✨Stars — Indicate the difficulty level of the book content.
★☆☆ 1 Star: Easy to read and understand.
★★☆ 2 Stars: Moderate difficulty with some specialized terms.
★★★ 3 Stars: Advanced content with complex ideas and terminology.
About the Book
■Title: Become a Millionaire in One Year (1年で億り人になる)
■Author: Mayuko Totsuka (戸塚真由子)
■Publisher: Sunmark Publishing (サンマーク出版)
In Japanese, the term “Okuribito (億り人)” originally referred to people who accumulated over 100 million yen through stock or foreign exchange trading.
Over time, its meaning expanded to refer to anyone who has built substantial wealth through investment activities.
Mayuko Totsuka, the author, grew up in a poor environment, and her only dream since childhood was to become rich one day. After working as a civil servant, she changed careers to the private sector and became such an outstanding salesperson that she once earned 8 million yen per month. However, she soon realized that a high income does not necessarily mean true wealth.
In pursuit of genuine wealth, she traveled to 38 countries around the world, personally meeting more than 100 “real” millionaires and building a wide network of connections and knowledge.
Later, she met her current investment mentor, and starting from zero assets and zero income, she achieved FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) in just three months, and by the fourth month, she had accumulated assets worth 100 million yen.
Today, she works as an Asset-Building Consultant (資産構築コンサルタント), helping countless students in Japan and abroad manage their assets and pursue financial growth. This book compiles her personal experiences, insights, and practical know-how gained through her journey toward financial freedom.
Summary
The mindset of the rich begins with breaking away from the common sense of ordinary people. While most people believe that increasing one’s assets means working to save money, the truly wealthy first borrow money and manage it efficiently to grow their assets. Of course, it is essential to clearly understand the difference between good debt and bad debt.
The habits of the rich involve evaluating people and time with a cool head. They do not drive expensive cars or wear luxury clothes, and they own only the bare minimum of possessions. When investing, they make decisions based on true value rather than reputation or popularity. The author also advises establishing a corporation early and having a trustworthy tax accountant as an ally. This serves as the foundation for systematically growing one’s assets, beyond merely saving on taxes.
The author emphasizes the importance of tangible investments such as real estate and export businesses, encouraging readers to invest in assets that hold visible value. She also adds a realistic warning to beware of fraud and temptation once money begins to accumulate.
What stands out most is the way the rich handle time. They regard time as both life itself and a measure of trust, strictly managing their daily routines and spending habits. She also shares the insight that as one’s assets change, one’s place of residence changes—and with it, life itself changes.
Finally, the author candidly shares her life journey, leaving the message that “to become financially free is to become mentally free.”
Notable Quotes
■生涯収入を変える思考テスト：あなたは、毎月3000円を10年間、どう使いますか？
A Mind Test That Changes Your Lifetime Income: If you had 3,000 yen every month for 10 years, how would you use it?
■1億円を借りると、もれなく1億円の借金ができます。けれど、それに伴い1億円の資産ができます。バランスシート上は負債となりますが、実際には資産なのです。
そして、1億円を元手に運用益を作ることができたら、その利益をまた資産のほうに持ってくるのです。
If you borrow 100 million yen, you also incur a debt of 100 million yen. However, at the same time, you also gain an asset worth 100 million yen. On the balance sheet it appears as a liability, but in reality, it is also an asset.
If you can use that 100 million yen as capital to generate investment returns, those profits will in turn be added to the asset side.
■マインドセット
①正しい情報を選ぶ
②気持ちよく先に対価を払う
③「情報を得る→即行動する」を徹底
■ Mindset
① Select the right information
② Pay for value willingly and upfront
③ Practice thoroughly: “Gain information → Take action immediately”
My Thoughts
The reason I decided to buy this book was because I was drawn to its title, “Become a Millionaire in One Year.” At first glance, it seems almost impossible for an ordinary person to earn 100 million yen in just one year. However, the author, with her one and only earnest dream of becoming rich, entered the world of the wealthy, learned their way of thinking and behavior, and eventually succeeded in becoming rich herself.
Of course, the author did not achieve her goal easily. Her ability to put thoughts into action right away, her mental strength to rise again even after setbacks, and her perseverance to accomplish her goals to the end were all qualities I felt I should learn from. Because of that, the content of this book felt even more genuine and convincing to me.
The “Mind Test That Changes Your Lifetime Income” printed on the cover made me think deeply. When I asked myself, “If it were me, how would I use 3,000 yen a month for 10 years?”, I realized how different the mindset of truly wealthy people is about money. And I also came to feel that I am not yet rich, because I have been living with an ordinary way of thinking.
“Become a Millionaire in One Year” by Mayuko Totsuka, which shares the mindset and habits of the wealthy, as well as their ways of saving, growing, and protecting money, and a glimpse into their everyday lives, was a book that greatly changed my perspective on money and motivated me to put its lessons into practice.
Although the book is fairly thick, it is well-written and easy to read, so I finished it quickly. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the “real” world of the truly rich.
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