The North Star I found in Shizenkan serves as my compass on my path into unchartered territory

 

Daichi Konuma (Class of 2020)
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We interviewed Daichi Konuma (Co-Founder and CEO of NPO CROSS FIELDS), a first-year alumni of Shizenkan, who assumed the position of Co-President of the New Public Interest Federation* in October 2024. The interviewer is Masataka Uo, Vice President of Shizenkan University (CEO of Japan Fundraising Association), who has befriended the interviewee over the last 15 years. Konuma spoke extensively about his learning at Shizenkan and his aspirations as Co-President of the Japan Association of New Public.

 

 

 

New Challenges at a Turning Point in the Social Sector

 

Uo

First of all, congratulations on your appointment as Co-President of the Japan Association of New Public. 

 

Konuma

Thank you. I really feel like I’ve been handed over a heavy baton. What I feel every day is that the social sector is at a turning point. The boom in social business that we once saw has passed, and we are now in an era where private companies, including startups, are actively working on addressing social issues. As a result, the role played by organizations in the social sector, centered around NPOs, is becoming unclear. We are in a time when we need to clearly articulate our values and communicate them to society.

 

Furthermore, there is a growing view that certain NPOs are clenching on “vested interests”, and their close relationships with selected stakeholders, such as the government and/or specific companies, are also being seen negatively.

 

I think that, while NPOs have the mission of representing the society and its citizens, they also need to seriously face the fundamental questions of “Who are we?” and “Where do we come from”, and “Where are we going?”. I feel a sense of crisis that if NPOs cannot redefine their own raison d’etre and send clear messages to society, they will gradually lose their legitimacy as well as  their social function.

 

Uo

Unlike in Western countries, where the concept of philanthropy and the NPO sector are well established and socially recognized, Japan is still in a stage of exploration. During the social business boom, the predecessors came up with innovative ways, and they gathered the expectations and gained society’s trust. Perhaps we are now approaching a turning point where we have to reconsider the significance of the existence of NPOs from a longer-term perspective.

 

Do you think that your awareness of these issues and your understanding of these changing times are influenced by what you learned at Shizenkan? 

 

Konuma

I think so. At Shizenkan, I learned to see the broader picture of the society I live in. NPOs don’t exist in isolation; they coexist with companies in society. And society functions according to social systems like capitalism and democracy, and within which NPOs play an important role. By learning about these systems from a bird’s-eye view while traveling through the long history of humanity, I was able to grasp the position of societies and NPOs from various angles, from a longer-term and broader perspective.

 

Also, at Shizenkan, I was often encouraged to “have your own opinions” and “express yourself in your own words” even when tackling social issues and abstract questions that I had never considered before. This was a great opportunity for me to train myself to formulate  my thoughts on society while deeply engaging with the subject matter.

 

 

Learning at Shizenkan and how to confront a hollowing out of community

 

Uo

Indeed, what I find amazing about the students at Shizenkan is that they have a good core to stay grounded, and no matter how complex the topic, they are able to take it in and respond in their own words without wavering.

 

So, I was curious and decided to watch all the recorded videos of the liberal arts classes at Shizenkan, and I was impressed, “Wow, this is amazing! I felt like the lectures expanded my understanding of society and the times.”

 

How have you applied your learning at Shizenkan since graduation? 

 

 

 

Konuma

Recently, I became the manager of a local youth baseball team. I don’t think I would have taken this opportunity if I hadn’t come to Shizenkan. 

 

I was in my mid-30s when I enrolled at Shizenkan, and at the time my theme was “how to expand the impact of the NPO I was running”. However, what I realized through my studies at Shizenkan was that rather than pushing myself to the limit and solely climbing upwards, I would rather explore a horizontal, value-rich life, and that this is the way I want to live.

 

What was particularly memorable was a sociology class where I learned that the weakening of community ties was creating a “hollowing out of community”, and that this was the root cause of social unrest.

 

At that time, I realized that, despite being an NPO leader, I had few connections to my local community and this inspired me to engage more locally. I needed to spend time for the benefit of the local community where I lived.

 

When I graduated from Shizenkan, like every alumni, I suddenly had a lot of free time because I had no more classes and no more assignments. I decided to put all that free time into my children’s elementary school’s PTA activities. I thought that the place where I could make the most of what I had learned at Shizenkan was in my local community. As a result, I continued to contribute to my community for five years, and then, by chance, I became a youth baseball manager, which is a role that is even more unexpected than being a Co-President of the Japan Association of New Public.

 

Uo

I think I understand. I didn’t really put it into words, but actually, I also opened a Karate Dojo near my house last year. I think this was likely inspired by liberal arts classes at Shizenkan.

 

Konuma

Exactly (laughs).

 

While it’s certainly important to measure economic value and impact, the intangible values often matter most. For example, I think it’s essential to have more places in the community where local activities such as Karate classes and baseball teams can be inclusive spaces, where even struggling kids can find their footing.

