Nagano Makoto (長野 誠), a fisherman from Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, and captain of his boat "The 28th Konpira Maru", is a SASUKE All-Star and one of only three men to have completed the course, doing so in SASUKE 17. He is widely regarded as one of the most likely competitors to repeat this feat. His height and weight are recorded at 162 cm and 62 kg respectively. He holds the record for most Final Stage appearances (five), and has achieved fastest times in the First and Second Stages on numerous occasions. He also is the only competitor who attempted both the second and third versions of the Final Stage.
Nagano is known for his consistency in the competition. He reached the Final Stage three times in a row (the 11th,12th, and 13th competitions), but failed each time. Of the three, the closest he came to winning the competition was in the Fall 2003 competition (SASUKE 12), missing the red button by 0.11 seconds.
In his 22 appearances, he has cleared the First Stage twelve times, the Second Stage ten times, the Third Stage five times, and the Final Stage once. He has worn #100 in 13 competitions.
He debuted in SASUKE 7 and while his run was all cut, it is known that he timed out on the Soritatsu Kabe. He returned in SASUKE 8 wearing #41. The course was drenched in rain, and he once again timed out on the Soritatsu Kabe like many others. Before the 9th competition, he built a replica of the obstacle at his home to train on, and the results showed, as he cleared it in one attempt and completed the First Stage with 22.72 seconds to spare. He then managed to advance to the Pipe Slider in Third Stage, missing out on the Final Stage only by inches as his jump towards the goal platform fell short.
After this impressive run, Nagano was officially inducted as an All-Star. Expectations were high for the 10th Anniversary competition, but surprisingly he fell on the Jump Hang in the First Stage. He was to make up for this disappointing showing, however, by advancing to the Final Stage in the very next tournament. Having taken too much time transitioning from the Spider Climb to the Rope Climb, he was unable to scale the tower in time. In the 12th competition, he again advanced to the Final Stage, achieving fastest times in the First and Second Stages on the way. Though he climbed at a faster pace than the previous attempt, he timed out inches from the buzzer. Standing on top of the tower, he refused to look down at the view, saying that he would do so only when he achieved 'Kanzenseiha'.
In the 13th competition, despite a renewal in the First Stage, Nagano made his way yet again to the Final Stage, only to meet another time-out. Naturally disappointed with this result, he returned with a vengeance in the 14th competition, completing the First Stage with an amazing 30 seconds left to spare only behind Takeda Toshihiro. However, three new obstacles were introduced in the Third Stage in this tournament, and Nagano was to fall during his attempt on the Jumping Bars. In the 15th tournament, he failed the Metal Spin in the Second Stage, an obstacle he had passed the previous tournament. This was his first Second Stage defeat.
Perhaps the strangest failure that Nagano suffered was in the 16th competition. Nagano once again had made his way towards the end of the 3rd Stage. Nagano took his time and rested on the green pipe directly before the Devil's Swing obstacle that leads to the Pipe Slider. Instead of trying to generate momentum from an idle position on the trapeze-like Devil Balanço, Nagano instead grasped the Devil Balanço with one arm, and held onto the green pipe with the other. He then swung back and forth, eliminating most of the effort needed to get to the Pipe Slider. However, one of the chains on the Devil's Swing got caught on the green pipe. Nagano eventually got himself free, and even got a hold on the Pipe Slider with one hand, but he couldn't hold on. When he let go, the orange pipe slid a short ways down the track. With no choice but to generate as much momentum as he could, Nagano fell short of the pipe.
In SASUKE 17, Nagano wore #99, behind Yamada Katsumi who vowed to retire after the tournament. Nagano cleared the first stage effortlessly, pounding his chest atop the Rope Climb and pressing the button with 12.4 seconds left. He proceeded to shout words of encouragement for Yamada, who would time out atop the Soritasu Kabe. Nagano flew through the second and third stages to reach the Final Stage, joining Nagasaki Shunsuke. After Nagasaki timed out, it was Nagano's turn. Determined to redeem himself from the close failures in the 12th and 13th tournaments, Nagano reached the rope with 18 seconds on the clock and finished the Final Stage with 2.56 seconds left. This earned him the title of Grand Champion, joining fellow All-Star Akiyama Kazuhiko as the only two to do so.
The 19th competition was the scene of his most shocking defeat to date. He showed some impressive speed on the first few obstacles until he reached one of the newest obstacles, the Flying Chute, which he cleared easily in the 18th competition. Nagano mistimed the obstacle and just grazed the rope with his hands (a similar mistake made by Nagasaki Takamasa), instead of grabbing the rope from under his arms, which is the technique needed to successfully clear the obstacle. He then lost his grip and forcefully fell backwards into the water, shocking the entire audience and the announcers, as well as his fellow All-Stars. It was his first defeat by the first stage since 2002. In the next tournaments, he would lose some of his famed consistency, falling to the Second Stage's Downhill Jump in the 20th competition (he had spent two weeks in the hospital just prior to this tournament), and again the First Stage's Slider Jump in the 22nd competition, but his potential is still as high as ever, as shown by his performance in the 21st competition where he failed at the end of the Third Stage, perhaps as a result of an error in design of theGliding Ring, the last obstacle, that made it similar to the Pipe Slider, requiring competitors to force the ring down the track instead of easily gliding down.
In SASUKE 25 Nagano was given #99 and was the lone represenitive of Miyazaki Prefecture. During the tournament he started shaky. On the Dome Steps he slipped on the last step and was barely able to make it to the mat and on the Bridge Jump he nearly slipped off the rope. He seemed to recover and he made it to the Circle Slider, but he failed to hit the springboard cleanly and he failed to even touch the ring.
In SASUKE 26 he was given #99. He started out with a good speed, performing much better than in the previous tournament, he made it past the Step Slider perfectly and even cleared the Hazard Swing without the aid of the ending bar and had no trouble with the Rolling Escargot. However, due to the modification in the Jumping Spider gap, he did not jump far enough into the main obstacle and failed there.
He returned in SASUKE 27 and recieved #100 once again. He made it past Stage 1 for the first time since SASUKE 23 and became the only All-Star to clear Stage 1 that tournament. Nagano despite being unfamiliar to several obstacles in that stage beat the Second Stage as well. In the Third Stage he beat the Arm Bike and Flying Bar, but he slipped up on the Ultimate Cliffhanger's fifth ledge.
In SASUKE RISING, as an All-Star retirement special, all five of the competing All-Stars wore the final five numbers; Nagano was given his traditional #100. He was off to a good start until the Ni Ren Soritatsu Kabe. He cleared the first wall with ease but timed out on the second. Eventually, he gave up after the buzzer sounded, throwing his arm pad to the ground.
Nagano's SASUKE future is unknown at this time; he has stated that he would like to compete again, but it is unknown if he will be allowed on the program since new directer Inui Misato has retired the All-Stars.
Nagano is known for his consistency in the competition. He reached the Final Stage three times in a row (the 11th,12th, and 13th competitions), but failed each time. Of the three, the closest he came to winning the competition was in the Fall 2003 competition (SASUKE 12), missing the red button by 0.11 seconds.
In his 22 appearances, he has cleared the First Stage twelve times, the Second Stage ten times, the Third Stage five times, and the Final Stage once. He has worn #100 in 13 competitions.
Biographical Info
Born: March 30, 1972 (age 40)
Home: Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan
Job: Fisherman, Musician
Height: 162 cm
Weight: 64 kg
SASUKE Competitions
Nickname: King of SASUKE, Leader Of the All-Stars, Ninja Warrior Legend
Song: Last Battle from X TV OST
First: SASUKE 7
Last: SASUKE 28
Total: 22 Competitions
Best: SASUKE 17, Kanzenseiha
Early Tournaments
After this impressive run, Nagano was officially inducted as an All-Star. Expectations were high for the 10th Anniversary competition, but surprisingly he fell on the Jump Hang in the First Stage. He was to make up for this disappointing showing, however, by advancing to the Final Stage in the very next tournament. Having taken too much time transitioning from the Spider Climb to the Rope Climb, he was unable to scale the tower in time. In the 12th competition, he again advanced to the Final Stage, achieving fastest times in the First and Second Stages on the way. Though he climbed at a faster pace than the previous attempt, he timed out inches from the buzzer. Standing on top of the tower, he refused to look down at the view, saying that he would do so only when he achieved 'Kanzenseiha'.
In the 13th competition, despite a renewal in the First Stage, Nagano made his way yet again to the Final Stage, only to meet another time-out. Naturally disappointed with this result, he returned with a vengeance in the 14th competition, completing the First Stage with an amazing 30 seconds left to spare only behind Takeda Toshihiro. However, three new obstacles were introduced in the Third Stage in this tournament, and Nagano was to fall during his attempt on the Jumping Bars. In the 15th tournament, he failed the Metal Spin in the Second Stage, an obstacle he had passed the previous tournament. This was his first Second Stage defeat.
Perhaps the strangest failure that Nagano suffered was in the 16th competition. Nagano once again had made his way towards the end of the 3rd Stage. Nagano took his time and rested on the green pipe directly before the Devil's Swing obstacle that leads to the Pipe Slider. Instead of trying to generate momentum from an idle position on the trapeze-like Devil Balanço, Nagano instead grasped the Devil Balanço with one arm, and held onto the green pipe with the other. He then swung back and forth, eliminating most of the effort needed to get to the Pipe Slider. However, one of the chains on the Devil's Swing got caught on the green pipe. Nagano eventually got himself free, and even got a hold on the Pipe Slider with one hand, but he couldn't hold on. When he let go, the orange pipe slid a short ways down the track. With no choice but to generate as much momentum as he could, Nagano fell short of the pipe.
