Reflecting on my defeat at age 43, I secretly confides what I want to do at age 44.

On my 44th birthday, I am taking care of my daughter.

The day before was my daughter's birthday, and we went to Enoshima as a family and did her first surfing together.

It was fun, but then she started to have a fever and chills.

Only my daughter and I returned from the trip first. The birthday would end with me nursing her.

　But thanks to her, I can quietly face myself while she sleeps.

As I write, I would like to reflect on a year I struggled to move forward.

(It's long, so just read the parts you like in the table of contents.)

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The achievement of a 43-year-old and one personal defeat

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Renewal of Florence's philosophy and existence

　We rewrote our vision, mission, and all of the accompanying principles.

　Simply put, we let go of our identity as "the leading social business in the childcare and child-rearing support domain" and became "an entity that does everything for future generations."

　It includes all the projects, the law changes, the movement building, and the values and cultural change that lie ahead.

It took nearly two years to get to this point, although it is short when written.

At first, it was so hard that even my friends who were closest to me and who were supposed to understand me the most did not understand me, and I felt like throwing up.

　But now I am happy I am moving forward with everyone and our hearts together.

　It's not the main point, but the answer I drew from it is my confusion that I wanted to be understood so much. I thought, "What are you asking for even though you are old enough to know better?” This means that since I was a child, I have spent my life with the mental model that "no one understands me."

　I am now thinking that if I regret my shameful life, nothing will come of it, and that if that is the case, then I should at least embrace my past self by letting a newly renewed Florence fly and help as many children as possible.

Realization of Mandatory "Safety Devices" for School Buses

　There was a child who was left on a bus and died. Two children.

　The fact that an empty water bottle had fallen near the bodies caused painful grief in the hearts of many people.

　Human error happens. Then, we can use technology to prevent tragedies from happening again.

　We held an online signature campaign and appealed for the mandatory installation of "safety devices."

　Many people cooperated in signing the petition. I cannot thank them enough.

　And then Minister Ogura accepted the thick bundle of signatures and declared it mandatory the next day.

I had been corresponding with the bureaucrats below the surface, and they hadn't slept for days.

I apologized to them, saying, "I'm sorry I've added to your workload."

They said, "No problem. We share the same feelings. We don't want to see any more children die on the bus."

Those were unforgettable words.

　It seems that nearly half of the buses are now equipped with safety devices.

That makes me happy.

　However, children are still being left to die in standard cars. Just recently, it happened, too.

　If the installation of safety devices has become mandatory for buses, can't it be extended to ordinary vehicles as well? Just like child seats are required. Just attach an attachment to it.

　I am thinking about such a thing vaguely now.

Aiming for Zero Baby Abandonment. Florence's "Free Maternity Hospital" Project Begins

　The number of abuse reports continues to increase. And the number of deaths from abuse has also remained unchanged.

And half of them are babies.

　Newly born babies whose lives are about to begin, whose hopes have taken human form.

　One such baby dies every two weeks.

　The cause of death is abandonment.　

　Unwanted pregnancies. When the mothers are poor, underage, or mentally ill, they abandon their babies out of despair. They are forced to the point where they have no choice but to abandon the baby.

　Pregnant women driven into a corner do not go to the hospital but give birth at home. She goes straight to abandonment.

　Once they come to the hospital, they can be connected to welfare. The connection to the hospital is the connection to life. Dangerous home births can also be avoided.

Why don't they come to the hospital?

　The answer is simple. It is for economic reasons.

　It costs money to see a doctor and deliver a baby. Subsidies will come later, but some pregnant women do not have the money to pay now.

　If that is the case, Florence will pay for it. So, please, come to the hospital.

　With this in mind, Florence started the "Free Maternity Hospital."

　Hospitals that have partnered with us as a free maternity hospital will accept difficult pregnant women free of charge.

　There is no financial burden, as the costs can be billed to Florence later.

Adachi Hospital Group in Kyoto was the first to raise its hand. It was a bond created through the Children's Home Catering Program.

