“SOUKANA”: Something to remember when encountering online information

——Four tips for pausing that even elementary school students can use

What is this? Who started saying this?

“SOUKANA” is awatchword for calming yourself down and thinking first when you encounter information on the internet or in the news.
The proponent (the person who started saying it) is Kenichi Shimomura, a former TBS announcer and expert in media and information literacy. Kenichi Shimomura It is widely introduced and practiced in classes and teaching materials for schools and homes as a “SO-U-KA-NA” check. (smartnews-smri.com)

Four steps (with examples and mini-exercises)

① SO = Soku-dan shinai (Don't jump to conclusions)

• Tip: Instead of a black-and-white switch, reserve judgment by thinking “maybe X percent” like a volume knob.

• Example: When you see rain clouds, don't decide “It's definitely going to be a downpour!” but think, “It might rain. I'll take a folding umbrella,” and that's enough.

• Mini-exercise: “What if you see ‘XX is dangerous!’ on social media?” → Whisper to yourself, “It’s unconfirmed. I’ll check later.” This “pause first” attitude becomes the foundation for calmly going through the next three steps. (
  smartnews-smri.com)

② U = Unomi ni shinai (Don't swallow it whole / Don't take it at face value; separate facts from impressions)

• Tip: Read by separating facts (what happened) from impressions (how the writer feels).
  Example) “Mr. A left through the back door ‘as if running away.’”
  → Fact: “Mr. A left through the back door” / Impression: “as if running away”

• Mini-exercise: Extract just one line of a “factual sentence” from an article you read today.
  In school classes, distinguishing between facts and impressions is treated as the core of SOUKANA. (Mimura Tosho)

③ KA = Katayoranai (Don't be biased; think of other perspectives)

• Tip: Even for the same event, turn on your "imagination switch" to realize that changing your perspective, focus, angle, or order changes how things look.

  • Perspective: Look at it not just from your own position, but from the position of animals or the other party

  • Focus: Which words are being emphasized (e.g., "consultations have increased" can also have a positive side)

  • Angle: Impressions change based on how a photo is taken or how a text is excerpted

  • Order: The meaning can change depending on the sequence of information

• Mini-exercise: "XX is a problem" → List at least three perspectives such as the parties involved, family, community, experts, etc. This "expanding your perspective" exercise method is repeatedly introduced in Mr. Shimomura's lectures. (
  Morinooto / Finding Seeds of Ecology in the Community)

④ NA = Don't look only at what is in the (spotlight) (imagine what is outside the frame)

• Tip: A viral single photo or short video only shows what is "inside" the spotlight. Imagine what is outside the frame, not shown. Example) A photo of an empty shelf = Is there really a shortage? → What about
  warehouse inventory or the situation at other stores?

• Mini-exercise: When you see an image, graph, or short video, write down three things by asking, "What is outside of this?". "Don't just look at the inside" has been developed into teaching material as a keyword for So-Ka-Na. (
  smartnews-smri.com)

A 1-minute "So-Ka-Na" checklist

1. Stop (So): Do not share or comment immediately. Take three deep breaths.

2. Sort (U): Extract only the facts from the text in one line.

3. Add Perspectives (Ka): Try changing the position, focus, angle, and order one by one.

4. Imagine Outside the Frame (Na): List three conditions or missing pieces of information that exist outside of the image or numbers.

5. If you still cannot make a judgment, hold off (bookmark it).

Simple workshops for home and the classroom

• Color-coded reading: Print out an article and highlight facts in blue / impressions in yellow (U).

• Perspective cards: Write "position, focus, angle, order" on cards, and rephrase the content from the perspective of the card you drew (Ka).

• Outside the photo game: Choose one photo and have your family list five things that are "not in the picture" (Na). (Mr. Shimomura's classroom practices are also organized for schools.) (
  smartnews-smri.com)

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Sensational language (clickbait headlines) → Check the content against numbers and sources.

• Cropped graphs or photos → Check the vertical axis, original data, and shooting conditions.

• "Someone who sounds like an expert" → Are their affiliation and track record clearly stated?

• Your own likes and dislikes (confirmation bias) → Dare to read one opposing opinion (KA).

Summary (Takeaways for today)

• SO: Don't jump to conclusions; stop first.

• U: Separate facts from impressions.

• KA: Add different perspectives to reduce bias.

• NA: Imagine what is not shown outside the frame.
  Just by cycling through these four, your resistance to being deceived and ability to communicate will improve significantly. Please use this as "safe driving for information" in classrooms, at home, or at work starting today. (smartnews-smri.com)

Reference (Sources)

• Teaching materials, learning objectives, and definitions for each word in the "So-U-Ka-Na" check (proposed by Kenichi Shimomura). (smartnews-smri.com).

• Lecture report: Concrete examples of the four questions (position, center of gravity, angle, and order) and the practice of "So-U-Ka-Na". (Morinooto / Finding Eco Seeds in the Community).

• Class report linked to textbooks: Let's remember with "So-U-Ka-Na" (distinguishing between facts and impressions, looking outside the spotlight). (Mitsumura Tosho).

Links (URLs)
*These are official and educational materials that you can open and read.

SmartNews Media Research Institute "'So-U-Ka-Na' Check":

Morinooto "Let's swim skillfully in the sea of information with 'So-U-Ka-Na'! Kenichi Shimomura Lecture Report":

Mitsumura Tosho Mitsumura Web Magazine "Learn from an announcer! Media Literacy Course (Let's remember with 'So-U-Ka-Na')":