While watching my YouTube series The Turntable of Civilization, I unexpectedly encountered Yoko Morishita. It brought back memories of seeing Maya Plisetskaya’s The Dying Swan as a high school student, and realizing what true greatness in ballet meant. Missing Morishita’s performance in Tokyo remains a profound mistake.

Just moments ago, I was watching my own YouTube channel, The Turntable of Civilization,
and found myself impressed once again by what I had created.
Then suddenly, Yoko Morishita appeared.

I must have been a high school student when I saw Maya Plisetskaya perform The Dying Swan on television.
I remember thinking: this is greatness — the champion of twentieth-century ballet.

Since then, I had never seen another ballerina whose performance carried the same weight.
Not until Yoko Morishita.

Some years ago, a close friend who loves ballet invited me to attend a performance in Tokyo
by what was considered Japan’s finest ballet company.
For some reason, I felt strangely unmotivated and declined.

It must have been the company to which Yoko Morishita belonged.

What a mistake.

I missed the chance to witness Yoko Morishita —
a true national treasure.