I've once seen him work nonstop 40 hours. He's had support and interactions with colleagues at EMBL and the radiation facilities, but Taki essentially did the EF-Tu. You integrate the various experimental aspects much better and that translates into consistent results. I also think it prepares you for leadership later when you are running your own lab. Kawashima is philosophical about his career choice.
Curiosity is the main motivation of a good scientist.
If you look closely at your data, you can go far. So many things are discovered by careful observation and finding inspiration in things you had not expected. It's what you do with that data. Sometimes accidents allow you to consider new approaches. My project is just one piece of the puzzle of the translational apparatus.