What do you think of when you hear “information literacy”? You may be tired of hearing phrases like, “In this overfloated information period, we need to be able to retrieve only the information we need.　However, unfortunately, only a few people can do this. Not only are they swamped with information, but most of the information is fragmented. It is already a difficult task to gather all the information, but moreover, there is a large amount of “garbage” mixed in with the information that has been gathered. As a result, they get caught up in the flood of information and think they know about modern society by simply passing the news on the TV from right to left. Furthermore, they will not even try to know what is going on beyond that news.

This blog is for people those who want to improve themselves.

There are a lot of websites and books refer to ‘media literacy’ or ‘ICT literacy,’ which are considered to have similar meanings to ‘information literacy’. Those books titled such as ‘media literacy’ vary in their content. For example, one explains how to use a computer itself, or others warnings the security threats of information. In addition, the definition changes over time. Currently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications sees “media literacy” as the equivalent of “information literacy,” and its definition is as follows.

“Media literacy refers to the ability to independently read and understand various media such as broadcast programs and the Internet, the ability to understand the characteristics of media, the ability to access and use newly popularized ICT devices, and the ability to create communication through media. [Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications].”

On the other hand, our definition for “information literacy” is “the ability to create a future-oriented roadmap based on an unbiased and correct understanding of the past and the historical laws derived from that understanding. The core of our social contribution projects to realize its vision of “Pax Japonica”, is education.

Our Institute has actively promoted entrepreneurship education in the form of lectures, reading sessions, and internships for students in Japan and abroad. This is because we believe that “entrepreneurs,” or people who are capable to create something new, will ultimately lead to the creation of human resources that will create new businesses, thereby bringing about a positive cycle in Japan. It is essential for such entrepreneurs to acquire “information literacy” skills.

The educational activities of our Institute include the Prep School until 2019, as discussed in the previous blog (Looking Back on the Educational History of IISIA). In addition, from 2020 onward, our CEO, Takeo Harada had been taught the independent seminars at the University of Tokyo, and lectures at Hiroshima University and Gakushuin Women’s University.

In 2023, the IISIA Summer School was held for the sons and daughters of Gold, Silver, and Bronze members of the “Takeo Harada Gemeinschaft” membership service. The author was one of those who attended the lecture given by ‘Harada Sensei’ during the summer school.

The content of the summer school was very intense (for details, see https://haradatakeo.com/iisia-summer-school/). I remember that I had a fever on the way home from the summer school after being showered with ‘knowledge’ that I was not accustomed to.

(Photo 1: IISIA Summer School)

(Reference: Photo by the staff)

Since September of this year, we have been holding the IISIA reading session at the office in Tokyo.

“Why books?”

This is because “knowledge obtained from the Internet is much more fragmented than knowledge obtained from books [Harashima 24, p.195].”

“The Internet is also a convenient tool for collecting information, isn’t it?”

Yes, that’s true. However, “Although some Internet services have emerged that compile knowledge to a certain degree through artificial intelligence, but that information/knowledge is not organized properly like a textbook. If a person is satisfied only with the information on the Internet, it may mean that his/her brain itself has become fragmented. If you can only have a fragmented dialogue with others, your dialogue with yourself will be fragmented as well. There is a theory that language was originally developed to talk to yourself, not to the other person. If you have only fragmented conversations, your language ability will not develop. Poor linguistic ability can only produce poor thinking. [Harashima 24, p.195-196].

The IISIA reading session is “entrepreneurial education for a proper understanding of the past, and looking to the future.” The content of the reading session consists of 2-3 assigned books on a specific theme, which are read carefully by each participant, and those students will have 10 minutes to give a presentation about those books. Our CEO, Takeo Harada comments on the presentation and give a special lecture for 60min. This Monday (December 23rd) was the last session of 2024.

(Photo 2: Study Session at IISIA office)

(Reference: Photo by the author)

The students who participated in the IISIA reading group provided the following feedback.

“Through the IISIA reading session since September, I think I have grown in terms of how I read, what parts of a book I pay attention to (who the author is, connections between selected books, etc.).”

“I can’t say that I fully absorbed what Harada-sensei talked about. It’s hard to follow the tempo of his explanation, but it’s a good opportunity to deepen the knowledge over the society.”

“I thought I was starting to understand the point of view about topics, through several reading sessions, but there’re much more worlds that I don’t know yet. I have been left with a strong sense of how I should live in the great currents of the world.”

As one of the organizers of this reading session, I am very happy to hear those voices. Students seems to feel the lack of knowledge of themselves by receiving lots of new things from Mr. Harada, but at the same time, they definitely get a chance to aim higher and higher.

A while ago, a movie titled “How Do You Live?(English title is ‘The Boy and the Heron’)” was a hot topic of the conversation. Would you like to live your lives in black and white, or transform them into colorful days through a series of discoveries on knowledge? It’s all up to you.

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【Timeline of IISIA/RIJAG Educational Activities】

2005: Terakoya

2008: Developed as a social contribution project of IISIA; the IISIA Prep School was implemented.

～Since then, IISIA has been conducting the IISIA Preparatory School.

2012: The RIJAG and the IISIA co-sponsored the Global Human Resource Prep School.

2015: IISIA Prep School

2018: IISIA Prep School

2019: IISIA Prep School

2020 and 2021: University of Tokyo Voluntary Seminar

2022: IISIA Prep School at the University of Tokyo

2023: IISIA Summer School

2023: IISIA Summer School

2024: IISIA Reading Session

What’s coming in the year 2025…?!

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【References】

[Harashima 24] Hiroshi Harashima, “Harashima Hiroshi Lecture Series: Overhead Knowledge, Volume 1: Looking Ahead to the Information Age,” Kousakusha (2024).

[Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications] Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “Part 2 Basic Data and Policy Trends,” Information and Communication White Paper ICT Literacy Improvement, 2008 edition, https://www.soumu.go.jp/johotsusintokei/whitepaper/ja/h30/html/nd266350.

※The statements in this blog are not the official views of the Institute, but rather the personal views of the author.

Chancellery Unit, Group for Project Pax Japonica, Maria Tanaka