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“Chichi” is “a monthly magazine of human studies” to explore how we should live our lives.

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【Conversation】 Everyone has One’s Own Light, So Nurture the Light

Yo Ishikawa (Mendicant Priest) & Kayoko Sakaoka (Representative of Haguruma-no-ie)　


Mr. Yo Ishikawa has been living his life in the “geza*1” training of humility, as the last disciple of Mr. Tenko Nishida*2, the founder of Ittoen*3. Ms. Kayoko Sakaoka has been supporting the recovery of children with problems in the “Haguruma-no-ie”, or the House of a Cogwheel. The two have overcome various conflicts and feuds, and have been planting many seeds of pleasure. They exchange their views sharing their experiences, and that the current society is in deeper disarray and we should have the heart to return it to order, and to what the parent-child relationship should be as it is the foundation of our society.

 

*1 "Geza" is the "life of sitting at the lower end” by placing yourself at a lower position than others, and by living according to the standpoint of suffering people and weak people at all times.

*2*3 http://www.ittoen.or.jp/english/E-whatis.htm

 

【Top Interview】The History of My “Boiling Water Management”

Takeo Higuchi (CEO of Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.)

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Mr. Takeo Higuchi is at the helm of Daiwa House Industry, which is a large organization with the sales of \1.6 trillion and 13,000 employees. Mr. Higuchi met the founding owner, Mr. Nobuo Ishibashi, and had been under his tutelage. Mr. Higuchi took up the slack in the organization, which was on the verge of a crisis after years of stability, and has injected new life into the company admirably. Let’s look into the boiling water-like hot business life of Mr. Higuchi, who has been planting seeds of pleasure through management.

 

【Conversation】Learn the Secret of Service from Konosuke Matsushita and the Ritz-Carlton

Akira Joko (Representative of Kokorozashi Network) & Noboru Takano (Regional Director of Sales of the Tokyo International Sales Office, the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company of Japan)
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The Ritz-Carlton has an established reputation with its full of hospitality service. The service philosophy of this hotel, which came from abroad, is said to be very similar to the spirit of Matsushita Electric Industrial, which was said to be the representative of Japanese-style management. Mr. Akira Joko, who was under Mr. Konosuke Matsushita’s*1 tutelage and was once selected as the head of Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, and Mr. Noboru Takano, Regional Director of Sales of the Tokyo International Sales Office, the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company of Japan, discuss the essence of service to give pleasure to customers.

 

*1Konosuke Matsushita is the founder of the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 

 

【Conversation】What Sontoku Ninomiya’s Way of Living Teaches Us - Plant Good Seeds and You Will Bear Good Fruits

Tadashi Tachibana　(Representative of Ninomiya Kinjiro-no-kai) & Issei Terada (Representative of Fujin-sosho-kankokai）


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At the end of the Edo Period*1, Sontoku Ninomiya*2 won the domain lord’s confidence despite his origin as a farmer under the feudal system, and headed agricultural promotion. He established his unique “Hotoku*3” style of diligent labor, remaining within bounds, and giving to others, and saved more than 600 villages. His way of living and his words have been giving hope and pleasure to modern people, even now. Mr. Tadashi Tachibana, Representative of Ninomiya Kinjiro*2-no-kai, made up his mind at the age of 85 to disseminate Sontoku’s philosophy and its implementation with a strong sense of mission, and Mr. Issei Terada, Representative of Fujin-sosho-kankokai, who edited the best seller “Daily Word from Sontoku Ninomiya”, talk about the greatness and magnetism of Sontoku Ninomiya.

 

*1 The Edo Period: 1603-1868

*2 Sontoku/Kinjiro Ninomiya (1787-1856) was a prominent 19th century Japanese agricultural leader and philosopher. He was born to a poor peasant family but became a great landowner through hard work. Even to this day, he tends to be regarded as a symbol of hard work and perseverance.

*3 Hotoku, or to repay virtue, is the concept meaning that all benefits received should be repaid. 
2007.12.01 00:00 | PickupArticles | Track back(-) | コメント(0) |

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【Conversation】 Enjoy Your Fate, and Cultivate Your Own Way


Masatoshi Koshiba （Physicist） & Keiko Toyama (Pianist)







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Mr. Masatoshi Koshiba, a Nobel laureate in Physics, and Ms. Keiko Toyama, a pianist, are friends and have many opportunities to enjoy the same activities, despite the difference in their fields: science and art. Both of them have reached the pinnacle of their careers in their own ways, and have been active on the world stage. The two have experienced various difficulties since their childhood, but they have always cultivated their own ways positively and cheerfully. Looking back on their lives so far, they share with us how they have developed their intrinsic qualities.