　From there, Matsushima Hospital in Tokyo and Ito Ladies Care Clinic in Gifu joined us. We plan to increase the number of affiliated hospitals to 10 by the end of this fiscal year.

　We want this achievement as a springboard to propose a Japanese version of "Safe Haven Law."

　The "Safe Haven Law" is a law in the U.S. that allows parents to bring their children to the police, fire department, or other public institutions and entrust them to the government if they feel they cannot raise them. The parents are not charged with a crime".

　With this, no one would have to abandon their babies. Completely.

The "Nursery School for Everyone" concept has been realized

　"Why only children of working parents can go to nursery schools?"

　"It's unsurprising since nursery schools began as facilities to care for children whose parents could not work."

The other me says.

　However, parents who don't work are more likely to fall into isolation and are at higher risk of abuse.

　And yet, nursery schools target almost exclusively working parents.

　Now is the time to "open" a nursery school, as the waiting list problem has almost ended, and nursery schools are becoming available. It is now time to change the 70-odd years of childcare history.

　With this in mind, we announced the "Nursery School for Everyone" concept and visualized the needs of housewives and mothers who do not work (or are unable to work) to attend nursery school. I held press conferences and spoke about "nursery school for everyone" at experts' meetings, council meetings, and other forums.

　One year and six months have passed since then. The "Nursery School for Everyone" is now included in the policy. It was decided to be submitted to the ordinary Diet session in the next fiscal year.

　This is the most significant legal change in my life as a policy entrepreneur.

　Nursery schools will become a place for all children and a companion for all parents in raising their children.

　What I would have dismissed as a fantasy five years ago is about to become a reality.

　However, we must be careful. The spirit of the system is in the details.

　Even if the general framework is good, the historic reforms will be undone if there is an insignificant clause in the details.

　We must not let our guard down and carefully carry every last brick with both hands.

　(Incidentally, we can't thank the many donors who give us thousands or tens of thousands of yen every month for allowing us to make these "it doesn't make any money, but it's essential to the world"

policy proposals. People tend to say that donations are unstable, but I would like to say that there is no other way to use money to change society with as much leverage as donations.)

My daughter's "success" in taking the entrance exam

　I don't know what defines success, so I put it in brackets.

If it is success that she could go to the school she wanted to attend for now, then it is success.

　However, in my long life, I have seen too many cases where success in entrance examinations does not necessarily lead to winning, so I don't think I should be that happy about it.

　However, after having spent nearly two weeks off work to study for the exam, staying in a hotel the day before the exam, going to the exam site on the day of the exam, fixing things afterward, and going to the following exam site, it was a genuine relief to have a weight lifted off my shoulders.

　I was so relieved that I cried, I'm ashamed to admit.

　Now, she goes to school happily, and I can't believe those days are gone.

　But the next one is the younger one. I don't want to do it again, but again.

Give me a break.

My wife Miki Komazaki's defeat in the North Ward mayoral election

　The age of 43 was also one of the most significant accomplishments of my life, but it was also one of the most significant defeats, so I can't honestly celebrate it somehow.

　My wife's challenge didn't feel good at first. It was too difficult, and it was unbelievable to be running for office while managing 800 people's lives, committing to my daughter's entrance examinations and my wife's election.?

　But in the end, we decided to fight together. If I disregarded my wife's challenge to change society, my challenge to society would be a lie. I took two weeks of elective leave, not childcare leave.

　And I had never had such an intense and painful two weeks.

　It was so painful that I hid from fellow volunteers during the five-minute break at a Doutor cafe just before the election.

　And then defeat.

I felt as if I were about to cry, "Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered and voted for her,

I cried, "Oh, if only I had more power."

　I am so frustrated. I wish I had more power.

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Age 44, Two businesses I want to work with everyone, and two personal things

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Creating a Platform to Eliminate Gaps in Children's Experiences

　"I have never seen the ocean."

We have a lot of children who say that at the places we support.

　That's why we launched a campaign this summer to #EliminateSummerHolidayGap.

Many companies, including Asoview and others, donated their experiences

　We received three times as many applications from parents as we initially expected,

　We received many comments of joy, such as, "This is an unforgettable memory."

