30 Top Creators with Over 15 Million Social Media Followers Unite! New Book 'Think for Yourself: Making the World More Interesting' Releases July 16

Kodansha Ltd. will release the new book 'Think for Yourself: Making the World More Interesting' on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

Have you been thinking for yourself lately?

Are you finding it difficult to make decisions without consulting AI?

Are you passively watching recommended videos on your timeline?

Does being asked, 'What do you think?' scare you the most?

In a society obsessed with efficiency ("taipa") and reliant on AI, the value of uniquely human ideas and original thinking—things only humans can create—will become even more important.

This book features '30 different ways of thinking' from 30 creators at the forefront of completely different fields, including anime creators, idols, Go players, game developers, Vocaloid producers, live streamers, philosophers, physicists, photographers, manga artists, judo athletes, horror writers, singer-songwriters, designers, management scholars, cultural entomologists, and chefs. You're sure to find a thinking method or perspective that resonates with you.

【List of Contributors – Alphabetical Order】

Ao Blue (Writer, Photographer), Asami Mei (Crazy Magne-t), Ichiyoku Hayato (Go Player), Iwao Shunpei (Management Scholar), Utsu Sensei (Majime ni Yabashiti), Umebara Yuichiro (Voice Actor), Enomoto Noriko (Designer), Oseido Riku (Manga Artist), Kanazaki Iori (Vocaloid Producer), Shinohara Kao (Cultural Entomologist), Shibata Satoko (Singer-Songwriter), shu3 (Gaming Streamer), Smile (Gaming Streamer), Sekin (Writer), Takeda Hiroki (Theoretical Physicist), Tanigawa Yoshihiro (Philosopher), Chilla's Art (Game Creator), Tsunoda Nami (Judo Athlete), Tokoro Nyori (Game Creator), Namioka Shintaro (Penthouse), Nanba Masaki (Aesthetician), Hasegawa Akari (Chef), Hayashida Yohei (The Mami), Hisoka (Writer), Sonoko Mio (Sakurazaka46), Mutsu (TRPG Streamer), Murata (Manga Artist), Yasuda Gensho (Animation Creator), Yamano Hiroki (Philosopher), Rowaiq (Video Creator)

The total number of social media followers across all contributors exceeds approximately 15 million (as of July 2026). Many of the contributors are writing their first book, making their unique 'thought processes' available to readers for the first time.

【Buzzing on Social Media Even Before Release!】

As soon as the book's information was announced, it sparked significant buzz on social media. Promotional posts by the contributors have gained momentum, and enthusiastic anticipation is pouring in from users across a wide range of demographics.

Selected Reactions from Social Media:

"!? !? !? !?"

"I have to buy this!!!!!!"

"This is way too good for me, seriously."

"An incredible elite lineup has gathered..."

"A double-take isn't enough."

"I've decided to buy a book for the first time in hundreds of millions of years."

【Table of Contents】

Introduction

'Efficiency is the Worst' (Hiroki Takeda)

'The Thinking Reed, Creating Games' (Nyori Tokoro)

'The World AlphaGo Brought in 2016' (Hayato Ichiyoku)

'The Mystery of Popular Local Restaurants' (Shunpei Iwao)

'Writing Techniques That Change Your Life' (Ao Blue)

'Scent and Self' (Masaki Nanba)

'The Strongest Entertainment, According to an Animator Like Me' (Gensho Yasuda)

'The Act of Making Things' (Noriko Enomoto)

'Just My Dream' (Satoko Shibata)

'Spoons, Carriages, and AI' (Smile)

'Hot Summer Nights and Hugging Pillows' (Rowaiq)

'The Words 'I Don't Know' and 'I Don't Understand'' (Yoshihiro Tanigawa)

'Not Letting Go of 'Thinking' Even in the Age of AI' (Chilla's Art)

'Writing Down the Steps' (Mio Sonoko)

'When 'Individuality' Takes Root' (shu3)

'Ponkotsu Rap' (Murata)

'A Brain That Takes Effort' (Yohei Hayashida)

'The Greatness of Self-Suggestion' (Mei Asami)

'Don't You All Underestimate AI Music Composition?' (Shintaro Namioka)

'Facing Emotions' (Utsu Sensei)

'We Who Live in Endless Judgment' (Akari Hasegawa)

'What Is the 'Thinking Ability' Required in the Age of AI?' (Hiroki Yamano)

'Between 'Wanting to Die' and 'Wanting to Live'' (Hisoka)

'My Perfect Plan' (Riku Oseido)

'Your Choices Create Your Future' (Nami Tsunoda)

'What Is the True Nature of Happiness?' (Mutsu)

'Days of Beautifully Worn, Handmade Things' (Kao Shinohara)

'I Want to See.' (Iori Kanazaki)

'Distance and Responsibility' (Yuichiro Umebara)

'Does Generative AI Dream of Ghosts?' (Sekin)

'Think for Yourself: Making the World More Interesting'

Edited by: Chiteki no Tame ni Asa o Matsu

An Instagram media platform by Kodansha that shares 'thinking tips' to deepen personal reflection through diverse perspectives and information, under the concept 'A small discovery every day.'

Release Date: July 16, 2026

Price: ¥1,320 (tax included)

Format: Paperback, 128 pages

ISBN: 9784065441183

https://www.kodansha.co.jp/book/products/0000428185