 


【Conversation】 How to Develop the Talents of Children- The Way of Bringing up a One and Only Child


Nobuyuki Suzuki (President of BTR) & Setsu Goto (President of Office GOTO）





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A Japanese player wrote another important page in the history of Major Leagues this year. The player’s name is Ichiro, who has achieved 200 hits in 7 consecutive years. Not only the Japanese but also the entire world lavishly praises his success. On the other hand, Ms. Midori Goto and her younger brother, Mr. Ryu Goto were both called geniuses during their childhood, and have been enchanting the audience all around the world with their violin sounds even now. All three represent Japan and are active worldwide. Mr. Nobuyuki Suzuki and Ms. Setsu Goto, who have brought them up, talk about their experiences on how to bring out and develop the intrinsic hidden qualities in the children.





2007.11.01 00:00 | PickupArticles | Track back(-) | コメント(0) |

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【Conversation】 Things Learned from the Book of ‘Golden Rules of Life’, “Shushin-kyoju-roku”



Hidefumi Matsui (Advisor of AFLAC Japan) & Yoshitaka Kitao (CEO of SBI Holdings, Inc.)

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There is a book selling well continuously since its first edition in the year Heisei 1 (1989) without much attention. The book is “Shushin-kyoju-roku*”, written by an educator named Mr. Shinzo Mori. The book has attracted not only those in the field of education, but also management and leaders in various fields. Mr. Hidefumi Matsui and Mr. Yoshitaka Kitao both cite the book as “the book that has always been with me” and say, “The book taught me many things about life.” They share with us many things they have learned from the book of golden rules of life, “Shushin-kyoju-roku.”

*”Shushin-kyoju-roku” is a book containing lectures on life delivered by an unparalleled educator Mr. Shinzo Mori.



【Conversation】Principles of Making a Good Company

Masatsugu Nakai (President of Chibo) & Youji Aoya (President of Bandou Taro)

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Mr. Masatsugu Nakai is the president of Chibo, the chain of Okonomiyaki* restaurants, a specialty dish of Osaka, that has its stores both in Japan and abroad. On the other hand, Mr. Youji Aoya runs many Japanese food restaurants in the Kanto region, centered around Bando Taro, the restaurant of noodle stew. Both of them lost one of their parents when they were young, and started their business from scratch. They have developed their companies and continue to do so, by overcoming many hurdles. What are the principles of making a good company that the two have learned by devoting themselves? Also, what are the principles of living a good life?

*Okonomiyaki is a Japanese-style pancake containing vegetables and other foodstuff.



【Conversation】 Learn from the Natural Law Revive Forests, and Human Beings Will Become Alive


Akira Miyawaki (Professor Emeritus of Yokohama National University/Director of the Research Institute of Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology) & Aya Kuwamura (Proprietress of Japanese Restaurant Wakuden)

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For more than a half century, Mr. Akira Miyawaki, a plant ecologist, has been studying and reforesting areas with real forests in which lives can benefit from. His tree-planting activities are said to have taken place at 1,500 sites at home and abroad, or 30 million trees. Through his practices, he has discovered universal principles common to people and plants. Ms. Aya Kuwamura, proprietress of a Japanese restaurant inn, Wakuden, relates to his ideas and leads the reforestation activities. She has also been reflected on the should-be figure of people and companies through the reconstruction of a Japanese inn that went almost bankrupt. What are the golden rules of life that the two have grasped?

 


【Conversation】 Human Studies Learned from Chinese Classics

Eiichi Tanizawa (Professor Emeritus of Kansai University) & Shoichi Watanabe (Professor Emeritus of Sophia University)


 





 In order to survive a chaotic state of society without deviating from the right path, solid guidelines of life are needed. Chinese classics, which have deeply penetrated into Japanese’ minds, encourage and lead us when we can not make a decision or when we are in disappointment. Mr. Shoichi Watanabe and Mr. Eiichi Tanizawa, who are well-versed in ancient and modern classics, have picked up words resonated with their hearts from Chinese classics. Let’s learn the golden rules stated there.
2007.10.01 00:00 | PickupArticles | Track back(-) | コメント(0) |

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【Conversation】First Class-ism Develops People

Tomoyuki Suzuki （Former Special Advisor of The Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers）
＆ Shigeo Fukuchi （Advisor of Asahi Breweries, Ltd.）  

  
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There are invariable principles to becoming a winner.
Mr. Tomoyuki Suzuki, who was called as a legendary man in the field of American football, demonstrated that. The Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers used to be always at the bottom of the West District First League rankings of amateur American football. However, the weak team became the champion after 2 years, and furthermore, had a great accomplishment of the second straight championship. Mr. Suzuki was the man who led the drastic reform of the team. How did he cultivate the destiny of the team? Also, what is the essence of success common to companies and sports? He explores the invariable principles, together with Mr. Shigeo Fukuchi, advisor of Asahi Breweries, Ltd., which showed remarkable growth with the hit of the Asahi Super Dry, after a long sales slump. 

