Announcing the results of the "#WhatIThinkAboutMoney" submission contest held by the Japan Securities Dealers Association and note!
Held for about a month starting December 1, 2021, the #WhatIThinkAboutMoney submission contest was about talking about "money," a familiar part of our lives.
During the period (12/1-1/3), we received 3,063 entries! Thank you for submitting such wonderful works that allow readers to rethink money as well.
For a list of entries on note, please see here.
As a result of the selection process by judges Hiroshi Matsui, Masami Kawaguchi, and the Japan Securities Dealers Association note team, the winners have been decided as follows.
Grand Prix
The most reliable way to protect your money
FP Mu-san, who writes the "note that helps you understand economy and parenting," cherishes things, such as wearing a dress she bought in junior high school for 20 years and using a coin purse she received in kindergarten for over 30 years. This piece is written in an easy-to-understand way about the "way to protect money" that we need, starting with the intriguing opening, "Even for someone like me, this is the one thing I spend money on without worry," and touching on why Japanese people are said to love saving money and what is necessary to survive in the present.
"It is an excellent piece with a smooth introduction from the hook of the opening to the information part in the second half," "The content strongly aligns with the purpose of this contest and is useful for a wide range of readers without narrowing down the audience," and "It provides a trigger to encourage action for those who want to rethink how they deal with money," were some of the evaluations that led to it being chosen for the Grand Prix.
Many people might be startled when they see the phrase, "Why do Japanese people like to save money?"
Many people tend to think that when it comes to earned money, there are only two choices: "save" or "spend." However, FP Mu-san sounds an alarm that we should not remain with the same values in these days when various situations surrounding us, such as interest rates on savings, employment environments, and pensions, are changing.
So, what should we do specifically? What kind of attitude should we take? It was an exemplary piece that gently and clearly resolves such questions and anxieties that everyone has.
I hope you will read this, reflect on money and asset formation once again, and take a step forward. (Japan Securities Dealers Association note team)
Judge's Special Award (Hiroshi Matsui Award)
What money taught me
Money can drive your life crazy, and it can also save you—that is what rikoriko-san says, whose life changed completely in her 20s when her father's business failed. She says her values regarding money changed when she was finally released from the long days of endurance. This is a piece that looks at the relationship between life and money.
"My father's business failed when I was in my 20s."
First, I was completely drawn in by this opening sentence. Being sent back to Japan while studying abroad, and spending every day chasing work and housework while friends freely spent money on fashion and travel. On top of that, the conflict between her mother, who was drawn into shopping addiction, and her father, who was a one-man manager. The Lehman Shock and the pandemic added insult to injury. The suspense continued, and I was hooked the whole time. And then, the peaceful time that finally arrives. It made me think about money and life. (Hiroshi Matsui)
What I am thinking about now, as someone who was bad at receiving money
Aya Shimada, who now works as an illustrator using her love for drawing as a weapon. Before reaching that point, she had the experience of spending 3 million yen in two years. She writes about her own thoughts, which she can only put into words now that she has gone through various jobs and experiences, using text and manga.
It was a wonderful piece with excellent text structure and fun accompanying manga.
I was firmly drawn into the text early on with the story of spending 3 million yen in two years after quitting her job. Then, the middle part where she learns about money through her new job and freelance work. The anticipation for the ending grew. And the "summary" landed perfectly on how to use money in the future! It was a very well-structured and easy-to-read piece. The manga inserted in the middle is also easy to understand and excellent. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. (Hiroshi Matsui)
Judge's Special Award (Masami Kawaguchi Award)
I think money is a ticket to the future
Nanten Seyama, who became a housewife after quitting her job, seems to have faced how she uses money once again. She digs deeper into how she spends it from four perspectives and arrives at the idea that "money is a ticket to the future." For the reader, it is a piece that makes you want to think about who you are giving your ticket to and with what feelings.
"The money I can use freely decreases," which is why "I should spend money on things that are truly necessary." I think Nanten Seyama is a person who can take a positive view of negative things. The softness of her personality also comes through in her writing.
"What makes my heart flutter?" The excitement comes through in the writing where she faces her own heart, and I empathized, thinking, "Yes, yes, I want to use money for things that make my heart race like this!" Among that excitement, what she thought about in particular was the desire to "make the future of children even a little more comfortable and brighter." We live in times that cannot be called bright. But I was moved by the fact that she didn't just end by worrying about it, but thought about what she could do now and actually took action.
It was a lovely essay that made me realize that "investment" is essentially a ticket to such a bright future. (Masami Kawaguchi)
The trigger for starting to invest in the first year of junior high school
It was when Rory-san was in her first year of junior high school that her mother forced her to choose between "a 10,000 yen monthly allowance" or "investing her saved New Year's money in stocks to earn it herself." Although it wasn't always smooth sailing after she started stock investing, what is the reason she says, "I am very grateful for this education"?
How many people are suggested by their parents to "try stock investing?" when they are in junior high school?
What's even more surprising is that the mother herself is not necessarily successful at stock investing. She is a gutsy mother who didn't teach him from scratch, but challenged him to do it to "get him interested in money."
