Here, you'll find an environment that supports your own unique "academic journey."

While studying Latin American history, focusing mainly on written documents, I struggled to find a "history that could be felt firsthand." This led me to question, "For whom is history written?" and "Is this research merely for the self-satisfaction of scholars?" Then, in 1979, I decided to start over from scratch in the field and began visiting the villages of the Indios (the indigenous peoples of Latin America) in southern Mexico. There, I encountered a form of "value" that is incomprehensible to civilized society.

From the perspective of civilized society's values, the Indios are extremely poor. However, their lives are imbued with a wisdom and rich human relationships that civilized society has forgotten. I do not believe that the lives of indigenous peoples are ideal. In fact, I am very fond of civilized society. However, in recent years, a sense of stagnation has permeated our society, and while people sense this crisis, they remain passive and are simply carried along by the current.

I made various discoveries through oral histories of four generations of an Indio family and other means, and the purpose of my research is to use these findings to shed light on the question, "What are the value standards of civilized society?"

Before I took up my post, I was honestly surprised, thinking, "Me, a specialist in Latin American history, in the Faculty of Economics?" But that turned out to be one of the great things about the Faculty of Economics. While it has a prestige supported by tradition, it also has the magnanimity to not be confined to its "core" as a Faculty of Economics. To begin with, a certain amount of what might seem like "waste" is necessary to cultivate culture, and I believe the Faculty of Economics has the "leeway" to allow for that.

"Latin American Social History" is not a required course, and it's a demanding class that requires a report for every session, but nearly 100 students enrolled each year. There were quite a few enthusiastic students who would lean forward, listening intently, which naturally fueled my own passion. Even when choosing just a single photograph to use in class, I was serious, picturing their faces.

Those who want to learn gather, and those who teach respond by doing their utmost to convey their knowledge. When I think about it, this is what I believe a "university should fundamentally be." I have taught in various places, but I feel very fortunate to have been able to teach in an academic environment that was exactly as I had hoped a university should be at the end of my career.

This can be said of any university or faculty, but not all students who choose the Faculty of Economics have the clear objective of "wanting to study economics." That is precisely why I believe we should provide an environment where students can explore various possibilities rather than being rigidly confined to one field. In that respect, students at Keio's Faculty of Economics are very fortunate. This is because, despite being in the Faculty of Economics, there are diverse opportunities available to study other specializations. Incidentally, many graduates from my seminar are active in worlds different from economics, becoming journalists or pursuing careers as history researchers.

Although diverse possibilities are available, you cannot seize the chance to challenge them unless you reach out for them yourself. To make the most of these chances, you must discover "what you want to do" during your university life. Don't just complete assigned tasks; try to create your own "journey" through spontaneous action. It can be an academic journey, a real journey, or anything else. After all, the Faculty of Economics has the environment and the professors to support you in creating your own unique journey, something you won't find on a group tour.

(Interview conducted on October 22, 2008)