【Three-way Conversation】Transform This World into Heaven by Everyone

Shifu Yoshimura （Philosopher）＆ Tentsukuman（Film Director/Street Poet）　
＆ Fumiaki Nakamura（President of Kurofune Company）      
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Let’s start from changing the world within a 3m in radius. You can change the world from there…
An extra edition of a newspaper bearing such a message has been distributed by volunteers in Japan, as many as 30 million copies.
Mr. Tentsukuman is the person who developed this philosophy to change the world by starting from the small world around you. Mr. Fumiaki Nakamura has been supporting him to gain further support for his activity. The two men are trying to make people aware of what he is trying to do in Japan, which is getting further isolated and depressed. They exchange their views on what each one of us should do to cultivate the destiny of Japan, together with a philosopher, Mr. Shifu Yoshimura, who empathize with their activities.

【Conversation】How Feudal Warlords Cultivated Their Destiny

Fuyuji Domon （Writer）＆ Ryutaro Abe （Writer） 

    

 doumon-abe1.jpgThe Sengoku Period (100 years war) was an age of rival warlords. The fierceness of the battles among the warlords for the survival of their states is far beyond the imagination of us, who now live in a peaceful period.
How did they cultivate their destiny between life and death? The writers, Mr. Fuyuji Domon and Mr. Ryutaro Abe exchange their views on this theme.







   


 



2007.09.01 00:00 | PickupArticles | Track back(-) | コメント(0) |

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【Conversation】


Learn Life Lessons from “The Analects of Confucius” - Explore the Way Human Beings Should Live and the Way Leaders Should Be in the Universal Document 



Yoshiyuki Kasai (Chairman of Central Japan Railway Company) & Hei Seki (Critic)


 



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Mr. Yoshiyuki Kasai was one of the key players of the privatization and separation of the Japanese National Railways, and he is also one of the leaders in the Japanese business world. He has achieved large-scale reforms in businesses, and underlying that force was the words from “The Analects of Confucius”, of which he was taught by his father, who was a Japanese teacher, when he was in elementary school. On the other hand, Mr. Seki also learned about “The Analects of Confucius” from his grandfather during his boyhood, at the peak of the Cultural Revolution in China, and the teachings have become his body and soul. Although the two were born in different nations and at different periods in time, they exchange their views here on human studies through “The Analects of Confucius.”


【Conversation】


 Live the Present, Led by the Teachings of Old Sages


Aoji Tanasawa (President of ELEGANCE Co., Ltd.) & Ryuichiro Misaki (Writer)


 


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Ms. Aoji Tanasawa suddenly developed myasthenia, which is an intractable disease with unknown cause, in her twenties. On the other hand, Mr. Ryuichiro Misaki developed cancer in his forties, when he was a busy corporate director. Both of them had a brush with death, encountered teachings of old sages, became conscious of their missions, and have lived their new lives. The two people, who are walking their own ways respectively to do their best to radiate their saved lives, talk about the impressive teachings of old sages.


【Conversation】


Advance, while Learning and Being Taught


Jiro Ushio (Chairman of USHIO INC.) ＆ Danjuro Ichikawa XII (Kabuki Actor）


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This March, Kabuki, the traditional performing art that Japan can be proud of, has opened a new page. A Kabuki performance was performed for the first time in history at the Paris Opera House with a proud history and tradition. Danjuro Ichikawa XII made a strong impression on the world, by setting the audience alight with his heroic Roppo* and the statements in French. While basking in the afterglow of the historic stage, he talks about the path to reach there, and conditions of first class people etc., together with Mr. Jiro Ushio, who has been continuously supporting his activities. *Roppo is a unique way of walking to express the character, and is mainly used upon getting out off the stage. In this case, Danjuro got out of the stage by using his heroic Roppo of energetically stamping the stage.

2007.08.01 00:00 | PickupArticles | Track back(-) | コメント(0) |
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