Meguri Festival: Takahisa Taniguchi - 'I want to give medicine, not candy'

I don't want to give answers that are like candy—neither poison nor medicine.

That is what Mr. Taniguchi said in the middle of our conversation.

Those words have stayed with me ever since.

Pleasant-sounding words are sweet, delicious, and easy to consume in the moment.

But they won't change your body for tomorrow at all.

That is why I want to offer words that are truly useful for life, even if they are a little bitter.

I felt I saw a very deep kindness behind the person who said that so quietly and firmly.

Good morning.

This is Ayumikan🍊, bringing you the morning from Malaysia.

Today, please let me share with you a record of the 'Meguri Festival'.

## Today's guest, Takahisa Taniguchi (Takapiro)

Our guest is Takahisa Taniguchi, an entrepreneur, thinker, and environmental activist.

We recently collaborated on a performance at the Meguri Festival held in Hokkaido, and that wonderful connection led to this morning's conversation.

Mr. Taniguchi is from Osaka.

He says his family had 200 million yen in debt, and he started working when he was in junior high school.

He started his own business at 18, used the money he earned to move to the UK, studied education there, built a school in Africa, and eventually moved into environmental activism.

He now has over 260,000 social media followers, and his message is reaching the world.

During our conversation, Mr. Taniguchi left us with these words.

I am writing this down here because I do not want to forget it.

## 'Why do people have to suffer so much just because they don't have money?'

Takahisa Taniguchi's starting point was anger.

Debt collectors coming to the house. Just because there was no money, the family was being pushed around.

As a child, watching that scene, Taniguchi-san says he was angry at the system itself, wondering, 'Why do people have to suffer so much just because they don't have money?'

That anger was the engine that drove his current activities.

But as I listened to him talk, that engine quietly changed its color.

Precisely because you want money, you must not chase after it.

You want to make people happy.

You want to solve social problems.

You want to achieve something.

When that comes first, money only follows as a result.

A person who started from anger had, before anyone knew it, become a 'person who circulates'.

To me, that change itself looked the most beautiful.

## Money is not something to hoard, but something to circulate

Taniguchi-san is someone who has seen financial education in countries all over the world.

He says that piggy banks for children in America have four compartments.

Money to be used immediately.

Money to be nurtured carefully over the long term.

Money to circulate in the world.

And money for the purpose of donating.

What stayed with me most was the story that this was written in a textbook.

'There is no way to use money that enriches you more than donating it to others.'

In Japan, money tends to be focused on 'saving'.

But in reality, it is about circulating, giving, and letting it flow through society.

That is where the gateway to true wealth lies.

It quietly overlapped with the feeling I have always cherished that 'money is a voucher that circulates'.

## Curiosity is the origin of everything

Takahisa Taniguchi's way of speaking always starts with 'why'.

Why, why, why.

He never stops asking those questions, even as an adult.

Taniguchi said that stopping at 'it's like this because someone said so' is the most dangerous thing.

Because someone loud said it.

Because someone with many followers said it.

Instead of taking that at face value, think about it again with your own mind.

'I think this way, but what do you think?'

Being able to say that is what will make us strongest in the coming era.

And curiosity is the gateway to that.

You don't have to have an opinion on difficult social issues right away.

Start with the things you like.

Why do you like them?

What parts do you like?

He taught us that our own opinions grow from the moment we put those feelings into words.

## Making the path you choose the right one

The topic of children struggling with choosing a high school also came up.

Should they challenge themselves at a powerhouse school, or choose a place where they can shine?

Taniguchi-san's answer was quiet, yet powerful.

'There is no right or wrong answer in the choices themselves.'

The right answer is something you create with your own hands after you have made your choice.

No matter which path you choose, the question is whether you have the resolve to live through it to make it the right one.

That is what is important.

And regarding raising children, he said this:

Don't help them.

Don't get in their way.

A small child tries to jump over a puddle and gets soaking wet.

Don't deprive them of that experience.

Falling down, getting wet, and realizing for yourself, 'I can't fly yet as I am now.'

Repeating that process cultivates the strength to never give up, no matter what happens.

Resisting the urge to reach out and help, and instead trusting and watching over them.

That is what is best for the other person.

As I listened, my heart as a mother was also being pierced over and over.

## What I realized this morning

Once again, my name is Ayumi Watanabe.

For over 20 years as a yoga instructor, I have conducted lessons with a total of over 10,000 people.

My total social media following exceeds 280,000, and my video views have surpassed 200 million.

My books include 'X Operation Manual for Achieving Results by Running PDCA,' '1-Minute Exercises to Align Body and Mind,' and 'The Law of Circulation: Being Filled with Happiness in 1 Minute' published by Tokuma Shoten.

However, it wasn't like this from the beginning.

I started with 500-yen yoga lessons.

I was suddenly widowed. My daughter was one and my son was five at the time.

From there, I raised my children as a single mother, experienced the earthquake disaster, and decided to emigrate overseas.

I hit rock bottom many times.

Each time, what kept me moving was 'circulation' (meguri).

That is precisely why, while talking with Mr. Taniguchi this morning, I realized something.

The era ahead will likely require two types of strength.

The strength to open one's heart and the strength to deepen one's thinking.

Takahisa Taniguchi is someone who delivers the essence of things, even if it's a bit bitter.

I am someone who gently creates an atmosphere where people can speak with peace of mind.

Because there is a place where the heart can relax, people can speak their true feelings.

Because they touch upon the essence, their actions begin to change.

I believe that when both of these are present, people can move forward with kindness.

I want you to hear the entire conversation, so I have left the video here for you.

## Finally, just one thing

Since you have read this far, you are already standing at the entrance of the 'Meguri' (cycle).

I would be happy if we could continue to cultivate that flow more deeply together.

📖 'The Law of Meguri: Filled with Happiness in One Minute' (Tokuma Shoten)

Money, connections, and the heart. Everything begins to move once you let it circulate.

I have compiled that philosophy into one book.

🧭 A Textbook for Not Becoming Informationally Vulnerable (Cultivating the Power to Choose in the AI Era)

The biggest reason for stopping the cycle was, in fact, 'choosing things without knowing'.

In the age of AI, what will you choose, and what will you let go of?

This textbook compiles only the power of choice into one volume.

💬 Meguri Community (LINE OpenChat)

Miracles happen to those who are ready.

This is a community for people who live lightly with love and gratitude.

If you're curious, feel free to take a peek.

🍊 Meguri Power Diagnosis

Find out in one minute which of your 'meguri' (flow) is currently blocked.

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Thank you so much for spending this morning time with me today.

May your day be one of high purity and good flow.

I would be happy to see you here again.

With gratitude.

Ayumikan🍊

■ Author Profile (Ayumi Watanabe)

Ayumi Watanabe
A Japanese yoga instructor, author, and entrepreneur who supports women's independence and health. Her nickname is "Ayumikan."

With over 20 years of experience in yoga instruction, she has taught a total of more than 10,000 people. She developed the "1-Minute Exercise" and widely promotes habits for balancing the mind and body.

In 2023, she set a Guinness World Record by holding a yoga straddle forward bend pose for 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 16 seconds.

In addition to sharing health information via social media and her writing, she is also involved in business and educational activities that empower women to choose their own paths and live wisely and lightly.