Continuously Facing Unanswerable Questions | Kazuma Kawagoe (Class of 2014, Faculty of Policy Management)
May 18, 2020
Kazuma Kawagoe
CEO, Co-cooking Inc. /
Board Member, Slow Food Nippon / Board Member, Food Loss Reduction Promotion Organization
Graduated from the Faculty of Policy Management in 2014
Ever since I was in elementary school, I have always loved to eat. Since both of my parents worked, I often cooked quick meals at home. Even after I moved on to junior high and high school, I would go out with friends to find restaurants serving extra-large portions or search for delicious ramen.
Amidst all this, I studied abroad in France twice for short periods during high school, and I still vividly remember being shocked by the quality of a Japanese restaurant in Paris. What was unmistakably being sold as sushi was a large ball of vinegared rice with a single slice of salmon sashimi slapped on top. I was saddened that Japanese food was not being properly represented to the world, and hoping to become an evangelist for Japanese cuisine, I applied to SFC through the AO (Admissions Office) entrance examination and was accepted.
Currently, I run a business focused on solving the issue of food loss, thinking about how to create sustainability in food and how to brighten the future of food. However, the way I approach unanswerable questions in the problem-finding and solving process is something I cultivated at SFC. The world of one-question, one-answer studying up to high school is of course important, but societal issues are becoming more complex, and it's safe to say that there is rarely a single answer. An environment like SFC, which demands output without a correct answer, such as group work and reports, is what I consider to be a valuable place for jitsugaku (science).
In the world of food, in particular, there are no right answers. Something that may seem correct from one perspective is often incorrect from another. For example, take vegetarianism, which was a hot topic for a while. When considering environmental issues, the livestock industry, led by beef production, consumes vast amounts of water resources, so it can be said that a vegetable-centered diet contributes to environmental conservation. On the other hand, from a nutritional standpoint, eliminating animal products, which are an efficient source of protein and vitamins B1 and B2, carries the risk of unknowingly becoming malnourished. Considering these aspects, some people would argue that a vegetarian diet cannot be recommended across the board. In many worldly matters, it's often the case that neither side is wrong.
I believe that in the future, this kind of chaotic state with no clear answers will only accelerate. In a world overflowing with various questions, the ability to continuously cycle through creating and testing your own hypotheses will become a very important skill. I encourage you to find your own areas of interest and confront many questions.
SFC is truly the perfect environment for training on how to face unanswerable questions while spurring each other on. This time, my co-founder Isaku, an SFC alumnus , and I were selected for "Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2020" , hosted by Forbes magazine. I am incredibly happy to have received such a prestigious award, but I believe I could not have done it alone; it was an award I received thanks to my colleagues. The questions we are trying to solve are far from answered, so I intend to continue confronting them with my invaluable colleagues.
You, too, can find invaluable friends at SFC, passionately discuss the future together, and make the society of tomorrow richer and happier. Please make full use of SFC and build an exciting future.