 

It’s great when one change-maker says “Let’s change the world!” and expands an organization, but I think it’s also important to create a system that multiply such small grassroots activities like the Children’s cafeteria**. In particular, I believe it would be very valuable to strengthen citizen-participation-type activities in Japan nowadays.

 

 

Future vision for the New Public Interest Alliance

 

Uo

You are awakened to the importance of contributing to local communities, are now the CEO of your own NPO and also serving as Co-President of the Japan Association of New Public. In particular, there are new movements emerging that connect the corporate and social sectors, such as the three-way collaboration between the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), the Impact Startup Association, and the Japan Association of New Public.

 

Konuma

I can really feel from the business sector the high level of momentum for change in social systems. Many people involved with the Keizai Doyukai have learned at Shizenkan or the NPO Institute for Strategic Leadership (ISL), which was the founding body of Shizenkan University. I am enjoying the challenge of putting into practice in society what I have learned at Shizenkan, while working together with these people.

 

The business people who have studied at ISL and Shizenkan all have a similar awareness of the changing times, and they also have a deep understanding of social issues, so when we try to do something new, we don’t have to explain why this activity is necessary for society, so I think that’s great.

 

Uo

What do you want to do in the future now that you are the Co-President of the Japan Association of New Public?

 

Konuma

Firstly, I want to achieve concrete results in the next few years. I want to strategically create mechanisms that accelerate the exchange of human resources between the business and social sectors, and create groundbreaking examples of collaboration between companies and NPOs, so that when we look back, we can say that this was a tipping point for the times.

 

Secondly, I would like to promote intergenerational harmony. While studying at Shizenkan, I realized that I wanted to become a harmonious leader who can bring change. I think I am good at combining the different ideas of people from different backgrounds to create new value and bring change. As the way NPOs operate is changing rapidly, I would like to combine various elements by keeping the philosophy that our predecessors have valued, and aim for a change that will excite many people, while addressing the challenges of the present and looking to the future.

 

Uo

From this year, Shizenkan has become the publisher of the Japanese edition of the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR-J), so we should actively seek areas of  collaboration between Shizenkan and the New Public Interest Alliance.

 

 

Finding your “North Star” in life

 

Uo

Finally, what message would you give to someone who is considering studying at Shizenkan? 

 

Konuma

When you work in the social sector, there are times when you question whether your day-to-day activities lead to meaningful change in society. You can hear words of gratitude from those you help, but it is hard to feel that the activities you are doing are creating essential social change.

 

For me, the most important lesson I learned at Shizenkan was to fundamentally question the significance of the activities I initiated as CEO. In particular, being able to reflect on this with such a distinguished faculty was a valuable experience that I would not have been able to do without coming to Shizenkan.

 

I also think that for those working in NPOs, Shizenkan is an excellent opportunity to deepen their understanding of the business sector. Rather than simply learning management skills, engaging in dialogue with classmates from the business sector, you can gain a practical understanding of the inner mechanisms of business.

 

In the liberal arts classes, we often discuss topics such as religion and philosophy with our classmates, which we rarely explore in our day-to-day work, so we develop very strong bonds, and I think the relationships we form through these are extremely valuable.

 

I would also recommend Shizenkan to people working in the business sector.

 

It is crucial for business leaders who will lead the future to take time to think deeply about questions such as why companies exist and what kind of value they want to create in society. I can say with certainty that there is no better place for this kind of introspection than Shizenkan.

 

This journey is not about gaining knowledge or learning skills quickly, and it is not something that will immediately lead to practical results. However, if you take the time to engage in this process at some point in your career, there will come a moment, five or ten years later when you look back and realize that the lessons you learned then have opened up a completely different path in your life. 

 

Uo

I see. Rather than just memorizing superficial knowledge, if you live your life valuing the worldview you experienced through your studies at Shizenkan, your day-to-day decisions will gradually change, and after a few years, you will have made a big change, right?

 

Konuma

Yes, I experienced this myself. Studying at Shizenkan helps you discover something akin to a “North Star” that you should aim for in your life. At the time of graduation, it might still be vague, but after graduation, you have the feeling that you are walking in that direction, drawn by the magnetic pull of that North Star. Then, you naturally find yourself taking paths that you probably wouldn’t have entered if you hadn’t attended Shizenkan. For me, becoming Co-President of the Japan Association of New Public and a youth baseball manager may be examples of those paths.

 

Uo

When you study at Shizenkan, you can find the North Star, and when you find it, you also develop a kind of foundation that allows you to accept it naturally. I think it’s because you come to understand yourself better through the liberal arts classes in the first year.

Thank you for sharing your valuable story with us today.

 

 

 

 

*New Public Interest Federation: A nationwide network organization for the social sector, centered around NPOs. It carries out networking between various players working to solve social issues, policy proposals, research, and various subcommittee activities.

 

**The Children’s cafeteria has been initiated in Japan and it offers free food to poor Japanese children