“Four Children’s Facility Graduates Accepted to College”

I received this report at a children’s home board meeting I recently attended. These children have spent their lives in an environment where, for numerous reasons, they are not able to live with their parents, and they often face difficult decisions about whether to enroll in college. That is why hearing this news gave me such pleasure. Naturally, going to college is not the only important thing in their lives, and there is also nobility in working, so I’m not saying that one choice is superior to another. Even given this, I am pleased to believe they maintained their motivation while living at the facility.

I figured, however, that once they’d left the facility (which in principle is required once they reach the age of 18) it would be difficult to make a living if they wanted to continue their studies. I inquired of a staff member how the children would manage to cover both tuition and living expenses, and was told that there are scholarship programs available and that, in some cases, support can be obtained from facilities. It appears, however, that the support system in place is far from ideal.

Then, something apparently superfluous occurred to me. If I were in a position to make a social contribution in support of higher education for children, which of the following would be the best choice?

(1) Support young people who are encountering difficulties in attending college for a host of reasons, as mentioned earlier.

(2) Support young people who possess special talents or strong academic ambition, and who want to attend a university abroad, but don’t have the financial wherewithal. (Tuition at a major U.S. university, for instance, can run about 8 to 10 million Japanese yen annually. This is roughly six to ten times the cost of tuition at a university in Japan. And, while students from the U.S. have access to scholarships and loans, such assistance is not readily available for students from abroad.)

Choosing (1) would provide support to a greater number of youth than (2), although both options aim to help students access higher education. With regard to the latter, although the number of people is small, there is a significant possibility that the youth receiving the support will grow up to become human resources who can play key roles in society. However, this does not imply that the young people supported under (1) lack this potential.

I wondered which of these social contribution activities would be more useful, but the fact is that this question is meaningless to begin with. Attempting to compare the two is silly.

Take the social contribution activities which entail us going to countries experiencing difficulties due to conflicts—such as Sudan and Palestine—to offer medical assistance. Who should be valued here? The doctors and nurses who undertake medical care at the site of such conflicts, or people who provide financial support to the organizations performing such activities?

This comparison is also rather silly. In general, though, the public tends to have greater appreciation for the former. From the perspective of “taking a step forward” in the interest of society, however, we should be able to appreciate both on an equal level.

What one wants to do is one’s own evaluation, and the evaluation of the actions subsequently taken is performed by others. Recognizing that there are indeed two separate assessments makes it easier for one to act based on one’s own evaluation. At the same time, we can arrive at the conclusion that we should not oversimplify our evaluations of others.

As an aside, the Nikkei Economics Classroom Column on April 5, 2024 carried a contribution by an American scholar titled “Cultivate Experts in Japanese Diplomacy.” The following is a summary of that piece.

As the global situation is changing frenetically, it is becoming increasingly vital for Americans to have an accurate understanding of Japan’s role and the relationship between Japan and the United States. Meanwhile, today, we are seeing a rapid decline in the number of faculty members and courses specializing in Japanese diplomacy, national security, and Japan-U.S. relations at universities in the U.S. The current understanding among Americans of the importance of Japan is due to the significant number of specialists studying Japan who were present in the U.S. and active from the 1970s through the early 2000s, but this understanding needs to be rebuilt. There are obstacles in the way of achieving this, though, one of which is the need for donations from corporations, foundations, and philanthropists.

I realized that, while I had never given it any thought, these themes are very important. Not necessarily themes I should be endeavoring to undertake myself, but themes I should be cognizant of as they will help me to see more clearly what it is I want to do (my own evaluation).

Hirotaka Shimizu
Chairman and CEO
Kamakura Shinsho, Ltd.