Prospectus for Jibun Co., Ltd.

Hitoshi Kinoshita's Voicy. This three-day weekend featured a lecture on 'Jibun Co., Ltd.' (Self Inc.), where you treat your own life as a company to manage, and the first step was to 'create a prospectus and articles of incorporation'.

With what purpose will I spend my time from here on out?
Looking back as I approach 40, I have two formative experiences regarding what I want to do from here, so I would like to write about them while touching upon those.

Formative Experience 1: Experiencing the splendor of nature and local culture across Japan during my student days

The first was when I was a student, walking through various mountains, remote islands, and isolated regions, and encountering the splendor of nature and local culture throughout Japan.

From the great nature of Shiretoko in Hokkaido in the north to the jungles of Iriomote Island in Okinawa in the south, I experienced the wonder of Japan's nature and the local culture of those regions (...and I also learned here how delicious beer tastes after physical activity and how refreshing hot springs are).

At that time, I felt that my student days were the only time I could take a significant amount of time off, and if I missed this opportunity, I might not be able to engage in such activities until I retired from a company, so I walked through various places and encountered many different landscapes.

Because of this formative experience, I became interested in work related to the environment, and through a stroke of luck, I joined a company where I worked in corporate sales.

Although I was a liberal arts major, the job required engineering knowledge, and while I struggled, I tackled the work and eventually began to achieve results.

After that, I started a family and became busy with work and family life, and as I had thought during my student days, I was no longer able to find the time to walk around Japan.

Formative Experience 2: Experiencing work with regional areas while living in Tokyo during the COVID-19 pandemic

The second formative experience was in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my evenings, which had been filled with social gatherings with business partners, became free.

During some of that time, I participated as a pro bono (*) member in a 'new business launch support project' for an NPO operating on remote islands and in mountain villages in rural areas.

(*Pro bono = 'Social contribution activities that utilize professional skills and experience for social and public purposes')

Since it was a project involving members active on remote islands and in rural areas of Japan along with members from urban areas, meetings were almost entirely online.
Even so, as a result of six months of activity, I received words of gratitude from the NPO members, and I realized that I could participate in and contribute to activities outside of where I currently live.

Also, during the project period, I visited a fishing village in Tohoku, where I had the experience of connecting with nature for the first time in a while, and I remember feeling refreshed in both mind and body.

It was in that state that I encountered the concept of Jibun Co., Ltd., leading to where I am now.

The purpose of managing Jibun Co., Ltd. (what I want to work on from here on)

Based on my experiences so far, and with the realization that as I approach 40, I have only about 30 years of healthy life expectancy left, I would like Jibun Co., Ltd. to focus on the following:

1. Balancing the goal of 'maintaining a rich natural environment for our children and grandchildren' with 'a prosperous life (having enough food, clothing, and shelter, and engaging in cultural activities).'
I will contribute to this through my professional work, activities outside the company, investments, and donations.

2. Working on managing our household in a way that allows each family member to achieve self-realization.

3. While living in the city, which is the base for my current professional and daily life, I will engage with the natural environment and local cultures through travel and other means.

4. To realize points 1 through 3, I will value 'learning,' 'communication with those I work with,' and 'humor' on a daily basis.

That is all.
I have written this down for now, and I intend to look back on it from time to time and revise it as necessary!

*The photo at the beginning was taken when a rainbow appeared while I was climbing the Northern Alps!