A Journey through My Diverse Perspectives

  People who seem quiet at first can become remarkably eloquent when invited to speak about their interests or meaningful past experiences. Rather than seeking attention, they tend to open up when thoughtfully asked, often revealing unique perspectives, deep insights, and uncommon stories that enrich both listener and speaker alike. I have never been one to talk much about myself; instead, I prefer asking questions that draw others out and deepen the conversation. This approach has led me to unexpected encounters, surprising stories, and new knowledge beyond my own field, and I have always valued the simple fact that others felt glad to share their thoughts with me.

  During the Edo period (1603–1867), under the Tokugawa shogunate, education in Japan was remarkably widespread. Around 300 feudal domains maintained their own schools, and some 20,000 private institutions known as “terakoya” operated throughout the country. These temple- and shrine-based schools, led by monks and scholars, provided children of both samurai and commoners with instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic, while also serving as important centers of local community life. What distinguished education in this era was its emphasis on character as much as knowledge. Rather than focusing solely on competition or academic achievement, it sought to cultivate inner qualities—manners, ethics, aesthetic awareness, and harmony with nature—while encouraging individuals to discover their unique strengths and roles within society. In this way, Edo-period education nurtured a quiet sense of self-affirmation: a feeling that “I can be of value here.” In contrast, modern education o...

  Just as threads, when tightly interwoven into warp and weft, gain strength and become functional fabrics essential to daily life, academic disciplines, when deeply explored and integrated, enable solutions, discoveries, and innovations that no single field could achieve alone. For example, by connecting the visible and invisible worlds through lowering the boundaries between fields such as biology and quantum mechanics, entirely new realms of understanding may open before us.

  Looking back on my life, perhaps because I moved frequently, I have made a habit of sorting through and letting go of my belongings. Now, in life after retirement, without the catalyst of a major move to a permanent home, I find myself far from a minimalist. Still, I have chosen to declutter my life at a steady, manageable pace—gradually releasing what no longer serves me. I believe that by letting go of what feels unnecessary, both now and in the future, I will better recognize what I truly wish to do and achieve, and be able to focus my energy there. In time, as the results become clearer, I hope to share them with you.

  After entering the workforce, the time we spend learning practical skills is far longer than our years in school. Even those who regret not studying enough in their youth can turn that regret into momentum. By continuing to learn through their work, seeking opportunities beyond it, and sustaining that effort until retirement, they can achieve results that far outweigh any earlier disadvantage. I know this from experience—I was one of them.

  Color contrasts have a powerful effect on our emotions. For example, when we glimpse red flowers set against pale green foliage or white blossoms, the contrast can heighten their beauty, almost as if the flowers were floating. This may be because the human mind perceives aesthetics not in absolute terms, but through comparison. In the same way, as taught in Buddhism, the conditions surrounding our lives are constantly shifting through interconnectedness—changing conditions in which nothing remains unchanged. Each moment therefore calls for a fresh, relative judgment shaped by the situation at hand.