The Faculty of Economics is where you learn the fundamentals of adaptable thinking.

Since joining the company, I've mostly worked in program production, from director to producer. Although there was a time when I was seconded to the Nikkei Shimbun as a newspaper reporter and a period when I was in sales selling programs, I have generally continued to work on program production and planning. Since 2003, I've been working on investing in and acquiring theatrical films. My career has been in program production, which was the fulfillment of a dream I'd had since junior high school. I feel that I've been able to leave behind some decent work through creating these programs.

A recent example is "Oha Suta," which started in '97 and is still on the air. It's a children's program that airs every morning from 7:00. Also, I was able to create "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan," which started in '94 and is also still running. I feel a sense of pride that these shows are still around. Then, in the contents business I've been involved with for the past two years, a major achievement was painstakingly acquiring the rights to "Million Dollar Baby," which won an Academy Award in 2005. Other than that, TV TOKYO has the Pokémon content, and with its movie adaptations, we have a major pillar for film investment. Beyond that, I'm currently in the midst of taking on various other challenges.

I loved film, and my student life revolved around watching and making movies. It was during my university years that I made friends for life. There were classes, seminars, and clubs, where we would have heated discussions or just have fun, each with its own theme. I made many friends through those experiences, and I'm very grateful that we can still support and inspire each other today. The strength of the bond among Keio University alumni is unparalleled by other universities. This is a characteristic that almost all Keio graduates will tell you.

Of course, Keio also had an image of being the department of political economy, but I believe it is perhaps the core faculty founded by Professor Yukichi Fukuzawa, who created Japan's modern economic and mass communication systems. I chose the Faculty of Economics because I was most excited about what I could gain from what I saw as the most fundamental faculty.

At the Faculty of Economics, rather than being taught specifically "this is microeconomics, this is macroeconomics," I believe I learned the fundamentals for applying knowledge to make judgments in all aspects of work and life after graduation. The Faculty of Economics is like, "We'll give you the tools and know-how to interpret specific examples, but it's up to you to develop the ability to decipher them on your own." That's why it's so easy to apply. Its high applicability was one of the factors in my decision to choose the faculty, and I've felt it even more since entering the workforce. At the Faculty of Economics, I didn't just gain knowledge from how-to books that you can use tomorrow; I gained a perspective for viewing the big picture and the knowledge to analyze it. If you can apply it properly, economics is an extremely useful field of study when you actually go out into the world.

For example, take "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan." The basic idea behind the show's pricing of items came from the question, "What is the true value of things?" in a post-bubble economy Japan, after the collapse of value inflation. It incorporates various economic theory-based approaches, such as the law of diminishing marginal utility and the "invisible hand." Things like what is moving within which trends, or whether programs with certain tendencies are increasing on television. When you can take a macro perspective, you notice that these major trends are linked to the economic trends of the world. Once you notice that, you've won. Because once you notice it, all you have to do is predict what's next. And economics teaches you how to make those predictions.

Knowledge you can use tomorrow is also important. But what you learn at university is not disposable knowledge. I believe you should choose a field of study that has comprehensive elements and high applicability. That's economics. It becomes an extremely useful discipline later on.

(Interview conducted on May 25, 2005)