iU President-kun Gachon: Mr.Tetsuya Yasukochi

■iU President-kun Gachon: Mr.Tetsuya Yasukochi

A charismatic English teacher. He's also an entrepreneur and a bestselling author. And a visiting professor at iU . This is the kind of teacher you want to learn English from!

the age of AI

iU teaches business presentations. In many businesses, reading and writing have already been replaced by AI. At iU , we teach English that will capture, persuade, provoke, and move people when you go out into the world for business.

Japanese English learners are diligently studying only the parts that will be replaced by AI. They are not doing what humans need to do. At iU , we will focus on the skills that will not be replaced by AI when you enter society in 10 years.

◆ An impactful self-introduction

Practice making an impactful self-introduction or speech that people will remember. I'd like to make it a graduation requirement at iU . You need to be able to speak English to a certain extent in order to effectively convey your strengths. Be able to deliver a full speech and give a compelling self-introduction.

◆ Reasons for continuing to learn English

During my student days, I spent all my time mountain climbing. I enjoyed studying English for my entrance exams, so I majored in English. I got a job during the bubble economy. I disliked the typical job hunting process, so I became a part-time lecturer at a cram school. In my late twenties, I started my own company. I began writing. I established a foundation. I moved into the field of English education.

◆The fun things about English

I enjoy communicating with people in a foreign language. It's not necessarily the English I learned for university entrance exams that I find enjoyable; rather, it's the ability to communicate with people after learning the language that I find truly enjoyable. I love talking to people from all over the world.

◆Starting a business

A one-person agency where I produce myself and then send myself out to work.

When I talk to students, they seem to think that it's not entrepreneurship unless it's something big. But entrepreneurship is simply about deciding to do something starting today. It's about not joining the framework of a large company, but starting something on your own. It's about starting a business.

◆Show your face and make your point

They should show their faces and express their opinions. They should produce themselves and market themselves to the world. It would be good if all iU students had YouTube channels and shared their thoughts and feelings with their faces shown.

◆ You have the freedom to fail.

Students are young. No matter how many mistakes they make, in 10 years no one will remember. They have the freedom to make mistakes. When they make a mistake, they can learn from it and avoid making the same mistake again. Humans do n't learn until they make mistakes themselves . The number of mistakes equals the number of things they can do.

◆ Failure experience

I've written a lot of books. I've sold around 5 million copies in total. Of those, only about 20 out of 100 are selling well. The remaining 80 don't even sell their first print run.

When we find someone who has been successful, we only see the parts that went well. But they 've probably failed about eight times as much.

◆Student days

During my university years, I spent a year studying for entrance exams before moving to Tokyo. All the classes were in English, and I grew to hate English. I avoided English for about a year and a half. I thought that things would work out if I went to America, so I wandered around there for about two and a half months. There, I realized that I wouldn't become fluent in English just by being in America. Just being there was like changing locations. It gave me the impetus to realize that I had to study English.

I used to think of English as synonymous with America, but when I went there, I saw people from all sorts of countries and regions communicating in broken English. I thought, "This is fine!" When I returned to university, I gained the courage to speak broken English in front of my fluent classmates, and that's how I became able to speak English.

Just speak in front of people in your own English. If you make a mistake, just correct it. Don't study and then speak.

◆ Discomfort at school

In our time, middle and high school were organizations designed to help us adapt to group living. I hated that kind of thing.

Once I entered university, I was free to do as I pleased. However, I couldn't keep up with the pressure to act like everyone else during job hunting.

I wanted to teach, so I entered a job that involves developing people.

◆Challenges in Japanese schools

Individualized optimization is highly advanced in each country. Despite the existence of diverse children specializing in sports, musical instruments, programming, English, etc., they all use the same mark sheet and are expected to achieve the same score. In the future, individualized optimization tailored to each child will be necessary.

◆ Become a team

A team where someone good at presentations takes on sales challenges, someone who can speak English aggressively pursues deals, and someone with programming skills provides backup—that kind of teamwork. It would be great if they could build networks with each other within iU .

◆A message for you

iU is a place where students who question the trends of the world gather. When you want to start a life where you pursue what you truly want to do, iU is an option. Let's study together!

