(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) Since childhood, we have been told to “do good things.” But what is “good”? Does the idea of good change over time? Is good different for different people? Is it different across cultures? Is there such a thing as a universal good? … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) I have read some books about free will. According to some thinkers, free will is an illusion. Benjamin Libet, an American scientist, discovered that our brains become active before we consciously decide to take action. For example, when we drink a glass … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) In 2016, I attended a lecture in Japan by Hiroshi Amano, a 2014 Nobel Prize laureate in Physics, together with my mother. His voice was so soft that I thought he sounded like a child in an adult’s body. He looked kind, … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) Kazuo Inamori (1932–2022) was one of the founders of Kyocera and KDDI, both of which are very large Japanese companies. He is often called a Japanese “god of management,” like Konosuke Matsushita (1894–1989). Inamori also established the Inamori Foundation and created the … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) My mother and I made small talk over dinner every Monday. Sometimes we talk about people forgotten by history. We imagine that there must have been people like Buddha or Christ who lived long ago but were never remembered. I said that … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) This is from the book Tuesdays with Morrie. It was said by Morrie Schwartz, a university professor. When I read this, I felt a deep sense of understanding. I always act as if I am going to live forever. It is often said … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) Buddha attained enlightenment — called satori in Japanese — after long and rigorous training. Many people have tried to explain what satori is. Koshu Itabashi, a Japanese Zen monk, wrote that satori is to live a normal life and be content with it. He … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) Do you know the saying, “Eighty percent of success is showing up”? Woody Allen, a writer and film director, said this. I really like this saying, and I’ve repeated it to myself many times. For example, I don’t like attending company parties. … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) I watched a scientific TV program about the sixth sense. The program reported the results of some experiments. In one experiment, there were two people: one sat while the other stood behind them. The person sitting could correctly guess whether or not … Read more
(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.) Isao Harimoto holds the record for the most career hits in Japanese baseball, and Sadaharu Oh holds the record for the most career home runs in Japanese baseball. Contrary to what you might think, both of them were actually very cautious and … Read more