What I wanted to convey to university students

After writing last time about sweet rice cake soup (Takamatsu), a senior colleague at work shared a recipe, saying, "In Akita, New Year's is natto soup!" Following the instructions, I made it with finely mashed natto in miso soup, adding taro, tofu, fried tofu, and bracken. The result was a delightful dish with a fun, slimy, and creamy texture. Come to think of it, the hatahata hotpot beloved by Akita locals also features the slippery texture of eggs. Perhaps it's a regional trait to enjoy sticky, viscous textures.

Serri

But the star of this dish was the serif (water dropwort) I received with the advice, "To finish the natto soup, add this grown by my brother who's a farmer." Told "Make sure to eat the roots too," I cautiously put some in my mouth, and wow, was it delicious! The core part, or the very bottom of the stalk, had a sweet bitterness and a rich aroma. The roots had a pleasantly crunchy texture, somewhat reminiscent of enoki mushrooms. I devoured it in no time. While you can find seri year-round at supermarkets, its peak season is said to be from February to April, making it the perfect vegetable for this time of year when you start craving hot pot.

Speaking of "this season," final exams are about to start at the university. It's time to say goodbye to the students I've seen every single week for a year.
At Keio University's Media and Communication Research Institute, I taught a "Special Lecture on Advertising." Well now. I wonder if I was of any help to the students.

This year's students (Photo: Mr. Horie, just back from India)

Just memorizing the faces and names of all the students was a challenge in itself. The main theme of this class was "How to Generate Ideas." We tackled various problems through brainstorming and discussed the ideas behind real-world innovation cases. I aimed to help them consider approaches that would be valuable to master as knowledge workers, no matter what field they pursue in the future.

But... I wonder how it actually went. Given that they could barely recall things from just a week ago, I doubt they'll remember the details a year from now. Reflecting on my own student days, it seems best not to expect too much.

Still, what I hoped might stick with them was the idea of "defining terms clearly." In other words, "stop pretending you're accomplishing something just by spouting fancy-sounding jargon." So during the lecture, I avoided specialized terms as much as possible and kept the discussion at a middle-school vocabulary level. Unfortunately, many working adults also conveniently use words like "strategy," "challenge," "concept," "marketing," and "design" with vague meanings. Admittedly, mixing these kinds of words with buzzwords like "lead management," "content marketing," or "co-creation community" does make things sound incredibly impressive, right? But I didn't want the students to fall into that trap; I wanted them to develop the habit of thinking more fundamentally.

That said, I wonder... Even I sometimes use "convenient words" to gloss over my thinking. So, one last point. At the very least, I hope you remember this: "Work is interesting."

Of course, company life has its ups and downs. But for me, I absolutely love figuring out what message will move people. Even when I'm playing tennis or ranting at a pub, a little corner of my mind is always nibbling away at the challenges I'm tackling. While "work-life balance" is a crucial concept for separating work and private life, I don't think work and life are things you can just neatly compartmentalize.

Kawai Kanjiro, who advanced the Mingei movement alongside Yanagi Muneyoshi and Hamada Shoji, left behind words like: "Even if given another lifetime, I would still want to make pottery. I want to live a pure life devoted solely to my work, free from the poor words and deeds I've committed until now."
It feels presumptuous for an advertising company employee to quote the words of a renowned Japanese ceramic artist, but even so, I think it's a wonderful life to be able to think that way. My secret wish is that my lectures might serve as a small catalyst for promising young people to challenge themselves in work they love.

Anyway, I can't wait for the day five years from now when I can have a drink with them, all grown strong and capable. Talking about young people always makes my writing sound old, but what can you do? I've reached that age where the bitterness of celery tastes good.

Boiled Serif

Well then, until next time.

Enjoy your meal!