Life is inspired by a variety of "encounters". I'm sure you've had a lot of "encounters" as well. We receive a lot of stimulation not only from "people" such as friends, mentors, and business associates, but also from "experiences and information".

　As I look back on my life, I've had many encounters and turning points. When I was 6 years old our family moved to Portugal (Lisbon) for my father’s job. And my first turning point was when I entered an international school without any English skills. I remember crying every day for a few months because I hated going to school. But as you know children are quick to adapt, I started learning the language and making friends made school a little more fun. The encounters and experiences in the new environment had a great influence on my character development.

　When I was in the sixth grade, I had to return to Japan. I missed the free-style international school. I entered a local junior high school (Nagareyama, Chiba). The school was very strict. There were outdated school rules such as "all boys must shave their head" and at first it was all bewildering. Even so, thanks to my classmates and fellow club members, it was three years of steady growth through various encounters and experiences.

　 And I think the three years I spent at Waseda University Honjo Senior High School gave me the most exposure and inspiration that would become the cornerstone of my later life.
　Living in a dormitory, not studying for university entrance exams (affiliated high school), living in a rich natural environment, teachers with a lot of personality, a free school atmosphere, and a boys' school (now co-educational) made my relationships so intense that every day felt like a school trip. I think the biggest reason I was able to meet and be inspired so much in such a high school life was that I lived in a dormitory. The dormitory was a private room, but all the meals and baths were with my friends. Naturally, I spent an overwhelming amount of time with them. Since I had a plenty of time with my friends, we talked about our dreams for the future. I was influenced and interested in various things. Nowadays (maybe because I'm an adult) starting new things can be a bit of a hassle, but at the time I took action as soon as I got a little interested. There were so many themes to look forward to.
　Not only the fun side, I also experienced that even the most agreeable friends can get tired of being together all the time. Then I distance myself a little, but after a while I reconfirm that I still wanted to get along with them. I kept repeating these things.
　Through a variety of "encounters," I am stimulated to learn about my own personality and the essential qualities of human beings that I had not realized. The joy and frustration I felt and learned through various experiences are still very supportive.

　And starting in 2019, I had the opportunity to teach Introduction to Business Administration at my alma mater. I was not originally a teacher, but had worked as a consultant specializing in human resources (Salary and evaluation system, human resource development), so this was my first to be a teacher.

　Actually, I was very happy with this offer because I had dreamed of becoming a teacher if I had a second life. But teachers and businessmen are different. It goes without saying that you need to be well prepared.

　In order to figure out how I should teach, I looked back at the various classes I have taken. Then I realized that there were two patterns that left a good impression: "fun classes" and "instructive classes."
　A fun class is one in which you feel time passes quickly because you are drawn into the teacher's talk. An instructive class is one in which you want to think beyond it, one in which you want to think deeper like a philosopher rather than a sense of fun.
　I wanted to deliver an instructive class to my juniors. As one of the school's educational principles, "Learn by oneself, ask by oneself," I wanted them to revisit the content after the class in their own way and apply it, discover inconsistencies, or be able to use it in real life.

　It didn't take much time to get my thoughts together to this point. The next thing I thought about was what kind of class (the specific style and content of the class) should be given so that students can interpret the content in their own way and use it in their real life and future business.
　As I pondered for a while, I thought about some of the excellent managers I had been involved with at work. How much do they know about "Business Administration "? Or what do they have in common as successful people?

　All the business owners I have been involved with in my career have been presidents of small and medium-sized companies who have started their own businesses. I am sure they understand the various subjects they learn in business administration, but I feel that they are more capable of seeing the essence through experience than theory. Another feature is that good managers do their best at work, but they also value their hobbies and their time. When I work with a manager who seems happy and is able to balance work and private life well, I feel like doing my best with positive thinking.

　I decided to structure my Business Administration class with an awareness of these successful managers. Knowing the "essence of things" and the "happy life" as good managers do should result in learning more about management and be very useful in practice.
　The syllabus submitted to the school based on these ideas added thinking about the "essence of things" and "about happy life" to the basic theory of management.

　 This book focuses on the "essence of things" and "about happy life" taught in the Business Administration class. I wrote this not only for those who are about to become business person, but also for those who are stumbling a little as business person, or who are getting used to their jobs and want to enhance their personal life.