Despite being nervous, I approached 186 companies

　First, the students brought together various ideas in the seminar, and from among them they decided on a project called "Hyakka Isshu," which was based on the "Hyakunin Isshu."

　Using materials from the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the students themselves looked up the contact points for 186 companies that Shibusawa is said to have been involved in founding, and used inquiry forms and emails to explain the purpose and content of the project and request their participation.

　At the time, he had not yet started job hunting, so even sending an email made him very nervous.
Koyanagi talked about his feelings at the time, saying, "When I sent the email, I consulted with my professor and lab colleagues to make sure I wasn't being rude, and I sent it with the sole intention of hoping that everything would go well."

　This project was carried out by 11 members of the lab. Rather than clashing opinions, the members discussed and helped each other out. These relationships were strengthened by the summer internship during their third year.

　"In the summer of their third year, they did an internship harvesting tomatoes in Tadami town, Fukushima prefecture for a week. We stayed together, harvested tomatoes, ate meals and spent a lot of time together, which allowed us to talk about various things and get to know each other, which I think led to good communication in this project," Mayuzumi recalls.

Research, think, and create with attention to detail

　Of course, we were not able to include all the companies this time. Some companies replied that they would not like to participate. Nevertheless, as a result of carefully approaching each company, we ended up with 66 participating companies.

　We were encouraged by comments from companies that expressed their interest in participating, such as "We're excited and want to buy it soon," and we got to work on the production.

　The students themselves created the reading cards. They traced the path of Eiichi Shibusawa, researched his involvement with each company, and wrote tanka poems based on the company's history and future vision, then presented several proposals to each company. Sometimes the poems they proposed were adopted as is, but sometimes they were asked to make numerous revisions, and the production period lasted about seven months.

　The songs also include playful puns, such as Chichibu Railway's "Seien" and "Seifuchi (the pen name of Eiichi Shibusawa)" and IHI's "Love and Wisdom (I and H)," making understanding of the companies more fun.

　The front of the card features the company's logo, and the back features an explanation of Shibusawa and the company. The title on the outer box was handwritten and extracted from Shibusawa Eiichi's writings with the cooperation of the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation and Shibusawa Memorial Museum, and the design pays homage to the cover of "The Analects and the Abacus" published in 1928 (Showa XNUMX), showing respect for Shibusawa Eiichi.

Students grow through the project

　The first edition had 2000 sets prepared, but they are soon sold out.

　"Of course it would be better if it sold a lot, but even if it doesn't sell at all, there is still a lot for students to learn from it," says Associate Professor Motoyoshi.

　"The teacher told me it was okay to fail, and that I should learn from my mistakes. He really let me try all sorts of things, and I feel like I'm growing as a person," said Takeuchi, revealing the fulfilling nature of his learning.

　The students involved in this project, who are currently in their fourth year, had been in a situation where it was difficult to make friends during their first and second years after entering high school due to the impact of the COVID-4 pandemic. Associate Professor Motoyoshi said, "We wanted to give them a variety of experiences."

　However, the growth of the students in the Motoyoshi Laboratory through various experiences, including this project, is remarkable.

　"Just by talking about what I had done on the project, I was able to pique the interest of companies," says Aoki, who received a job offer from the company of his choice during his job search.

　Sekiguchi happily said, "During my first and second years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, I wasn't enjoying university life very much, but when I entered my third year and joined the Motoyoshi Laboratory, I started to enjoy learning."

　Since the release was decided, we have received many congratulatory messages from the participating companies. Some companies have even introduced "Hyakka Isshu" on their company websites, so this is having a positive ripple effect.

　"I was a little worried when I first made the inquiry, but I realized that even the words of a university student can reach a company," says Mayuzumi. She also says that she has received happy comments from customers who have seen her on social media or at events, such as "I already have it."

　In the future, the Motoyoshi Laboratory plans to develop a "Hyakka Isshu" app and also hold a "Hyakka Isshu" tournament in cooperation with Fukaya City's Shibusawa Eiichi Policy Promotion Division and the Fukaya Shopping District Association.

　One set of "Hyakka Isshu" costs 1 yen. It is on sale at the special website of "Tatsumi Printing", which was in charge of printing this time, as well as at "Okabe Roadside Station" and "Hanazono Roadside Station" in Fukaya City. All profits from the sale of "Hyakka Isshu" will be donated to Fukaya City's "Fukkachan Children's Welfare Fund".

　The Hyakusha Isshu lists the names of some of Japan's most prestigious companies.
This is due to the greatness of Eiichi Shibusawa, the cooperation of the participating companies, and above all, the hard work of the students who pushed this project forward. I look forward to seeing not only the future development of this project, but also the success of the students who have gained the skills they need in the Motoyoshi Laboratory and are about to take off into society.

"Hyakka Isshu" Participating Companies (in alphabetical order)
1.株式会社IHI、2.株式会社秋田銀行、3.アサヒビール株式会社、4.王子ホールディングス株式会社、5.オーベクス株式会社、6.オーロラ株式会社、7.科研製薬株式会社、8.株式会社カネボウ化粧品、9.関西電力株式会社、10.九州電力株式会社、11.株式会社京都ホテル、12.一般社団法人共同通信社、13.麒麟麦酒株式会社、14.クラシエ株式会社、15.株式会社群馬銀行、16.KDDI株式会社、17.西部ガスホールディングス株式会社、18.サッポロビール株式会社、19.サムティ・ホテルマネジメント株式会社（旧サントーア）、20.株式会社JTB、21.株式会社時事通信社、22.株式会社七十七銀行、23.澁澤倉庫株式会社 24.清水建設株式会社、25.常磐興産株式会社、26.大日本印刷株式会社、27.太平洋セメント株式会社、28.秩父鉄道株式会社、29.中国電力株式会社、30.株式会社帝国ホテル、31.帝人株式会社、32.株式会社電通グループ、33.東亜建設工業株式会社、34.東海汽船株式会社、35.東急株式会社、36.株式会社東京會舘、37.東京海上日動火災保険株式会社、38.東京ガス株式会社、39.東京商工会議所、40.東京製綱株式会社、41.東京建物株式会社、42.東京地下鉄株式会社、43.東京電力パワーグリッド株式会社、44.東洋紡株式会社、45.日産化学株式会社、46.株式会社ニッピ、47.日本化学工業株式会社、48.日本製紙株式会社、49.株式会社日本取引所グループ、50.日本マレニット株式会社、51.日本郵船株式会社、52.箱根温泉供給株式会社、53.株式会社八十二銀行、54.東日本旅客鉄道株式会社、55.ふかや農業協同組合、56.古河機械金属株式会社、57.平和不動産株式会社、58.株式会社北陸銀行、59.北海道ガス株式会社、60.株式会社みずほ銀行、61.三井住友信託銀行株式会社、62.三井物産株式会社、63.株式会社三菱UFJ銀行、64.国立研究開発法人理化学研究所、65.りそなグループ、66.若築建設株式会社