★Postscript

I like the story of how he got back into English after hating it. Mr. Yasukochi looks cool and inspiring riding his Honda Monkey motorcycle. Riding a Monkey. I've been dreaming of it since I was a student , but I still haven't been able to do it. It's my homework.

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iU Tatekan(Signboard) Special Zone

■ iU Tatekan(Signboard) Special Zone

1. GO PUNK

iU will be designated a special zone for protest banners. iU will inherit the regrettable protest banner culture of Kyoto University .

The president shouted it out, but the students looked bewildered, so the president made one himself.

Total of 10 pieces.

2. President-kun, Gachoon

The university president makes a banner.

What do you think?

I wonder if the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will take disciplinary action.

That might be true!

I apologize in advance.

3.L'innovation et la création

Innovation and creation.

In the style of Godard.

4. Bang bang bang

Godard-esque, part 2.

(This banner was purchased for 100,000 yen by Nobutaka Tsubota, the author of "Biri Gal.")

5. Desperate

Desperate efforts

The vice president, who is from Osaka, often says this.

Desperate Batch

Because many staff members make that mistake.

I make and sell badges that say "desperate."

100 yen each

6. President's Takoyaki (500 yen)

Students are conducting a joint research project with a local takoyaki shop.

The university president is selling Kyoto-style tanuki (raccoon dog) flavored takoyaki .

6 pieces for 500 yen

7. You are here, and so am I.

iU

You & I.

An homage to Charlie Hama.

8. The Recommendation of Failure

Everyone starts their own business.

It usually fails.

Failure University: Learning from Failure.

9. Create an extremely idle society.

Each university is formulating its own policy on how to handle AI.

iU 's policy is "We encourage the use of AI." That's all.

Let AI do the work, and we'll have a lot of free time.

10. Prohibiting prohibition is prohibited!!!

A few years ago, when Kyoto University banned protest signs,

The banners I wanted to put up but couldn't.

When making the banners,

Kenji Murakami, a resident of Kyoto University's Kumano Dormitory during the 1960 Anpo protests.

The 1970 Anpo protests, Katsuyuki Fujii from the Komaba dormitory at the University of Tokyo.

We received supervision from both iU Visiting Professors.

( Item 10 was requested by Mr. Murakami.)

This is just the first installment. We're still going strong !

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Cool Japan: Rice

■Cool Japan: Rice

NHK Cool Japan: The "Rice" episode.

Rice consumption in Japan is steadily declining, while conversely, Japanese rice ball specialty shops that have expanded overseas have seen their sales double or even quadruple, even during the COVID-19 pandemic .

is genuine Japanese rice, grown by Japanese farmers and air-shipped from Japan .

I get the feeling that people overseas are now more appreciating the excellence of Japanese rice.

"Packaged rice"

We call rice "gohan," and we also call cooking and meals "gohan." Food equals rice .

food equals bread, or food equals pasta.

Rice is an object of worship and is connected to the very foundation of this country.

At the same time, it was also the center of the economic system, encompassing land value (kokudaka), wages, land tax, and other related matters.

A country whose culture and economy are built on rice.

However, until about 100 years ago, there were disputes over rice, such as the Rice Riots, and it's only recently that everyone has been able to eat rice.

Since the 1970s, when there was talk of a rice surplus and a decline in rice consumption, rice has rapidly become tastier.

The rice we eat now is so much tastier than the rice we ate when we were kids.

Brands and specific varieties have become more prominent, and delicious rice is now being exported.

This is a huge change.

"smart"

IT, robots, drones, AI.

Surprisingly, cutting-edge technology is quite compatible with agriculture, and smart farming is progressing rapidly.

The goal is to increase efficiency and improve crop quality, thereby raising food self-sufficiency. However, from the perspective of those on the ground, it's about making farming more enjoyable and profitable.

This has sparked interest among younger generations, and more people are considering trying their hand at agriculture.

Smart technology is a beacon of hope.

"Rinse-free rice"

It saves you time and effort at home.

Using rice bran as fertilizer helps protect the environment.

Because it can be cooked with little water, it is used as relief rice for disaster-stricken areas.

And it's delicious.

It's all good, and it looks like it's going to become the standard for rice in the future.

While domestic demand for rice is declining, the production of pre-washed rice continues to increase, exceeding 450,000 tons per year.

However, it would be a shame if the wonderful phrase "to wash rice" were to fall out of use.

