So will this really revitalize rural areas?

Mariko Yoshihara, a scholar of American cultural history, was my middle and high school classmate. That said, she went on to graduate from the University of Tokyo, earned her master's and doctorate at Brown University, and then obtained tenure at the University of Hawaii, so our paths diverged fundamentally.

She has written extensively. Books like How to Succeed in American Graduate School and Van Cliburn International Piano Competition: An Art Event Nurtured by Citizens brilliantly unravel complex realities in an accessible way. On the other hand, books like Basic Knowledge of Sexual English or Dot-Com Lovers: American Men and Women Meet Online, which chronicles her own online dating experiences, feel so raw and embarrassing that I haven't read them. When I gather with classmates for drinks, they tease me: "Why can't you read them?" "Overly self-conscious?" "Yamada-kun, do you like Mari?" But this feeling of hesitation—I just can't quite put it into words. I still have a lot to learn.

By the way, I hear students from Japan often visit Professor Yoshihara at the University of Hawaii for short-term programs. Each time, she points out that "Japanese university students generally lack training in critical thinking." Even when asked to give presentations, they just list uncontroversial facts or repeat textbook platitudes.

Hearing that makes my patriotism stir, and I want to argue back. But wait a minute. Are we really practicing enough critical thinking in our daily lives?

For example, is it really true that "sixth industrialization"—where primary industries like agriculture and fisheries also engage in food processing (secondary industry) and distribution/sales (tertiary industry) (1×2×3)—is an urgent priority?

Of course, it holds significance from the perspective of securing profit margins, and I know of wonderful success stories. But seeing people on the ground, holding fresh yet unremarkable vegetables or meat, scratching their heads and saying, "We have to use up the 'sixth industrialization' subsidy by the end of this fiscal year, but what should we do?" is heartbreaking.

For example, the idea that "viral videos are the key to regional revitalization" is similar. Personally, I love the video aimed at promoting migration to Kobayashi City in Miyazaki Prefecture, and I know of other initiatives that likely had positive effects. However, it seems there are also cases where budgets are allocated simply because "there's a precedent," without a clear purpose. Even with a single theme like regional revitalization, insufficient critical thinking often leads to means and ends getting reversed. As a result, many well-intentioned efforts fail to produce sufficient results.

Back in middle school, I was part of the Folk Culture Research Club, known as "Minken." We visited local homes to collect folktales – a rather low-key youth, I must admit. But this "Minken" club? When I joined, it was the Ethnic Culture Research Club, focused on studying the minority ethnic groups along the Silk Road, which was trendy at the time. At the school festival, we proudly presented our "research findings" like "The Kyrgyz people..." and "The dwelling structure called a 'pao'..." But one teacher who saw it remarked, "What is this? You've just copied the materials." It was a shock, and it made me sad. That was the trigger for us to shift our focus from "ethnic groups" to "folklore." I'm sure what the teacher really wanted to convey was "the importance of thinking for yourself." I now realize it was about the importance of not just accepting others' words at face value, but having the attitude to challenge them.

Well, it's that time of year again when I lecture at Meiji Gakuin. Every year we discuss innovation and creativity, but this year I've prepared especially thoroughly on the foundational topic of "critical thinking." So that someday, when those students meet Professor Yoshihara, they'll think, "Oh!"

Please, help yourself!