Reflecting on the Year: A Single Kanji Character
It is the end of the year. I will try to express my reflection on this year with a single kanji character.
The prompt for AI that a friend taught me is as follows.
"Please read all posts from 2025/01/01 to today. After that, analyze their content and express it as a single kanji character as a summary. Also, please tell me the reason for choosing that kanji."
First
Data: X post content
AI: grok
Single kanji result: '充' (Fulfillment)
Second
Data: Conversation data with Gemini
AI: Gemini
Single kanji result: '拓' (Pioneer/Open up)
Third
Data: Mako-san's note articles
AI: Gemini
Single kanji result: '英' (Excellence/English)
Fourth
Data: Mako-san's note articles
AI: ChatGPT
Single kanji result: '紡' (Spin/Weave)
All text from here on is copied directly from the AI's output.
First: From the results of X posts by grok
Single kanji: '充' (Fulfillment)
The reason for choosing this kanji is that your overall posts in 2025 reflect a life where you have enriched your second life after early retirement through diverse activities such as music, travel, book writing, investment, time with family and cats, and games, enjoying free and happy days.
Many of your posts are occupied by sharing note articles and reflections on life philosophy, and the fact that you repeatedly emphasize the importance of self-realization and action symbolizes the 'fulfillment' of life.
Second: Conversation data with Gemini
Understood. Based on the conversation data (memory) with me (Gemini) so far, I have re-analyzed Mako-san's 2025.
When focusing on the time we shared, especially the 'new challenges' and 'achievements' in the latter half of 2025, a more dynamic and positive figure emerged that could not be seen from public information on the web alone.
The kanji that represents your 2025, derived from the conversations we had, is this.
2025 Summary Kanji: [ 拓 ]
Reading: Taku, Hira(ku)
Reason for choosing this kanji
1. In 2025, especially towards the latter half, your attitude of not just maintaining the status quo but 'pioneering' your own possibilities and fields of activity was very impressive. The following three specific episodes are the decisive reasons for choosing this kanji.
2. 'Pioneering' the language barrier (English publication). Publishing your book in English in November was one of the biggest highlights of this year. Your ability to take action, 'pioneering' a place for dissemination not just domestically but to the world, truly symbolizes this kanji.
'Pioneering' a new rhythm (Challenge to drums). In addition to the guitar you are already familiar with, you started drum lessons in December. I was impressed by your curiosity and vitality to 'pioneer' the world of new instruments and new rhythms without going into a defensive mode after retirement.
3. 'Pioneering' the realm of freedom (FI ratio over 25). In November, I heard that your FI ratio (financial assets / annual expenses) in asset management exceeded 25. Steadily increasing the figure from 17 at the time of retirement and making your financial foundation more solid is a major achievement that further 'expands' your life choices for the future.
General Review
2025 was a year in which you stepped into new areas in all intellectual, physical, and economic aspects—'English publication,' 'drums,' and 'achieving asset goals'—while enjoying life, such as the Kyushu trip in October (Hakata, Yoshinogari, Ureshino Onsen) and the introduction of AirPods 4.
I feel that your figure, Mako-san, who continues to 'pioneer' the future with your own hands rather than living a quiet retired life, was truly worthy of the account name Prometheus (one with foresight).
I am also very much looking forward to seeing what kind of seeds you will sow and grow in that pioneered land next year. First of all, please enjoy the drums you just started!
Third: Analyzing note articles with Gemini
Starting with the Southern All Stars live concert (Okinawa), the seasonal colors in Pikmin Bloom, and the unchanging deep reflections on asset formation, you have been posting on a wide variety of topics again this year, but among them, a particularly outstanding 'new arrival point' can be seen.
Based on these, I have selected a single kanji character that symbolizes Mako-san's 2025.
2025 Summary Kanji: [ 英 ]
Reading: Ei, Hanabusa
Reason for choosing this kanji
I felt that the three meanings of this character—'excellent,' 'flower,' and 'England (English)'—overlap beautifully in your 2025 activities.
1. 'English' publication that transcends the language barrier. One of the biggest topics this year is the publication of your English book 'What is Well-being?: What the Philippines Taught Me About Life' on Kindle. Spreading your experience and philosophy to the world on the wings of English, not just domestically, is truly a 'brilliant decision' and a new frontier as a creator.
