Honda New Business Representative Attends "Philosophy Cloud" Philosophical Innovator Training Course: Deep Human Understanding Vital for Promoting New Business

Mr. Matsuzawa, who supports new business development at the mobility manufacturer Honda Motor Co., Ltd., attended a three-month intensive course called the "Philosophical Innovator Training Course" designed to cultivate the ability to decipher new signs. This course is a three-month intensive program aimed at developing the ability to decipher new signs (precursors leading to transformations and business opportunities found within oneself, the company, and society). Regarding the background of its introduction, Mr. Matsuzawa said, "I believe the key to the success of an internal new business is 'how serious the person advancing it can become' and 'whether they can place the context of their own life into it.' However, when actually trying to commercialize it, one often gets dragged down by organizational logic and inadvertently suppresses their own will. I had expectations that philosophy could provide perspectives and approaches to think about what kind of world I am in and to confront my inner self deeply." As for the program content, four group training sessions and two individual coaching sessions were conducted to refine the participants' own perspectives and cultivate the ability to decipher new signs. After each session, a philosopher created a philosophical analysis report that delved deeply into the participants' remarks. Regarding the effects, Mr. Matsuzawa stated that his thinking pattern was analyzed using Kitaro Nishida's concept of 'Shukyakumibun' (the undivided state of subject and object), which cultivated a persistent mental stamina to stay within chaos without rushing for easy answers. Furthermore, reflecting on the words of Honda co-founder Takeo Fujisawa, "If you want to see the future, look into your past," he realized that the exploratory process of intentionally delving into the past to find meaning breathes life into a business. He also expressed that philosophy allows one to grasp humans with complex and diverse aspects exactly as they are, and without such deep human understanding as a foundation, one cannot see what customers truly desire. ShiruBe Inc. was established on April 15, 2022, and develops philosophy consulting businesses.