Japan is a country of the United States, therefore the United States is Japan.

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NTT R&D FORUM2023

■NTT R&D FORUM2023

NTT R&D FORUM 2023

Technology Showcase @ Musashino Telecommunications Research Institute, again this year.

IOWN is a technology-driven vision unveiled by the leadership of Chairman Sawada and Vice President Kawazoe.

This is a grand vision following in the footsteps of INS (New Media) in the 1980s, VIP (Multimedia) in the 1990s, and NGN (Natural Network Network) in the 2000s.

IOWN.

Network modernization through "all-optical" technology that transcends IP, and "digital twins" that create a model identical to the real world in cyberspace.

Technologies such as AI, VR/AR, quantum computing, and biomedical fields are intertwined within this, like nested layers.

This is a comprehensive technological approach, distinct from Web3, aiming to surpass GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon).

"IOWN concept"

http://ichiyanakamura.blogspot.com/2020/11/iown.html

wrote about this last year too, you know.

"NTT R&D FORUM2022"

https://ichiyanakamura.blogspot.com/2023/02/ntt-r-forum2022.html

always absolutely blown away every year .

Last year, the digital twin metaverse on a gigantic display really blew me away .

But this year was the biggest surprise yet .

We've unveiled the large-scale language model Tsuzumi , which fully demonstrates our AI x IOWN strategy.

Tsuzumi, whose president, Shimada, and head of research and planning department, Shingo Kinoshita, just held a press conference on November 1st .

An LLM (Learning Language Master) that incorporates over 40 years of expertise in natural language processing technology.

It is said to have three key features: being ultra-lightweight, proficient in Japanese, and flexible.

The parameter size is significantly smaller, at 600-700 million compared to GPT-3's 175 billion, resulting in lower training and tuning costs.

It boasts world-class performance in Japanese language processing, supports modal information such as visual and auditory input, and allows for tuning specifically tailored to particular organizations and job roles.

They plan to launch their commercial service in March 2024.

 

Based on LLM, each organization customizes and implements its specialized AI.

This will be the main battleground for the AI business.

The fact that they implemented and fully showcased ChatGPT within a year demonstrates the strong commitment of a heavyweight organization.

(And I was impressed by how well-rehearsed the researchers' presentations were!)

This research involves extracting specific words from noise.

It seems possible to create a system that retrieves clips from a video archive based on specific keywords.

It looks like it could be sold to film and television companies around the world.

If applied, it could be used to create a system that extracts high-purity data from rough data and uses it to train AI.

It looks like it will sell to AI-using companies all over the world.

It's surprisingly big .

IOWN seems poised to realize low-latency, low-cost AI services, and I imagine they'll integrate them into spaces like stores and cars .

They're developing an all-light car. The car's interior becomes a single, integrated computer. It becomes a terminal directly connected to other cars, roads, and the cloud via light. It's going to be interesting.

Speaking of light, they proposed a system that changes the color of clothing using lighting.

Interesting research. And apparently, they even showcased it at Paris Fashion Week .

We take basic research and bring it to practical use, presenting it to the world through collaborations with fashion.

This is a good example of research outreach.

Artificial photosynthesis. I didn't know NTT was working on something like this .

I heard that while it's still some time away from being put into practical use, this will allow NTT to reduce the CO2 emissions necessary for communications and become "carbon negative . "

NTT is supposed to reduce the Earth's CO2 emissions.

Anyway, I like those kinds of stories.

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iU President-kun Gachon. Kenji Sudo

■iU President-kun Gachon:Mr.Kenji Sudo

From being the youngest executive officer at Recruit to starting a Silicon Valley company, he listed his UI improvement platform "Kaizen Platform" on the Mothers market. This is Sudoken.

https://bit.ly/3VLt66k

◆Why I quit my job

If I were the CEO, I would pursue M&A of overseas companies.

Indeed was the most formidable, and I couldn't think of any way to beat it, so I thought I would lose if it came along. Then Recruit, the company I used to work for, acquired it. It's amazing that they bought a company that I thought I couldn't beat. It's also amazing that they decided to acquire a company that possesses technology. If it were me, I would manage it that way. Cash flow comes from domestic companies, so I would buy overseas companies and do business in areas where the population is growing more rapidly.

