— First, could you briefly introduce yourself?

I joined my current organization, a manufacturing company, in 2010 and spent more than ten years as a researcher in the aerospace division, mainly working on structural design and development for large commercial aircraft.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation industry stagnated and passenger business declined. Around the same time, my family grew with the birth of my child, which led me to question my career: “Is there something I should be doing for the next generation—especially the world my children will live in?”
Just as these thoughts emerged, I learned of an internal job posting for the decarbonization business division and decided to make the transition.

In the decarbonization division, I was involved in a wide range of areas, from technology development to business development. I am now part of a team responsible for launching decarbonization-related businesses in Europe, where I work on planning and strategy.

— What motivated you to apply to Shizenkan?

Transferring to the decarbonization division marked a turning point in my career. At the same time, I realized I lacked a strong personal motivation—a defining “origin story”—that would anchor me as I moved deeper into this field. Approaching my late 30s, I wasn’t sure whether I should fully commit to a new career path.
During that period, I joined a training program organized by The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center and Earth Company, and visited Bali, Indonesia. There, I came face-to-face with pressing social issues.

The words of Ms. Ibu Sari, whom I met locally—“Listen to your inner voice and move toward what you truly want to do”—and a comment from a child in the slums—“When fewer tourists come, the amount of garbage decreases, but so does our income”—completely shifted my awareness of environmental issues.

This experience became my genuine “origin story” and prompted me to seriously explore how I could create social impact while staying with my current company.
Around that time, the head of our U.S. office advised me that “even engineers should pursue an MBA to gain business expertise.” As I researched MBA programs, I learned about Shizenkan through a colleague. The more I explored the curriculum, the more strongly I felt that everything I wanted to learn was there. I became convinced that Shizenkan was essential for building a career that enables me to create social impact while remaining in my industry, and I decided to apply.

— How has your experience been since starting your studies at Shizenkan?

My learning experience at Shizenkan has been the most intellectually stimulating period of my career.
Coming from a STEM background, I had developed deep expertise in a specific field. However, at Shizenkan, I can feel my ability to view issues from diverse perspectives improving dramatically.
During the orientation, for example, we traced 10,000 years of human history, and in the curriculum, besides traditional MBA subjects, we also take classes on science and technology that explore the interconnectedness and causal structure of the world around us.

As I learn about different phenomena and historical contexts, I find myself connecting previously isolated dots, drawing lines between them, and envisioning future possibilities. I’ve already begun applying insights from Shizenkan to my current business planning work.

— What are your aspirations moving forward at Shizenkan?

I want to expand my personal boundaries and discover a version of myself I’ve never met before. Beyond decarbonization, there are countless social issues, and I still have many unresolved questions about how I should approach these challenges as a professional and as a person. I hope to clarify these questions while being inspired by classmates who bring diverse perspectives.

As a corporate professional, I also have an ambition: to establish a new role in my company—Chief Sustainability Strategy Officer (CSSO)—that goes beyond the traditional Chief Sustainability Officer.
To create large-scale social impact as a corporation, we need a new direction that integrates sustainability and business strategy. By combining my experience in the decarbonization division with what I learn at Shizenkan, I hope to help reshape organizational structures and decision-making processes, and contribute to building a leadership team with strong social awareness.

— How did you feel when you learned you had been selected for the Kurishima Scholarship?

I felt truly honored. At the same time, I felt a deep sense of responsibility to carry forward the aspirations of Mr. Kurishima, who pursued his mission with conviction but passed away before realizing it fully.

There is a Native American saying: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
Since becoming a parent, this idea has become a guiding theme in my life. Being selected as a Kurishima Scholar made this belief even more tangible. I want to deeply consider what we can pass on to future generations—and explore that fully during my time at Shizenkan.

— Finally, do you have a message for those considering Shizenkan?

Shizenkan is a place where you can meet a new version of yourself. Here, you can confront the things you’ve avoided or overlooked in the past. Beyond intellectual growth, you can experience profound personal transformation.

Since joining Shizenkan, my values and worldview have expanded, and I feel I am undergoing a truly whole-person transformation. I had unconsciously been choosing only comfortable paths in life, and now I’m in the midst of a significant challenge. But I believe that beyond this challenge lies a version of myself that is much larger than I ever imagined.

I hope many people will come and experience what Shizenkan has to offer.

(October, 14. 2025)