My Vision No.58
2022.2“Long-Term Thinking” Will Change the Future
The modern world is plagued by extremely short-term thinking that considers only the “here andnow.” What do we need to do in order to transition to “long-term thinking” that takes a perspectiveon the future with a focus on problems such as global environmental issues?

About This Issue
Can We Change Our Future?
- Extreme “Short-Term Thinking” Hinders Us in Confronting Long-Term Global Issues -Shigeki Uno
Executive Vice President, NIRA／Professor, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo

Humankind has advanced by making good use of “short-term thinking” to think about the present
and “long-term thinking” to consider future generations. However, it cannot be denied that themodern world is plagued by extremely short-term thinking. It is almost impossible to imagine theimpact of Japan’s continuously growing fiscal deficit on future generations, or the devastating
effect on the planet of the greenhouse gases that we emit on a daily basis.
How could our societies change if we engaged in long-term thinking?
What will it take to enable the transition to long-term thinking?
In this issue of My Vision, we seek opinions from experts who advocate the importance of longterm thinking.
Keywords…Extreme “short-term thinking,” “here and now,” imagining the existence of future generations, themeaning of one’s existenceExpert Opinions“Long-Term Thinking” Will Change the Future
How could our societies change if we engaged in long-term thinking?
What will it take to enable the transition to long-term thinking?

We Are “Colonizing” the Future

Viewing the Existence of the “I” on a Longer
Timeline

Roman Krznaric

Shokei MatsumotoSocial Philosopher

Contemporary Buddhist monk

Keywords…Colonization of the future,intergenerational justice, time horizons of democratic
government, SDGs

Keywords…A now in which the past is enfolded, avast time horizon, “Development monks”

Social Design From the Perspective of Future
Generations

Recognizing the Value That Should Be
Protected Across the Generations

Tatsuyoshi Saijo

Keiichiro Kobayashi

Director, Research Institute for Future Design,
Kochi University of Technology

Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University

Keywords…Perspective of future generations, future
design, virtual future people

Keywords…Benefits for future generations,democratic mechanism, independent fiscal institution

The Values of Long-Established JapaneseCompanies Will Be the Global Standard in
the Future
Susumu Nomura
Professor, Faculty of International Studies,
Takushoku University
Keywords…Sampo yoshi (“good for the seller, thebuyer and society”), altruistic thinking, social
responsibility

Interview period：December, 2021 − January, 2022
Interviewer : Mari Kawamoto (NIRA Research
Coordinator & Research Fellow), Ayumi Kitajima (NIRA
Research Coordinator & Research Fellow)

Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese.
NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement

My Vision No.58
2022.2
About This Issue

Can We Change Our Future?
– Extreme “Short-Term Thinking” Hinders Us in Confronting Long-Term
Global Issues
Extreme “short-term thinking” is the currency ofthe modern world. People see and think only about what is
immediately before their eyes. This is even more the case

Shigeki Uno

today, when results are required in the short-term. Looking
to the past, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French aristocrat and theauthor of Democracy in America, already points out that evenin the early 19th century, people’s thoughts tended to befocused on the “here and now.” Previously, people would lookat ancestral lands and see there their family history andstories. Such land was now divided and sold over generations,and family memories were lost. Tocqueville predicted that it
would become difficult for a person to imagine future generations, and one would only be able tothink in very short time frames.
Executive Vice President, NIRA／
Professor, Institute of Social Science,
The University of Tokyo