　I was so happy.

　But it is not only during summer vacation that there is a gap in experiences and memories.

　Santa Claus doesn't come on Christmas Day, and you can't eat Osechi cuisine on New Year's. You can't go anywhere during Golden Week, either.

　No matter what the economic status of the children, they should be able to have experiences throughout the year.

　I want to create a platform that can connect children all over Japan with companies through experiences.

　We would be happy to have companies lend us their help.

We want to create a "new family" system

　Even elementary school students know that Japan will become an aging society if nothing is done.

But it is not just an aging society.

It is a "solo aging society."

　By 2040, single-person households will account for more than 40% of all households.

Of these, the majority will be elderly households.

In other words, there is no doubt that a vast "solo aging society" will arrive.

　The administrative costs to support older people living in isolation are very high.

With the number of support providers decreasing, seeing how this can be sustainable is challenging.

　Therefore, a social policy that encourages older people to "gather and live together" (i.e., share a room) is needed.

　This is the "new family" system.

　The "New Family" system expands the municipal partnership system.

　"Not only same-sex but also opposite-sex is acceptable."

　"Not only for homosexuals but also for friends and relatives is acceptable."

　"Not just two people, but three are acceptable."

　This system allows for creating a "new family" later in life, not by blood.

　Some women whose children have left home after graduating from college decide to share a room with a female friend they are comfortable with instead of a married couple.

　Senior men who have lost their wives and want to enjoy living together.

　Single women in their late 40s who want to live together with their single geek friends who they get along with.

　Whatever the form, we need a social system that encourages and facilitates "living with others."

　Suppose we can realize this in some municipality. And if we could expand it to the entire country.

Wouldn't it be a much more enjoyable country?

Practicing "Adult Shared Rooms"

　We will create a "New Family" system. If so, I would like to take the initiative in room-sharing myself.

　Because if I don't do it myself, it won't be convincing.

　It is a lifestyle where three older men live together in a shared room a few days a week.

　This is a solution for older Japanese men, who are said to be the loneliest people in the world (and have a high suicide rate), to share a room and create a community with others from middle age and prepare for the latter half of their lives.

　At least, I am personally excited about it. In the age of 100 years of life, we will change the shape of our families flexibly and creatively, just as we change jobs many times. It's an unorthodox idea at the moment, though.

　Room-sharing is spreading among the younger generation but has yet to be among middle-aged and older people. I know that.

　So, I will be the one to experiment and create a new culture.

Creating "Culture"

　At 43, I created businesses (e.g., a free maternity hospital) and systems (mandatory installation of safety devices and a nursery school system for all children).

　However, I think I could not create a culture and new values.

　At the age of 42, I published a book titled "Policy Entrepreneur," which introduced a new concept to the world. In other words, I was able to commit myself to creating culture.

　At 43, however, I was busy with my daughter's entrance examinations and my wife's election campaign, and I had my hands full balancing work and life.

　I could not write, read for writing, develop new concepts, and disseminate them sufficiently.

　We all renewed Florence to become a place where we can create a culture, not just a business or an institution.

　So, as a manager, I would like to be like that too.

　At 44, I want to commit myself to creating culture by writing a lot and sending meaningful messages while managing the company.

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Finally (with all my heart)

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　So, in this very long review, what comes back to me is the gratitude I feel for everyone around me.

　Management is complex, but I can do it because of everyone on the management team. I am so grateful, but I don't fully express it.

　There are about 800 employees, and I don't think I am very close to them because I haven't met them at all, but I am very dear to them. And I have not been able to tell them that.

　I am very grateful to my friends. However, I have not been able to express my gratitude and love to them because I take advantage of the fact that they are my friends. Thank you so much for our drinks, trips, and laughter. I'm sorry, I don't always say it.

　I intend to support my family, but I probably get the most support from them. My days with my children are tough, and I hope they grow up quickly, but I also know that these days are my treasures. I want to embrace these ordinary days.

　I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me and all the people I love that I couldn't tell you.

　And a final thank you, the precious person who has read this far.