I like creating businesses and doing hands-on work. I felt that what Recruit was trying to do didn't fit with my interests. I quit in order to work in a way that made me happy.

◆Why start a business in America?

There was no market for it within Japan. At Recruit, I was in charge of M&A and investments in overseas companies, and while observing how market capitalization grew, I realized how much of a discount you get when doing business within Japan. That's when I thought I had to go abroad. I wanted to become someone who could do business globally.

◆Difficulties after starting a business

Things went smoothly for about three years, but most startups struggle in their fourth to sixth year. There was a period of stagnation. When the growth of our initial business stalled, we had difficulty generating growth for our next business. Our video production business didn't grow until 2019, but it grew thanks to our partnership with Facebook and a 20% increase in wholesale paper prices in Japan.

This level of difficulty was beyond anything I had anticipated.

◆Did you start a business even though you knew it would be difficult?

If I had a time machine, I would do everything in my power to stop myself from starting a business. Global competition is incredibly tough.

However, my ignorance was actually a good thing. Because I started, I felt I had to do something about it, and that motivated me to keep going.

◆The existence of schools

There are so many things I wish I had studied. I only realize this when I understand how that knowledge is useful. To start a business in America, you need English. School was a place that taught me that in advance.

I lacked the social experience to know how to apply what I learned in school, so I slacked off a lot back then. I understand the meaning of school much better now that I've graduated.

I study more now that I'm an adult.

◆Areas where school education should change and areas where it has been useful

Those relationships continue to this day and are still useful. KNOW WHO. Who do you know? The friends you've shared meals with are irreplaceable.

It would be good to understand how the studying you're doing is actually useful. I think rote memorization is quite important, but it would be good to understand why you're rote memorization and what benefits it brings.

To thrive abroad, you need to be well-educated. Not just be able to speak English, but have a language to speak in. You need to be able to answer questions like, "What's Japan like?"

I didn't have many opportunities to interact with adults or members of society during my school life, so it would be great to have such opportunities.

◆A message for you

What we learn in school is about the past. We learn about things that have happened up to now. People who will live in the future might wonder if knowing the past is useful.

History repeats itself. Humans won't change much in the future. For example, cryptocurrencies and the tulip bubble have some similarities. Thanks to COVID-19, I researched the plague, and there are some commonalities. Knowing and learning from the past is never a waste of time when it comes to knowing the future.

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STEAM? Leave it to me.

 ■STEAM? Leave it to me.

Nikkei Children's Future Economy Forum: "What kind of learning fosters creativity in the DX era?"

Four women and one middle-aged man. I was completely out of place.

The theme is STEAM. First, let's introduce ourselves.

I've been involved in STEAM activities as a pioneer in Japan for the past 20 years, but the education sector has been hesitant about digitalization. From 2010, I worked with Hiroshi Komiyama, former president of the University of Tokyo, and Masayoshi Son to promote the digitalization of schools, but we faced opposition from the education sector and were even blacklisted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which was very difficult.

It took 10 years to enact legislation promoting digital education and to make programming a mandatory subject. Then COVID-19 hit, and the GIGA School initiative made it possible to have one PC per student all at once. There was hope that Japan could quickly transform from a digitally developing country to a developed one. However, AI is changing the landscape again. Now we are working on "super education" for the AI era.

iU, a university dedicated to cultivating digitally-driven innovators . While some predict that AI will eliminate half the world's universities, we aim to create a creative environment that will still be in demand. Digital technology and AI present a significant opportunity to shift from traditional, knowledge-cramming-based education to a more creative one, from early childhood to higher education.

Two questions.

1. How's GIGA ?

According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, teachers say there have been positive changes and are hopeful for future results.

The important thing is that they are being evaluated as having improved motivation to learn.

The biggest challenge in Japanese education is that, compared to other countries, children don't find lessons interesting or useful.

The primary role of digital technology is to make things interesting and useful, and the results are showing.

There are regional disparities, but they will eventually be resolved. Above all, Japan was a developing country with a large information and digital gap with the rest of the world, so we should be happy that this gap has been closed in a leap of 25 years.

Japan has built a world-class education system using analog methods, and its teachers are excellent.

From here, we'll use digital technology to raise the overall level nationwide.

