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We held a seminar on learning from the past, led by former Minister of International Trade and Industry and Chief Advisor to the Tokyo branch of the Liberal Democratic Party, Takashi Fukaya.

On this day, he talked about the "Bushido spirit."
"Bushido" was systematically spread to the world by Inazo Nitobe as an answer to the question, "Why do the Japanese have an excellent sense of morality even though they do not have a specific religion?"

He taught us about the seven virtues (righteousness, courage, benevolence, courtesy, faith and sincerity, honor, and loyalty) as qualities that a leader should possess, and also explained his view of life and death and aesthetic sense rooted in Buddhism.

As a work that expresses the Japanese aesthetic sense that finds charm in "transience," we were introduced to the poem by Professor Sakamura Makin, "Flowers have no sadness after they fall. All that remains is the joy of blooming single-mindedly." Professor Fukaya reflected on this poem when he lost an election and when he retired, reflecting on his life as a politician in which the only thing that remained was the "joy of blooming single-mindedly."

Through the "Bushido" spirit deeply rooted in the hearts of Japanese people, we were able to learn once again about what a leader should be like and what Professor Fukaya has valued in his career as a politician.