Kanzenseiha (Total Victory)
Nagano achieved 'Kanzenseiha' at SASUKE 17. His victory made him the second person to become a SASUKE Grand Champion after Akiyama Kazuhiko's 'Kanzenseiha' at SASUKE 4.
Shin-Sasuke
His accomplishment paved the way for the completely redone SASUKE course, which was unveiled at the 18th competition. During this competition, Nagano made it all the way to the 3rd Stage, but was disqualified when he attempted the new Cliff Hanger. The fourth rendition of the Cliff Hanger, which was rebranded as "Shin-Cliff Hanger," has the second bar inclined upwards and shortened, making the gap between the second and third bars a jumping distance, rather than an arm's reach. While Nagano cleared the jump, his hand grabbed the frame of the Cliff Hanger, thereby going off the course and he was disqualified. He stopped after he got off the Cliff Hanger and announced his mistake himself.
The 19th competition was the scene of his most shocking defeat to date. He showed some impressive speed on the first few obstacles until he reached one of the newest obstacles, the Flying Chute, which he cleared easily in the 18th competition. Nagano mistimed the obstacle and just grazed the rope with his hands (a similar mistake made by Nagasaki Takamasa), instead of grabbing the rope from under his arms, which is the technique needed to successfully clear the obstacle. He then lost his grip and forcefully fell backwards into the water, shocking the entire audience and the announcers, as well as his fellow All-Stars. It was his first defeat by the first stage since 2002. In the next tournaments, he would lose some of his famed consistency, falling to the Second Stage's Downhill Jump in the 20th competition (he had spent two weeks in the hospital just prior to this tournament), and again the First Stage's Slider Jump in the 22nd competition, but his potential is still as high as ever, as shown by his performance in the 21st competition where he failed at the end of the Third Stage, perhaps as a result of an error in design of theGliding Ring, the last obstacle, that made it similar to the Pipe Slider, requiring competitors to force the ring down the track instead of easily gliding down.
Controversy
In SASUKE 23, Nagano showed great speed in the First Stage until the Slider Jump, where he failed for the second consecutive time. However, the wire holding the pipe got caught on the framework of the obstacle and did not allow the pipe to reach the end of the track. Nagano disputed and won. After approximately 43 minutes of repairs, Nagano was given a second attempt and finished the stage. Also it had been announced that Nagano was given the nickname, Mr SASUKE. Nagano then went on to clear the Second Stage and was able to get revenge on the Gliding Ring that took him out in SASUKE 21, reaching the Final Stage. Nagano cleared the Heavenly Ladder with 23 seconds remaining, but lost time climbing the G-Rope and was just short of the button as time expired. Due to his near miss in the previous tournament many people expected him to clear all four stages in the 24th tournament. He cleared the first three obstacles with ease, but at the end of the Spider Walk section of the Jumping Spider he was too low and slipped into the mud pit below. It was the earliest he had ever failed (along with his Jump Hang failure in SASUKE 10). In the interview after his run, he said he wanted to clear the first half of the stage quickly so he could have a lot of time for the end of the stage which made strong competitors such as Yamamoto Shingo and Kanno Hitoshi time out.
The Slider Jump malfunctioning during Nagano's run in SASUKE 23.
Nagano and Kanno on the Final Stage at SASUKE 23
Kanzen Renewal
In SASUKE 26 he was given #99. He started out with a good speed, performing much better than in the previous tournament, he made it past the Step Slider perfectly and even cleared the Hazard Swing without the aid of the ending bar and had no trouble with the Rolling Escargot. However, due to the modification in the Jumping Spider gap, he did not jump far enough into the main obstacle and failed there.
He returned in SASUKE 27 and recieved #100 once again. He made it past Stage 1 for the first time since SASUKE 23 and became the only All-Star to clear Stage 1 that tournament. Nagano despite being unfamiliar to several obstacles in that stage beat the Second Stage as well. In the Third Stage he beat the Arm Bike and Flying Bar, but he slipped up on the Ultimate Cliffhanger's fifth ledge.
In SASUKE RISING, as an All-Star retirement special, all five of the competing All-Stars wore the final five numbers; Nagano was given his traditional #100. He was off to a good start until the Ni Ren Soritatsu Kabe. He cleared the first wall with ease but timed out on the second. Eventually, he gave up after the buzzer sounded, throwing his arm pad to the ground.
Nagano's SASUKE future is unknown at this time; he has stated that he would like to compete again, but it is unknown if he will be allowed on the program since new directer Inui Misato has retired the All-Stars.
Nagano arrive at Malaysia
Nagano with Sasuke Malaysia winner, Mohd Farid Isham
Nagano meet the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak
Nagano on the stage course at Sasuke Malaysia during the event 'Himpunan Sejuta Belia' at Putrajaya, Malaysia
Tags:
Sasuke All-Stars
Nagano Makoto. This SASUKE Legend is famous not only in his country but also outside Japan. His popularity is same like Michael Jordan in Basketball and Pele in football, that's my opinion.