is still evolving. I give myself a score of 75 out of 100."
When inspiration strikes, take action.
Fujimoto's life creed is: "No matter how old you are, as long as the thought 'This is it' flashes through your mind, you should take the risk to do it, even if there is a risk of failure."
He began investing full-time in 1986 and his investment amount once reached 1 billion yen, catching up with the wave of Japan's asset bubble economy in the late 1980s. However, his assets were reduced to 200 million yen.
The Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 dealt him another blow, causing him to lose his enthusiasm for investment for a while.
At the age of 66, he first used a computer.
The turning point came in 2002 when Fujimoto began to get involved in the world of online stock trading.
"It's really convenient and the commission is low," he thought at the time, "I must give it a try."
When starting a new venture, age is not a factor at all."
He also experienced failures.
"I didn't fall seven times and get up eight times. Instead, I probably fell about 50 times," Fujimoto said.
When he suffered a major loss in stock trading, he would try to adjust his mood.
"I always scold myself and never shift the blame onto others," Fujimoto said. "Worrying is useless; it will just cause you to miss the next opportunity."
However, he also emphasized that stock trading is not something that those who want to easily make quick money can do. "
Once you buy stocks, they become your friends. You have to keep looking after them," he said. "You need to study them every day and get along with them like brothers."
It's easier said than done.
Even with a sore back, Fujimoto would sit in front of the computer all day long, reading and researching relevant materials.
Whenever there was a sudden news event, he would predict the reactions of other investors and try to get ahead of the curve.
His experience and thinking accumulated every day, but he still sometimes made wrong judgments. Fujimoto said that this is the difficulty of day trading, and also its charm.
Tanimoto doesn't believe what those analysts on TV and in the newspapers say like "This stock will go up". They are just talking for their salaries;
"I am giving my current life a score of 75 out of 100. I maintain a calm mindset every day and refine my trading skills. If I can continue to strive for perfection in terms of spirit, technique and physical condition, maybe I can reach 90 or 100 points. That should be about the time when I bid farewell to this world."
It's never too late to start at any time. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Don't always be worrying if you are alive!