Changing the Patterns of Ideas and Behaviors for the Sake of Future Generations
In our era, the cultural thinker Roman Krznaric has warned of people's short-term
thinking. In his impressive book The Good Ancestor, he called on us all to be “good ancestors.” Thebook encouraged us to change our patterns of ideas and behavior to ensure that future generations
would, at least to some extent, be grateful to us. In the interview published here also, Dr. Krznaric
takes the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales as an example. This mechanism, which
examines the impact of public policy up to 30 years from now, in areas from transportation to
healthcare, and makes policy proposals on this basis, seeks to stop the destruction of the interests
and rights of future generations by the decisions of the current generation. Dr. Krznaric’s
awareness of the issues, which even leads him to call the act of denying the interests of future
generations without giving them rights or representation “colonization,” is sharp but clear.
Interestingly, the contemporary Buddhist monk Shokei Matsumoto translated Dr.
Krznaric’s book into Japanese. He tells us here that in the Japanese environment, people comeinto contact with “ancestors” through graves and other markers, and feel things that transcendtheir own existences. Mr. Matsumoto explains that accepting the “now,” in which we inherit thethings created and the wisdom cultivated by our predecessors, is an important factor in nurturinglong-term thinking. At the same time, he is also involved in the activities of “Development monks,”
who engage in dialogue with the business world. Biased short-term thinking and the pursuit ofimmediate profits lead to the long-term exhaustion of people and organizations. As opposed to this,the indication that industry is an area in which long-term thinking is readily incorporated as arational strategy is very interesting. We must give attention to the fact that traditional Buddhism
is able to offer important suggestions in relation to contemporary issues.

Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese.
NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement

My Vision No.58
2022.2The Transformation of Social Mechanisms Will Also Be Necessary
Professor Tatsuyoshi Saijo, Director of the Kochi University of Technology’s ResearchInstitute for Future Design, practices social design from the perspective of future generations. As
a result of the encouragement of short-term thinking, current generations tend to devote
themselves to the enjoyment of existing resources and benefits. Professor Saijo finds problems
with the market, the democratic system and science as they have been up to the present in issues
such as the failure to control the increase in greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
In response to this, he proposes “future design.” The aim of this program is to have participants inworkshops and similar events become “virtual future people” living in 2050, 30 years from now,and to think about what should be done now from that perspective. Put into practice in Yahaba
Town in Iwate Prefecture, Professor Saijo tells us that some residents proposed turning an area
damaged by flooding into a nature park, and even to increase water charges.
Professor Keiichi Kobayashi, a professor of economics at Keio University, finds the causeof the problem in the length of the time horizon. In the case of issues such as nuclear waste andclimate change, those who reap the benefits and those who pay the costs can be members ofdifferent generations. Thinking rationally in order to realize profit only within our own lifetimes
will never solve these problems. The same is true of Japan’s fiscal problems. We should see it as agood thing if future generations benefit, even if ours does not. Professor Kobayashi explains thata shift in our values in this direction will be necessary. He especially emphasizes the creation of
an independent fiscal institution that will estimate the fiscal situation 50 or 60 years from now.
Government budgets would need to be formulated to be consistent with these estimates, and it
should also be made mandatory for the Diet to discuss sustainable fiscal policy. Now is the time toseriously consider these recommendations.

The Concept of “Social Responsibility” Possessed by Long-Established Japanesecompanies
In Japan, there actually are organizations that embody such long-term thinking. Susumu
Nomura, a professor in Takushoku University’s Faculty of International Studies, emphasizes the factthat there are about 33,000 long-established companies that have been in business for over 100 years
in Japan. This is an astounding number. Contrary to expectations, Japanese tradition is surprisingly
rich in “long-term thinking.” As one factor in the longevity of these companies, Professor Nomura
points out the “tolerance” that sees these companies passing down long-established techniques, while
also not focusing only on blood relations in continuing the company; they will take in talented humanresources through methods such as adoption. Furthermore, he explains that the Omi merchants’precept of “Sampo Yoshi,” which is frequently invoked, focuses not only on benefit to sellers and buyers,
but also incorporates a public perspective, taking “Good for society” an important element. Here, there
was a concept of long-term social responsibility that went beyond the idea of making a profit at all
costs. This is perhaps the “DNA” of Japanese organizations.
We lose the meaning of our existence when we grasp it in a short time frame. We must notforget that the meaning of individuals and organizations can only be seen on a long time horizon.

Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese.
NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement

My Vision No.58
2022.2
Expert Opinions

We Are “Colonizing” the FutureLong-term thinking has become extremely important today, given
the increasing realization that humankind has never before been capableof having such potentially devastating impacts on the future. This is an
issue that first came to our attention with the bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki. At that moment in history, it became evident that human beings
were able to destroy the future through technology, and since then themeans of destruction have multiplied, and the speed with which they are
Photo: Kate Raworth
developed has increased.
We are colonizing the future, because we are not giving future
Roman Krznaric
Social Philosopher
generations any rights or representation. I think that the idea ofcolonization makes sense in countries like Britain or Japan, which havecolonial histories. Long-term thinking is a concept that urges us to take actions that benefit future
generations and to seek intergenerational justice. To make long-term thinking a social norm, we needto strive to realize fundamental changes in our social structures, and create a culture that promotes
thinking over the long term. Long-term thinking is not about disregarding the present; it is about
having a fair debate. Our ambition should be to extend the time horizons of democratic governmentand rescue it from myopic politicians who fail to take the long view, swept up as they are in thewhirlwind of elections, opinion polls, and 24/7 media cycles, as exemplified by Twitter and Facebook.
I see two problems with the UN’s SDGs. The first is the lack of recognition of the need forpolitical change; the second is the fact that the SDGs are still focused on economic growth. In order toovercome the first problem, we need institutions like the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales,
which is a non-affiliated organization that looks at the impact of public policy up to 30 years into the
future in fields ranging from transport to healthcare. It is essential that we give legal rights to future
generations, and I believe that 30 years is a pragmatic timeframe to consider, given that it is longer
than a normal political career. To respond to the second problem, we also need to update our idea ofgrowth by having a national dialogue to ask ourselves to what extent we really need to keep growing.
From an international perspective, the global north needs to recognize its responsibility and provide
financial aid to enable the global south to leapfrog its way past a dirty and polluting industrialization
process, and overcome the unfairness of the gap between the hemispheres.
The future seems too unpredictable for us be able to think beyond ourselves, but there aremany challenges that require us to do the work of thinking beyond our lifetimes. It is possible for humanbeings to imagine 100 years in the future. Such a timeframe is not out of the question, as most of us
know our grandparents, and we might also know our grandchildren; this is already five generations.
Consider the fact that the idea of development aid barely existed before the Second World War, but is
now a familiar concept. We have expanded our moral universe across space. Now we need to expand it
through time. I want us to do so, and in doing so to become good ancestors.
As a social philosopher, Dr. Krznaric’s writings, including Empathy, have been published in more than 20 languages,
and have been highly influential amongst political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs,and designers. Dr. Krznaric is also an acclaimed public speaker worldwide. He grew up in Sydney and Hong Kong, andstudied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, taking a PhD in political sociology at the latter institution. He
the founder of the world's first Empathy Museum, as well as a Research Fellow of the Long Now Foundation and amember of the Club of Rome. The Observer has named Dr. Krznaric as one of Britain’s leading popular philosophers.
His book, The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World, served as the background for thisinterview.
Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese.
NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement

My Vision No.58
2022.2
Expert Opinions

Viewing the Existence of the “I” on a Longer Timeline
Up to the present, human beings have relied on instinctive
instantaneous reactions and short-term thinking that is
indispensable for survival in the present, and also possessedawareness of a long time horizon that awes with a world beyond
human knowledge; there has been a continuity between generations.
However, living in today’s society, we are constantly pulled by
overwhelmingly short-term thinking. It is necessary to overcome
difficult situations with instantaneous force and the power ofconcentration, but if, when facing social issues such as climate change
Shokei Matsumotoand planetary-scale problems we close ourselves in the visible world
Contemporary Buddhist monk
without considering our connection with an invisible existence, it puts
the entire human race, and thus the entire planet, at risk. I want us to regain an awareness that views
our existence and the meaning of life over a vast time horizon, rather than being completed within ourlives.
In Japan, the existence of the dead that we know as “ancestors” could be one of the keys to
opening this door. Tombs and small shrines that enshrine ancestors remain everywhere, from street
corners to rural roads to mountain trails, and these are catalysts for evoking a sense that transcends
the existence of the “I.” The view of life and death in which we receive blessings from our predecessors
and live together with the dead is an important element in nurturing long-term thinking. The fact of amultiple “we” living in a now in which the past is enfolded means that the blessings we have received
will be passed on to the future.
I am currently working on a new initiative in which “Development monks” (as opposed to“industrial doctors”) engage in one-on-one dialogues with people working for companies. Modern society
is rife with biased short-term thinking that seeks immediate satisfaction, and the view that the burdenof responsibility rests with the individual rather than with structural problems. If the concept “shortterm” × “individual“ × “ownership” becomes extreme, it could exhaust people, leading to functional
deterioration of the entire organization and society as a whole. Through dialogue with the monks, eachindividual is taken out of their social position and framework and is placed in a deep and long timeline,
an experience that enables them to renew their perception of things. With regard to company products
which are the subject of daily sales activities in search of market expansion, there are times when
voices from different perspectives are born from the dialogue, saying “We probably cannot continue toexpand production as is.” The world of business is an important gateway to influencing people's
awareness and the greater society itself.
If we can grasp the existence of the “I” in a more expansive manner, the meaning and purposeof life (ikigai) will change. Long-term thinking is indispensable in terms of survival strategies forhumankind, helping us overcome risks such as climate change, but it is also important in terms ofenhancing the richness of the cultural and religious spirit. We can say that traditional Buddhism, which
has spanned 2,500 years and which exists on the shoulders of countless ancestors, will play a role in
unplugging us from our daily lives of short-term thinking.
Shokei Matsumoto is a Contemporary Buddhist monk. He is a Visiting Associate Professor at Musashino University. Mr.
Matsumoto was the translator of Roman Krznaric's book The Good Ancestor into Japanese. He is a graduate of the
Department of Philosophy of The University of Tokyo. In 2010, he acquired an MBA from the Indian School of Business(ISB) as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar. In 2012, he launched the project “Mirai no Jushoku-Juku,” atemple management school for chief priests and monks. In its 10 years, the project has produced over 700 graduate
religious practitioners, transcending sects and regions. He was nominated as one of the World Economic Forum’s (Davos
Conference) Young Global Leaders. Mr. Matsumoto hosts the program “Temple Morning Radio” as a podcast, andpublishes a daily column called “Shokei Matsumoto’s Hojo-an” on note.
Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese.
NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement

My Vision No.58
2022.2
Expert Opinions

Social Design from the Perspective of Future Generations“The market,” “democracy,” and “science”: these represent
the foundations of our society. What is lacking in these is aperspective concerning how future generations will think. When we
pursue profit, the lack of a mechanism for control that takes theperspective of future generations encourages short-term thinking
only, and current generations devote themselves to the enjoymentof the resources and benefits that exist now. Scientific knowledge
has also contributed to population growth and economic
Tatsuyoshi Saijo
development by virtue of its expanded application in agriculture
Director, Research Institute forand industry, but by being too demanding of comfort in our daily
Future Design, Kochi University
lives, we have also increased emissions of greenhouse gases andof Technology
reactive nitrogen(*), which are the causes of global warming, and it
has not been possible to mitigate their future impact.
How can we solve long-term problems that will affect future generations? I am proposing a
new direction for society in which “future design” functions as a social device that changes the way of
thinking and way of life of people who have become short-sighted. For example, participants in the
Future Design Workshop ride in a “time machine” and each becomes a “virtual future person” living in
2050; they then imagine what kind of society 2050 will be. If it is a good society, the participantsconsider what we should do now to make it so. If it is a society that faces significant problems anddifficulties, they consider what to do now to prevent this from eventuating.
The first place in which we implemented this initiative was Yahaba Town, Iwate Prefecture.
We asked residents of the town to participate and formed two types of groups. Of these, the group thatthought about policies from the perspective of the present could only envision a future that had been
hobbled by the present, and could only think of problems such as a shortage of long-term care facilities
and children on waiting lists for nursery schools. On the other hand, based on the fact that a mountaincalled Nanshozan, which is quite familiar to the residents of Yahaba Town and said to have been thesetting for Kenji Miyazawa’s book Night Train to the Stars, had been inundated by floods, the group of
virtual future people produced new ideas, such as developing the area as a nature park. Even following
this, we witnessed more noteworthy developments; in the session on the theme of the water supply, forexample, it was understood that it would be difficult to maintain the infrastructure in the future, andthe residents themselves proposed increasing water charges on this basis.
If, in this way, the practice of future design draws to the surface a desire to think about the
future, of which people were not previously aware, and changes the way people think and live, we canbecome a society that thinks about how to achieve happiness for both current and future generations.
(*) Reactive nitrogen is a general term for nitrogen compounds excluding nitrogen gas (N2). Whenreleased into the atmosphere, compounds such as nitrogen oxides are a cause of air pollution.
Professor Saijo is an advocate of “future design.” As a framework for research related to sustainability, such as decisionmaking that takes future generations into consideration, it is being put into practice in workshops for local governments
and other organizations. Professor Saijo completed his studies at the University of Minnesota’s Graduate School of
Economics. He took his present position following terms as a professor at Osaka University’s Center for Environmental
Innovation Design for Sustainability, and a professor at Hitotsubashi University’s Institute of Economic Research. He is
also the Program Director of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature and a Research Director with the Tokyo
Foundation for Policy Research. His books include Future Design – nana sedai saki wo misueta shakai (“Future Design:
A Society that looks Seven Generations Ahead”) (Keiso Shobo Publishing Co., Ltd., 2015; in Japanese), of which he wasan editor and co-author.
Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese.
NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement

My Vision No.58
2022.2
Expert Opinions

Recognizing the Value That Should Be Protected Across theGenerations
Long-term problems, such as nuclear waste and climatechange, in which current behavior affects the survival of future
generations, have become increasingly obvious to us. These problems
have long time horizons, and are characterized by the fact that it isfrequently people of different generations who benefit and who pay
the costs. Whether climate change or the nation’s fiscal problems, theproblems will not be solved by “self-interested individuals” who arealive now “rationally” considering benefits only within the span of
their own lifetimes. In order for the current generation to be willing
Keiichiro Kobayashi
to choose the burden of cost, the members of the current generation
Professor, Faculty ofthat will pay the cost must possess a sense of values that allows them
Economics, Keio University
to think that even if they do not receive the benefit during their
lifetimes, it is a good thing that future generations will receive the benefit.
The democratic mechanism, by means of which issues are deliberated on together and decided
by majority vote following this, presupposes that all parties are present at the same time. It is poor at
dealing with long-term problems that will affect future generations that do not yet exist. It will benecessary not only to discuss how to protect the freedoms and decision-making rights of we who arealive now, but also to discuss what should be changed in order to realize value that also encompasses
the freedoms and decision-making rights of future generations.
Japan's public finances continue in a critical state that jeopardizes their sustainability. The
Japanese public’s thinking regarding this issue must also adopt a longer-term perspective, bringing
future generations into view. For that purpose, we should first calculate long-term estimates, makethese known to the public, and provide materials for public consideration. The “Economic and Fiscal
Projections for Medium to Long Term Analysis” issued by the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy
twice a year adopts only a short-term financial outlook of about 10 years; it is necessary to conduct
estimates of the financial situation in 50- or 60-years’ time. As a mechanism to realize this goal, an
independent fiscal institution should be created, which will be composed of public and private experts
and will conduct estimates from an independent and neutral standpoint. The government budget
should be institutionalized by law or other mechanisms to ensure that it will be consistent with theestimates made by this institution. If the Diet was to respond by making it mandatory to discusssustainable fiscal policy, then policy would also gradually change to a long-term perspective.
It is necessary to consider not only fiscal problems but also such issues as global environmental
problems, and to think about the direction for society and the economy on a long-term time horizon. To
that end, we must recognize the value that should be protected across the generations. It is only when
we are confident that society and the economy will survive for generations that we can feel the value
in our daily lives. I want this generation to powerfully share the understanding that sustainability
itself is, in fact, the source of all value.
Professor Kobayashi is a commentator who has sounded warnings regarding the sustainability of Japan's public finances
for many years. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago, and his fields of specialization aremacroeconomics and economic thought. He is also currently conducting research that attempts to verify the significanceof, and potential for, decision-making and policy-making based on the interests of future generations. After graduatingfrom The University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Engineering, Professor Kobayashi joined the Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (as it was then known). He took his present position in 2013, following terms in positions including
as a Fellow of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry and a Professor in Hitotsubashi University’s
Institute of Economic Research. He is also a Research Director of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research and a
Research Director at the Canon Institute of Global Studies. His latest book is Posuto-korona no seisaku kousou (“ADirection for Post-Covid Policy”) (Nihon Keizai Shimbun Publishing, 2021; in Japanese), of which he was a co-author.
Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese.
NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement

My Vision No.58
2022.2
Expert Opinions

The Values of Long-Established Japanese Companies Will Be the
Global Standard in the Future
In Japan, there are approximately 33,000 companies that havebeen in business for over 100 years, accounting for 40% of the world's 100year-old companies. There are a number of factors that have enabled thelong-term continuation of these companies. The first of these is“adaptability.” They adapt flexibly to changing times. The techniques
cultivated by long-established companies are also employed in cuttingedge products. The next factor is “tolerance”. Many Asian countriesemphasize the family based on the principle of consanguinity, but Japanemphasizes the continuation of the family business; talented humanresources that are not members of the consanguine family may be
Susumu Nomura
brought in through adoption or other means, thus introducing “newProfessor, Faculty ofblood”. Another factor is a “focus on the main business.” This means
International Studies,
adapting while pushing forward, but without easily letting go of the
Takushoku University
company’s main business. There is a strength of trust in what has been
inherited from ancestors. Many of the long-established companies that
leapt into business areas which were profitable at a specific time, such as the real estate businessduring the bubble era, have collapsed, but those that remained focused on their main business remain.
Another notable characteristic of Japan's long-established companies is an emphasis on theconcept of “sampo yoshi”, which is famous as the family precept of the Omi merchants. In addition to“Good for the seller” and “Good for the buyer”, this precept includes a public perspective in “Good forsociety”, something which is rarely seen in other countries. The ideas expressed in phrases such as“Society won’t accept this” and “I know my place” admonish us not to believe that we can do anything
in the name of profit. Cerarica Noda, a company that manufactures natural wax products derived
mainly from plants, and which has been in business since the Edo period, now also purchases natural
wax from overseas. When the company was involved in a tree planting project in China, local people
would sometimes fell the fully grown trees and use them as firewood. The company's president, Taizo
Noda, has indicated that having understood that daily life was more important for the local people thana long-term tree planting project, he advanced the project while communicating the fact that growing
trees not only produced income, but would also benefit society in the future. This is also “Good forsociety.”
The word rita (altruism) has recently come to be frequently used. I think that altruistic
thinking is an essential aspect of a long-established company. The will of long-established companies
to fulfill their social responsibilities through their businesses is something that continues through theyears. There is a way of looking at things that rejects the egoism of the “profit at any cost” attitude, andinstead seeks to determine how useful one can be to society. This awareness is prevalent among theyounger generation. Today's students take it for granted that they will do volunteer work, and findcompetition in which they succeed by trampling on others unappealing. Values have changed fromthose of the generation that experienced the fierce competition around university entrance exams. The
value system possessed by long-established companies, which emphasizes the development of society,will become the standard for the world in the future.
Professor Nomura is a non-fiction writer. Seeking to clarify the key to the longevity of long-established companies withhistories of more than 100 years, he interviewed representatives of numerous such companies, which led him to write
Sen-nen, hataraitekimashita – shinise kigyo no taikoku nippon (“A Thousand Years of Work – Japan, the Home of theLong-established Company”) and Sen-nen kigyou no dai-gyakuten (“The Great Reversal of a Thousand-year Company)”.
He has numerous other writings to his credit. Professor Nomura received the Oya Soichi Nonfiction Award and the
Kodansha Yasuharu Honda Nonfiction Award for Korian sekai no tabi (“A Journey through the Korean World”), which
depicts the world of Koreans living in Japan. He received the Asia Pacific Award for Asia: atarashii monogatari (“Asia:
A New Story”.) He withdrew from studies in the Department of English Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia
University. In 1997 he was a standing member of The Japan Pen Club. He has been a part-time lecturer at Tokyo
Metropolitan University and Sophia University, and has been a professor in Takushoku University’s Faculty ofInternational Studies since 2005.
Editor: Reiko Kanda, Maiko Sakaki and Tatsuya Yamaji. This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA
bears full responsibility for the translation presented here. Translated by Michael Faul.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement