Ask Iwata Book Review – Something All Nintendo Fans Need

Earlier this year, VIZ Media published the excellent 岩田さん 岩田聡はこんなことを話していた。 in the west as Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata Nintendo’s Legendary CEO. The English version was released on April 13th, 2021, and it has been on my desk ever since. I cannot stop looking at it. Reading it. Tearing up. It makes me miss Iwata-san so much, and I have said repeatedly, “I wish I had a boss that was remotely as connecting and caring as [Iwata].”

With that said, how is the translation and is this a book worth reading? You should know the answer by now, but I am going to explain to you why every Nintendo fan should buy this wonderful piece of literature.

“On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer.”

These words from Satoru Iwata ring true throughout the writings out Ask Iwata, essentially a series of interviews with long-time friend and Earthbound creator, Shigesato Itoi. Upon Iwata’s untimely death, Itoi took the collection and published it as a book for everyone in Japan to remember the legendary CEO.

For those unfamiliar, Iwata and Itoi worked on Mother 2 (Earthbound) together and became good friends. Since then, they would regularly get together and chat, so when Itoi started his publishing company, Hobonichi, he naturally wanted to use his times with Iwata to show his readers just how unique and inspiring the leader of Nintendo was. And it worked! Avid readers of Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun would get little snippets of Iwata roughly once a week, and the two did this for years.

When Iwata died in 2015, Itoi began putting together all of these little interviews together to create something special, and the effort is a solid reminder from cover to cover just how amazing an individual Iwata was.

One of the things that makes Ask Iwata so powerful is just how transparent Iwata-san was. He would share in such a way that you would immediately connect with both his flaws and his strengths. He constantly found a way to the heart of a matter, and he would be one of the first in the room to blame himself for any failures. Iwata was a man with extreme integrity, and the way the gaming world adored him furthers this observation.

The book is basically split into seven sections, covering his early life, leadership style, values and beliefs, games, death, and more. Since the interviews were sporadic and do not stay on any one particular topic, Itoi and Hobonichi had to find some flow between all of them and create a coherent and meaningful book to tell a unique story about one of Japan’s unsung heroes. Surprisingly, the book flows wonderfully, and Sam Bett’s translation work is absolutely incredible.

The opening preface from Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun is powerful, and the way they close the preface is perfect, “Every page of this book is suffused with Iwata’s thinking and philosophy. His words continue to steel our resolve, showing us how to live an honest life. May the words of Satoru Iwata continue to reach new audiences for years to come.”

I believe that most gamers and fans of Nintendo only knew Iwata for a couple reasons, namely him being the face of Nintendo for many years, being part of the creation of Kirby, and the meme with Shigeru Miyamoto holding a Nintendo DS printing money. But he was so much more than that. He was a gentle and kind soul that really knew how to look deeply into himself, correct his behavior, and become a better person for the people around him. He was one of the few business leaders that valued his employees over profit, and that alone is beyond commendable.

I lived in Japan for many years, and I bought the original book while living there back in 2019. Even reading the book in Japanese made me smile and inspired me, but Ask Iwata is something else for me personally, as I am now able to read the book in my native tongue. Reading this English version is just as wonderful as the Japanese version, and the rhythm and flow is precisely what it needs to be to connect with a western audience.

The part of the book that is honestly hardest to read is one of the last sections called “Remembering Iwata”, which is a collection of thoughts and interviews of friends, colleagues, and others. Their inserts are the perfect reminder of the previous five sections that were all Iwata’s own words, because it continued the theme of a man who was truly relational and wanted to bring the joy and happiness out of everyone. The non-confrontational man even in strife would find ways to never antagonize. He fostered happiness, and he left a very big hole in the hearts of his friends, gamers, and Nintendo fans when he passed away.

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Just read this insert from an interview with Itoi when Iwata passed away:

The only problem with the book that I found, and it is an unfortunate one, is that there are a couple grammatical errors that are quite noticeable. I was shocked so much when I ran into the first one that I actually reread the sentence about 15 times thinking that I must have read it wrong. Considering the heaviness of the material and the fact that it is a memorial piece of sorts, it is quite unfortunate that this is not a more “perfect” book in regards to editing and printing.

Despite those errors, Ask Iwata is still an incredible achievement that every Nintendo fan should own. There is so much heart and love oozing through this, and Sam Bett’s translation work is truly top-tier. This is a book that people should be reading for years and years, and it is one that will inspire designers, programmers, and leaders of the future thanks to its vulnerability, honesty, and sound advice.

If you are looking for a last-minute stocking stuffer or holiday present for a loved one, this is simply a must-have book that will simultaneously bring joy to your heart and tears to your eyes.

We miss you, Iwata-san, but your legacy lives on in this book, in your work, and in our hearts.

Ask Iwata Book Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: VIZ Media
Editor: Hobonichi
Translation: Sam Bett
Release Date: April 13, 2021
Price: $22.99 (Hardcover)