The cost of replacing the terminals was a problem, but with the recent supplementary budget, after receiving opinions from mayors and education superintendents nationwide, and with the support of members of parliament, 260 billion yen has been allocated, and funds will be established in each prefecture. I'm relieved.

The next challenge is how to integrate information technology into the home and how to approach AI.

GIGA devices haven't been brought home. This is a problem of internet inequality within households.

From how to connect 40,000 schools to how to connect 10 million households with children.

Digital education universal service.

In that context, it is necessary to learn digital literacy.

This is more of a Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications job than a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology job.

And then there's the question of how to use AI. Universities are taking a wide range of approaches.

AI will become integrated into the digital world, and its use will become unavoidable. AI literacy will become crucial.

The Super Education Association proposed using AI in all classes.

iU also kept its AI policy to just seven characters: "We recommend using it."

Having suffered a digital defeat, Japan will have no chance if it also suffers a defeat in AI.

Q2. What should adults do?

The government should focus on infrastructure.

The money will be invested in public education. - Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

(Subsidies to companies are not needed.)

Home digitalization and internet connectivity. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The Digital Agency will promote the use of AI and data.

Coordination among these relevant ministries is crucial. In other words, it's a political issue.

I want this to be the government's top priority.

The younger generation will naturally become DX (Digital Transformation) professionals. The problem lies with the adults.

Recurrent education is important, but companies no longer have the resources to cultivate it internally as they once did.

We will nurture them in collaboration with universities and other institutions.

iU 's partnerships with 1,000 companies also stem from its desire to create a learning environment for the talent of those companies.

Recurrent education or reskilling—working and then going back to school to study again—is not a realistic option.

In this era of 100-year lifespans and constant change, designing an ever-learning approach—a continuous learning process—is crucial.

Universities shouldn't be limited to two or four years of study; we need a subscription-based system where students can stay for 10 or 20 years, learning whenever they want.

Before that happens, AI tutors may become highly developed, and having a good AI tutor could become a key factor in determining competitiveness.

The disparity in whether or not people can afford to invest in AI is likely to become a decisive factor.

Therefore, a guarantee that "everyone can use AI" is important.

 

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Cool Japan: Housing

 ■Cool Japan: Housing

NHK Cool Japan: The "Housing" episode.

The importance of "staying at home" has become paramount due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to one survey, more than 70% of Japanese people said they have spent more time at home in the past year.

Furthermore, more than 60% of people said that their stress levels have increased as a result of spending more time at home.

Is the home where we spend so much time comfortable? Are Japanese homes cool?

"Storage"

In the past, Japanese homes had fewer possessions and furniture.

Storage space was limited, so a wardrobe was part of the bride's trousseau.

As we became wealthier, we accumulated more possessions. We started showing them off, and things became chaotic.

These days, it's actually considered smarter to keep your home tidy.

Furthermore, the coronavirus pandemic has increased the amount of time I spend at home.

I'm currently re-evaluating my family's lifestyle from a hardware perspective.

"Share house"

This is a row house from the Edo period.

A lifestyle where wells, tools, and food are all shared within a single town.

In the modern era, life became centered around the workplace, and communities became more fragmented.

For generations that have grown accustomed to smartphone sharing services, a lifestyle of sharing and living together in a relaxed and enjoyable way has become natural.

with the decrease in person-to-person interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic , I think this is a lifestyle worth paying attention to.

"Subscription"

Subscriptions are familiar to the smartphone generation.

I think that working from home during the coronavirus pandemic is less about forcing people to stay indoors and more about giving them the freedom to be wherever and whenever they want.

An era where people can live anywhere. A service that anticipates this.

In Japan, the problem of vacant houses is becoming serious due to an aging population and depopulation, and some estimates suggest that by 2033, approximately one in three houses will be vacant.

Furthermore, it serves as a means of matching people with new ways of working and living.

This could be seen as a more accessible way to revitalize a region than relocating, and it's likely to attract attention.

"Traditional construction methods"

Currently, the mainstream method of house construction is the "pre-cut" method, where lumber is processed by machines rather than by the hands of craftsmen.

Because carpenters only need to assemble pre-processed lumber on-site, traditional construction methods like hand-cutting are steadily declining.

This program often shows foreigners struggling to preserve Japanese traditions, but I think we Japanese should realize the importance of the wisdom we have passed down through generations.

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