Hiromitsu Yamagishi

Love for Science and Music: The Origin of Everything

My favorite subject in elementary school was science. I had a special talent for understanding the general mechanics of things just by looking at them. I even dreamed of becoming a scientist and winning the Nobel Prize someday. Of course, that dream is still very much alive—I’m 56 years old now. Don’t I look it? I hear that often. I proudly call myself a man who doesn’t age (laughs).
I’ve also loved music deeply. Starting in middle school, I would record the weekly top 10 foreign music radio shows and listen to them repeatedly. My real passion for audio equipment began during my university days. Sony and other brands launched the world’s first CD players in Japan, and I was mesmerized. What captivated me the most was Sony’s second high-end CD player model, which cost 260,000 yen at the time. For a student, it was a hefty sum, but I didn’t hesitate. I saved up by working part-time jobs and paired it with equipment from Pioneer, Victor, Technics, and Trio, creating an 800,000-yen setup. This marked the beginning of my deep obsession with listening to music with “quality” sound.

A Hobby Turned Experimentation

My love for science led me to deepen my knowledge at the University of Electro-Communications. After graduating, I joined NEC (Nippon Electric Company) and worked as an engineer, contributing to around 30 patents over the years. Meanwhile, my passion for music drove me to explore ways to enhance audio quality further. One day, I hypothesized that improving the energy efficiency of audio power supplies could enhance audio quality. My scientific curiosity wouldn’t let me rest without testing this theory. So, in 1998, I began developing and experimenting with dedicated power supplies for high-end audio systems as a private research project.

Around that time, Esoteric released a 10th-anniversary model—a high-end CD transport priced at 1.2 million yen. It was lauded as one of the best in the audio industry. Since CD transports output only digital signals, they were ideal for testing the impact of power supplies on sound quality. Although it was another significant expense, I saw it as key to my research and purchased it without hesitation.

20 Years of Trial and Error

As a company employee, I dedicated myself to development work from 8:30 AM to 9:30 PM on weekdays. After returning home, I would conduct audio cable listening tests. My weekends were also filled with experimentation. Evaluating power cables required patience, as significant changes only emerged after more than a week of continuous use.

My family played a huge role in supporting me during this experimental lifestyle. Particularly for private research, which consumed an immense amount of time, their support was invaluable. Fourteen years into my experiments, I hit a wall and couldn’t make progress. After much deliberation, I decided to stop. Despite my passion, I completely stepped away from the experiments and focused on spending time with my family.

Humans are fascinating creatures. When you abandon something you’ve been relentlessly pursuing and shift focus, new ideas often arise. During this “pause,” I welcomed my second daughter into the world. Witnessing her boundless energy sparked inspiration, leading me to key insights for my stalled experiments.

Spending time with family gave me clarity that I hadn’t found while immersed in audio research. It was a poignant reminder of how much my family had supported me. I felt immense gratitude for the fateful bond I shared with them.

Reinvigorated with fresh ideas, I resumed my experiments and, in October 2016, finally consolidated my findings. In March 2018, I registered a personal patent for a groundbreaking technology that boosts energy efficiency by about 1.5 times under the same voltage and current. While the word “sound quality” doesn’t appear in the patent, this technology realizes my long-standing hobby of high-quality music listening. Beyond high-end audio development, it has potential applications in next-generation electric vehicles (EVs). In EVs, this technology could extend driving ranges by approximately 1.5 times per charge without changing battery capacity. I aim to set a world record for single-charge driving distances with this technology.

The potential applications for this technology are boundless. By partnering with companies interested in adopting this patent, I hope to develop products that bring happiness to society as a whole.

Transforming Society Like Steve Jobs

In today’s fast-changing VUCA era, Japan’s uniquely insular PDCA cycle is criticized for being too slow to keep up with the world, risking obsolescence. Globally, the OODA loop—a framework that emphasizes swift decision-making and action—is becoming the key to success. Existing technologies are merely the tip of the iceberg; far more undiscovered technologies exist. I enjoy exploring humanity’s infinite possibilities and see my purpose as contributing newfound value to society.

Obtaining this patent was driven by my belief that collaborating with partner companies to apply this technology could touch more lives and deliver greater value. Like Peter Drucker, Alfred Adler, and Steve Jobs, I aim to create transformative opportunities with originality that only I can provide, ultimately bringing sweeping changes to society. I am confident that my patented power technology, a fundamental innovation applicable to all electrical devices, holds limitless potential to reshape society.

The Untapped Potential of Patents

There is growing global excitement about the development of quantum computers, which are poised to surpass supercomputers in processing power. Companies like Google and IBM, along with numerous startups, are racing toward commercialization.

I believe my patented technology can contribute to this field. It drastically suppresses power supply noise, stabilizes waveforms, and minimizes unnecessary power consumption, preventing heat generation. These attributes are crucial for speeding up computers. For instance, combining my technology with “MESO” semiconductors—a low-power, room-temperature quantum computing approach unveiled in December 2018—could make practical quantum computers a reality. Of course, the technology can also enhance conventional computers.

Additionally, this patent could update medical, health, and beauty electrical devices. Since starting these experiments at age 36, I’ve noticed minimal aging in both appearance and physical stamina, which I attribute to the continuous current flow in my experiments. I even hypothesize that applying this patented technology to medical and beauty devices could unlock the potential for “anti-aging.” If realized, it would undoubtedly be Nobel Prize-worthy. The possibilities for applying this patent are endless.

Resolve Shapes the Future

People often ask me how I persevered for 20 years without giving up. The answer is simple: I was resolute. I firmly believed, “This is truly valuable and important to me, and I must see it through to the end.”

Even when success seems nearly impossible, unwavering conviction can make anything achievable. That’s what resolve means. Everything starts there, and in a way, it’s everything. Even in quantum mechanics, what you firmly resolve determines the future. The rest is just a matter of time, working toward that predetermined outcome. With my regular dumbbell training, health-conscious diet, and electron experiments keeping me youthful, I have all the time I need (laughs).

Have you heard of Walt Disney’s “4 Cs” for realizing dreams? Curiosity, courage, constancy, and confidence. I believe these are essential, and resolve enhances these qualities, driving you closer to your dreams.

With this patent, I’ve achieved one dream. But to fulfill my lifelong resolve of “transcending conventional wisdom and exploring humanity’s limitless potential,” the challenges continue. I’ll keep taking it step by step until I reach the outcomes I’ve resolved to achieve and realize my ultimate dream.