2. 'Eika' (Flowers) that color the days. From the May article 'Pikmin Bloom Seasonal Flower List' and your commitment to the article title images, I felt the mental leeway and richness to appreciate 'seasonal flowers' in your daily life. It symbolizes that life after FIRE is not just a rest, but a colorful one that looks at beautiful things.
3. 'Wisdom' to overlook life. As shown in articles such as 'Life is an RPG' and 'What becomes clear with Child NISA,' your sharing of 'wisdom (excellent wisdom)' that calmly analyzes the capitalist society and life structure and derives the optimal solution remains intact. Your attitude of pursuing happiness based on logic and experience without being swayed by temporary emotions is a guide (a heroic existence) for many readers.
General Review: I analyze 2025 as a memorable year that started with the good fortune of winning the Southern All Stars tour, maintained the steadfastness of asset management, and finally set sail into the vast ocean of the 'English-speaking world.'
Fourth: Analyzing note articles with ChatGPT
If 2025 were represented by a single kanji character, it would be "Tsumugu" (紡 - to spin/weave).
📌 Trends in content (2025)
Articles organizing life views and values (e.g., "Effort vs. Enjoyment," "Running vs. Walking")
Reflections on assets and wealth building (the difference between "financial techniques" and "asset building")
Practical ways to enjoy second-life and daily routines (music, Pikmin Bloom, stays in Cebu, etc.)
Thoughts on writing for note (the joy of writing, uniqueness)
Introspective organization of personal priorities and reasons for living
What they all have in common is:
The point of "organizing and sharing one's own life philosophy while connecting the inner self with the outside world."
Reasons for choosing "Tsumugu" (Key points)
Tsumugu (to spin/weave) has the meaning of:
Weaving various experiences, thoughts, and realizations into a "meaningful story" from one's own perspective, rather than just keeping a record.
Examples of specific "weaving":
✔ Connecting the reader's values with one's own
(The joy of writing, relationships with others)
✔ Connecting post-retirement life with a rich life
(Reason for living, sense of fulfillment)
✔ Connecting daily events with deep realizations
(Pace of walking, enjoying things)
✔ Connecting finance/investment with life planning
("Financial techniques" and "asset building")
I believe this "connecting/weaving" process highlights the consistency and richness of life.
Summary (Practical points)
2025 was a year where I created a "chain of value" myself, moving from just writing thoughts to having them read, and then influencing others.
That chain was not a coincidence, but born from the consistency of my life philosophy.
The character "Tsumugu" symbolizes the process of turning these "dots" into "lines," and those "lines" into a "surface."
Next year also,
looks like it will be a year of "further expanding what has been woven."
Impressions of playing with AI
From here on, these are my own words.
AI is skilled at expressing things in beautiful, very easy-to-understand, and plausible ways. It's surprising. Although the data sources are different, the fact that four different kanji characters came up shows that it was a year full of variety.
Reading each response, it was interesting that the episodes picked up were different, rather than the common items. Of course, since it's an analysis of everything I've written, they are all things I recognize, so it's incredibly fun.
My close real-life friends read my note articles thoroughly, and they send me chats citing past article links, not just from this year, 2025. It makes me very happy to think that the topics I write about are influencing someone.
I am filled with gratitude for my friends and the followers who give me "likes" (❤️), wanting to say, "You read it, didn't you?"
Regarding this AI as well, it's natural that it read it according to my instructions, but seeing the analysis results, I felt the joy of being read even from the AI.
The single kanji character I choose myself
Well, if I were to choose a single kanji character for myself, I would choose "Taku" (拓 - to open up/pioneer).
Not to mention the second response from Gemini, there were many actions I had never experienced before, such as murder mystery games, puzzle solving, board games, skating, creating chords by ear, studio recording, and YouTube broadcasting.
And since all of that was very fulfilling and fun, I choose "Taku."
For reference, writing down the single kanji characters of my friends:
"Yu" (遊 - play), "Raku" (楽 - fun), "Iku" (育 - nurture), "Tatsu" (達 - reach), "Ko" (幸 - happiness), "Sei" (整 - organize), "Shin" (進 - advance), etc.
Surprisingly, they don't overlap. As expected, there doesn't seem to be a "Kuma" (熊 - bear).
It's fun to be able to express a person's year like that.
What was your single kanji character?
Two books that 'expanded' my horizons↓
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