午夜剧场

I would like to start with how I wrote this book. I took inspiration from a famous quote by Hisashi Inoue: write easy things deeply, deep things interestingly, interesting things seriously, and serious things cheerfully. Choosing "verbs" as the theme was part of this approach. However, in places where precise expression was required, the tone became somewhat academic.

Having reached my 80th birthday—a milestone even Confucius did not reach—I wrote about the wisdom I have gained so far from the perspective of culture. I included my personal experiences and encounters. I edited down material I had written over the course of ten years. I divided it into four parts and wrote an introduction for each. For more details, please read the "Afterword." Since "Culture" also implies education, this book is written for university students in general education courses and for the reskilling generation looking to relearn.

Having served at an airline, I was exposed to and adapted to different cultures, with the exception of South America, which was too far away. The air transport industry possesses a technology and culture whose mission is safety and security. We provide convenience to users and ensure they have a comfortable stay. Providers refine their skills daily. After becoming the person in charge on board, I enjoyed the performance while keeping emergency response protocols in mind. I believe the basis of communication is for both parties to learn about each other's culture and, if possible, to go to the site and share it.

After passing middle age and reaching a milestone in my work, I became hooked on mountain climbing. I joined the Yunnan Konwakai (Kyoto University Academic Alpine Club) because its concept involved dreams and curiosity. This book was written as an extension of that. While recommending interesting lecturers, I eventually served as a planning secretary.

Another thing I became hooked on was Thailand. After transferring to an affiliated company, I used my vacations to travel around the country with my Thai subordinates and friends. Once I got used to it, I continued traveling alone. It became my second home after I became a rural teacher teaching Japanese. I read and classified about 2,500 books about Thailand (excluding academic papers) and quoted the interesting parts. That habit is reflected in this book. Eventually, I became best friends with a certain principal and published "The Genius Principal of Northeast Thailand." Six years ago, when I stayed at his house, his son's room was filled with Japanese manga translated into Thai. He later studied in Japan and has decided to translate and publish this book in Thai. The story surrounding this book seems to be continuing.

Susumu Akihata

Japan Community Research Centers and Institutes

224 pages, 1,740 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.