It was interesting to read how he interpreted stock investing from a perspective unique to a junior high or high school student, such as purchasing stocks related to games he likes. The way he described his experience with the "Lehman Shock" while in high school was also written realistically, and the anxiety of that time came through. There aren't many high school students with that kind of experience!
He says that he is currently challenging himself to start a business while being helped by stock investing. His mother successfully helped her son find the seeds of "what he likes," and Rori-san was also able to make the "flowers of what he likes" bloom. As a mother with children myself, I want to help my son find his seeds. (Masami Kawaguchi)
Japan Securities Dealers Association Award
#30 A Fateful Encounter: My Prince Charming
The reason why Anabata Kaigi, in her teens, was not interested in being a career woman, marriage, or childbirth was "despair over lifetime wages." However, after encountering a certain phrase, her view of money changed to that of a "life partner." This is a manga work that depicts what she has thought about money in the past and what she thinks about it now.
We appreciated how the work brilliantly turned the realization from "anxiety about money in my future" to "not working for money, but having money work for me" into a manga. The expression comparing money to a "Prince Charming" in the sense of an ideal life partner who accepts you as you are was very impressive. Also, I deeply empathized with Anabata Kaigi's search for a role model while the social environment, such as how women work, is changing rapidly. (Japan Securities Dealers Association note representative)
Children learning about money. 2nd grade "Money Research" No. 3: Salaries, Stocks
Non-non's second-grade child started "Money Research" for their summer vacation independent research project. The method was to have family members teach them about money matters they were curious about in the news, and then summarize it in their own way. This is a three-part series, and the winning entry is the final chapter, which introduces what they learned from their grandfather about "salaries and stocks." How did they "research" a topic that is difficult even for adults to understand?
The notebook compiled by Non-non's daughter was easy to understand, and I could imagine it was a very fun lesson. We at the Japan Securities Dealers Association also have programs to teach elementary school students about corporations and how stocks work, and I myself have struggled with the difficulty of teaching the difference between "buying things" and "buying stocks." This work made me think that our association must work even harder so that, like in Non-non's family, talking about money and investment becomes a natural occurrence in every household in Japan, not just at school. (Japan Securities Dealers Association note representative)
[Saving] After I started Tsumitate NISA, I started using 1,000 yen toothpaste.
Shoga Genki Fukutsu-ko says the reason she started using somewhat expensive toothpaste at 1,000 yen for 90g was because she started Tsumitate NISA. This work uses a comical touch to explain the process and the reasons why she arrived at the idea that "how much you save is more important than how much you earn."
It was an interesting work with an unexpected development where starting Tsumitate NISA led to reviewing monthly income and expenditures, which then led to 1,000 yen toothpaste. I also felt a sense of style in how she had a clear approach, thinking of Tsumitate NISA as "putting money into a box that has the potential to grow." It was well expressed that money is directly linked to our daily lives and actions, and I felt once again that I would like to see securities investment become familiar as a natural part of everyday life, just like in this work. (Japan Securities Dealers Association note representative)
The story of a freelance wife who started asset management #WhatIThinkAboutMoney
Oricha, a freelancer living with her self-employed husband. She started asset management a year and a few months ago for the future. This work, which explains the information, discoveries, and changes she gained there, is carefully written not only about knowledge of asset management but also about what she gained from it, making it a useful reference even for those who are not freelancers.
The number of people who have started securities investment during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased. Oricha seems to be one of them, and it was a work where her actual experience was written in an easy-to-understand manner. The words, "In an era where anything can happen, I need to prepare for the future, and it might be a good opportunity..." are likely feelings shared by many people who are interested in securities investment. I also thought it was wonderful that she felt a new door had opened by starting stock investment, saying, "For the first time, I felt like I could become a small part of the gears of society." Stocks are issued by companies to raise funds when they undertake new projects. By investing in stocks, you are supporting such companies and can become a member of society. (Japan Securities Dealers Association note representative)
Prize Winners
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The submission period has ended, but I hope this will be an opportunity for you to rethink how you will face money in the future.
Please take a look at other submitted works from the URL below.
Looking back on the contest
Below is a comment from the Japan Securities Dealers Association note representative.
I believe that we Japanese are not very accustomed to or experienced in sharing our thoughts about money with others. I would be very happy if this contest served as an opportunity for you to express your own thoughts and learn about the thoughts of others.
We have heard your various thoughts on money this time. In particular, there were many people focusing on future money and asset formation, and the desire to "take some action" for one's future self, for one's family, and for society came through strongly in the entries.
I hope that not only those who posted, but also as many people as possible who encountered these wonderful works will think about the option of asset formation through securities investment and take a step forward.
Thank you very much for the many submissions that exceeded our expectations.
If you would like to take a step forward, please take a look at the content below.
→[What is investment? Learn with videos!] Investment Jiwaka Channel (Featuring: Hajime Syacho and others)
→[Website to learn from the basics] Investment Time
→[Want to know about NISA] Japan Securities Dealers Association NISA Special Website