What was the trigger or event that led him to decide to invest his hard-earned savings into the high-risk stock market?

From Salaryman to Stock Market Legend: How Takashi Koteogawa Made His "First Bet"?

Many wonder how an ordinary college student had the audacity to plunge his hard-earned savings of ¥1.6 million (equivalent to over 100,000 RMB at the time) into the perceived "bottomless pit" of the stock market. Let’s unpack his mindset.

• 1. Extreme Disillusionment with Bank Interest: "Money in the Bank Means Losing Value"

  This was perhaps the most straightforward and relatable reason. In the early 2000s, Japan was emerging from its "Lost Decade," where national bank interest rates were pitifully low. Leaving money in the bank meant the annual interest wouldn’t even cover a decent meal.

  Koteogawa, savvy and numerically sharp, crunched the numbers: Why am I slaving away to save, only for my money to stagnate in the bank? With inflation, isn't this essentially slowly becoming poorer? This sheer unwillingness became the primary catalyst driving his search for alternatives.

• 2. Unlocking a "New World": The Rise of Online Trading

  At the time Koteogawa decided to enter the market, a crucial technological shift was underway—online securities trading was becoming mainstream.

  Before this, stock trading was cumbersome for ordinary people, requiring visits to brokerage firms with complicated procedures and information asymmetry. Online brokerages completely rewrote the rules. Now, anyone with a computer and internet connection could open an account and place orders from home.

  For a tech-savvy, homebody young man, this was like opening a door to a new universe. He realized the stock market wasn't just an inaccessible casino for financial elites; it was a "game" he could actively participate in.

• 3. Unique Personality Traits: Intense Focus and Confidence

  This point is critical. Koteogawa wasn't a reckless gambler, but more like a competitor preparing for a high-stakes tournament.

  Before committing real money, he invested immense time in research. Unlike casual investors who skim headlines, he treated the market like a complex system to master. He spent ten-plus hours daily analyzing candlestick charts and tick charts, deciphering patterns in short-term volatility.

  Through prolonged observation and simulation, he gradually developed his own trading logic. He believed he had uncovered the "secret" to winning at short-term trading—strategies like the "bias reversal" method he later became known for. The intense confidence born from this exhaustive research was core to his "All in" decision. He trusted his judgment and analysis, not luck.

• 4. Pure Motivation: It Was About Making Money

  He wasn't driven by grand lofty ideals like "fulfilling life’s purpose" or "advancing society." In early interviews, he bluntly stated his sole purpose for entering the stock market was to make money. This pure, powerful focus allowed him to block out distractions and devote himself entirely to trading as his "career."

In Summary

The "catalyst" propelling him into the market can be summarized as:

A young man frustrated by the stagnation of his money in the bank, encountering the "new tool" of online trading, combined with his intensely focused, confident, programmer-like mindset – led him to this decision: Rather than let his savings gather dust, he would enter this new "game" whose playbook he felt he understood, to win himself a future.

His later success—especially his fame from the "J-COM incident"—came after. But that first step stemmed from dissatisfaction with the status quo and absolute faith in his own abilities.