Creativity Leads to Business and Society
What Learning at SFC Has Taught Us

Thirty years have passed since SFC was founded. Mr. Hemmi, how does SFC look from your viewpoint?

When I entered SFC in 1993, there were no graduates yet, so we were called “exchange students from the future.” We were called that, but now we’ve become middle-aged men. . .

SFC had an unorthodox presence in the Japanese educational system. I entered SFC with the intention of later going to a university overseas, and I guess other students also came to SFC without concern for academic percentile ratings or standing compared to other universities and faculties. To begin with, what SFC was striving to do was unprecedented, so there were no guarantees. Since there were no graduates yet, we didn’t know what type of path students would take after graduation, and there was no way to judge whether being an SFC graduate would be an advantage or disadvantage in finding employment. In the process of challenging the Japanese university system, SFC attracted many unique students. For example, there was one who dropped out and went to the U.S. to become a pianist, and others who became entrepreneurs. In that sense, from the perspective of going out and leaving a mark on the world, things haven’t changed. Then and now, everyone is still the same in their willingness to take on challenges. Seeing SFC take bold steps such as making you, Wakita, I mean, Mr. Wakita [laughs], the youngest dean ever, shows me that the frontier spirit lives on.

I took the post of assistant professor at SFC, my alma mater, in 2004. Before that, I was at a venture company for four years, then became an independent freelancer, having my own design office for a few years. I didn’t take the usual path of a researcher, having gone out of the university once then coming back. So I think I'm in a position to fairly assess both the view from the outside and the internal state of affairs. From this vantage point, I saw that SFC’s interdisciplinary and practical education was initially considered to be outside the mainstream, and for a while, we had a negative reputation that our graduates weren’t achieving much.

And then it all changed. From around SFC’s twentieth year, you were able to find successful SFC graduates wherever you went. Today, our graduates are active in a variety of fields, including information and communications, design, biotechnology, and creation. Now that they’ve reached their forties, they hold key positions. And, at this thirty-year milestone, we are together reconfirming where SFC stands and discussing our vision for the next thirty years.

Mr. Wakita, not only are you a critic and scholar, but you are also an artist taking action, and your activities go beyond the framework of a professor. I recently saw you in a discussion where you were talking about leaving a mark on society through your works. What are your intentions and thoughts in this regard?

Instead of having an ideal and working toward it, it’s more accurate to say that when I looked back, that’s how things had happened to unfold. I strive toward an ideal vision of who I want to be and what kind of work I want to do in the next five to ten years, but on the other hand, society changes rapidly. When we were students, there was an emphasis on digitalization of social systems under the name of “Being Digital.” Then came the physical era of ubiquitous computing and Fab, and now we're talking about big data and DX again. Changes brought about by shifts in society have an influence on me and what I want to do, and the people I work with also gradually change. In this way, I drifted about, and found myself where I am today. Rather than say I cut a trail through the wilderness, it is more fitting to say I washed ashore here on a raft.

However, I was always looking to create something new. Collaboration and interdisciplinary cooperation were commonplace at SFC, so I was constantly thinking about how to build collaborations. However, you can't collaborate unless you can first stand by yourself. You must know who you are. That’s why I went on to the graduate school doctoral program. I conducted research on the theme of computational geometry and its application to medicine, doing such things as creating 3D data from CTs and MRIs and compressing and transferring it over the Internet, and surgical simulations. I took plenty of time to firmly build myself up as a scientist and engineer, and from there, I started to do collaborations.

So, you began in science and then moved into the realm of design.

Back in the days when I started teaching, the job of designer seemed so fascinating. 2007 marked the opening of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, a museum dedicated to design, and annual design exhibitions and festivals were being held everywhere. This was a time before the current phase of design linked to management, and there was a lot of prototyping that combined design and technology to indicate the way of life in the future. Influenced by the trends of those times, I was researching the relationship between human-computer interaction and design, but one day, I became seriously ill. It was a wake-up call for me, and I started to think that for the rest of my life, I should do what I genuinely want to do. When I realized it, I found that I had dived into the world of art. My father was a painter, so I guess art is in my blood.

After graduating from university, I started working at the government-affiliated financial institution Export-Import Bank of Japan (currently JBIC, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation), which was considered straight-laced in those days. When I was looking for a job in 1997, it was already somewhat taken for granted at SFC that students would start their own businesses or would work in venture companies. I was torn between JBIC and an information industry giant that had plenty of entrepreneurial spirit. However, in those days, switching jobs mid-career was not so common, and since I had my sights set on working overseas, I dived into the forefront of economic diplomacy by way of a government institution. I never imagined that I would spend the next twenty years involved in international affairs analysis and business.

SFC was a new faculty, and people would wonder what this faculty was all about. I would get questions at job interviews such as, “Are you studying environmental issues?” To be honest, I didn’t think I would be hired [laughs]. I was the first SFC graduate to be hired at the bank for a managerial career track position. Today also, the world is in upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but at the time I was interviewing for jobs, the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan (LTCB) went bankrupt, Yamaichi Securities went bankrupt, the Asian currency crisis occurred, and it was the beginning of the ice age for hiring. It was in such times that the conservative bank hired me as a maverick of sorts. This led me to increasingly come up against unprecedented situations, such as dealing with the aftermath of the Asian currency crisis or rethinking relations with China.

China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2000, and it was almost at the same time that Japan transitioned from an era of lending money to China to an era of getting money back from China. No one in Japan at that time had imagined that China’s modest economy would make such a dramatic turnaround twenty years later. Things that had never been seen before happened in international finance as well as in the traditional world. For example, textbooks don’t tell us how to handle a currency crisis. At JBIC, we were required to tackle unprecedented work by thinking for ourselves. JBIC continues to have major influence. It’s a group of international finance professionals with many truly excellent and wonderful people among them, and I was constantly thinking about how I could add value. The concept of noblesse oblige was also ingrained in me there.

The backbone of my ability to overcome new challenges one after another are the experiences I had at SFC for doing things with no precedent and assuming no tracks were laid out ahead for me. Also, even if I did something considered unusual, it was a matter of a difference in perception with the people around me, not something to be frightened of.

Many of my friends who graduated from SFC in those days were quick to leave their jobs at well-known trading companies and manufacturers to do things like start their own businesses, work in the design or movie industries, study abroad, or backpack around the world. As for me, my company held expectations of me to complete their agenda and meet challenges, but hearing of my classmates’ pursuits encouraged me to keep striving for more. Later, I went on to study in France and the U.S., work at several foreign companies, and work on developing new services, so I can say that SFC’s frontier spirit certainly has a great impact on me.

I see, the SFC spirit and environment had a major influence on your path after graduation.

Yes, to this day, it influences me. In the end, business persons as well as students need to recognize the importance of being independent. I believe that as potential leaders, we need to be self-reliant and ready to take responsibility for our own lives and careers. I also believe that such self-responsibility will enable us to create value for society. I probably acquired the basis for this way of thinking at SFC.

When I started out at SFC in 1993, I experienced culture shock. About half of the people at the university were speaking English, and so many people were completely immersed in the things they loved. The students were free-spirited and enjoying life, for example, they opened their computers up on the street, or wore their rollerblades from home, on the bus, and then on campus. It was like arriving at an American university that you see on TV shows, don’t you think?

I heard that around seventy to eighty percent of the students had experience living overseas. English flourished on campus [laughs]. I thought, “Is this Beverly Hills, 90210?” The atmosphere was so vibrant and lively. Everyone actively participated in class and were quick to take action. I sometimes wondered if I really belonged here, but at the same time, I was impressed by the fresh energy I encountered. The English language courses were very practical, and I found them to be useful after I graduated. Professor Shigenori Tanaka was in charge of the class (at the time), and he pushed us by saying, “You guys, go to Kamakura and communicate with foreigners. If you take video footage of yourselves doing it well, I'll give you credit.” He made us do an endless number of presentations. But considering that my classmates from those days are now working all over the world, in Singapore, Malaysia, and the U.K., for example, I see our professor made sure we had acquired practical English skills before sending us out into the world. I remember in those days, SFC was said to be heaven for Japanese returnee students who had lived abroad and for otaku. There wasn’t anything, so we took the initiative to build all kinds of things ourselves. Come to think of it, it had the feel of a rising startup in Silicon Valley. One time, Bill Gates and Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Group) were scheduled to give a talk together, and my friend invited me to skip classes and go hear them speak. We were enthusiastic to go see and try out everything and anything.

1993 marked the inauguration of J.League and the start of commercial use of the Internet, and although the bubble economy had burst, the period was still one of excitement. I think it’s significant that I entered SFC in times of such societal context.

There certainly was a lot of momentum. At that time, the economist Mr. Heizo Takenaka was at SFC as an associate professor, and the engineer Mr. Jun Murai was also there. Mr. Jun Eto would even post exam questions two weeks in advance. And they were open-book exams. It’s not a system where students who count on simply accumulating points could survive. I don’t remember any instances at SFC of the typical sharing of notes. My friends who studied in other faculties would also comment that SFC is really tough on its students. Later, at Grandes Écoles (ESCP Business School) in France, I took classes in very small groups and faced endless oral examinations. If I hadn’t gone to SFC, I would have found this very difficult. It was the same with the Harvard Business School experience. To put it simply, it was training for situations where there is no correct answer, and you must put your ideas and decision-making skills to the test. The first step is to raise your hand and throw your ideas out there. If you can’t do that, you won’t even be allowed to stand at the start line. Students these days probably have more experience abroad, so I can imagine they have become more capable.

There’s no doubt it was a stimulating environment. There was Mr. Kenichi Tominaga, who has led Japanese sociology since its early days, and Mr. Junjiro Takahashi, whose specialty I’m not sure of but who is overwhelmingly incredible. Before immersing myself in computers and geometry, I was doing some soul-searching for a while, and I joined a student club called “World and China Society” where we studied the Chinese economy. With Daniel Bell's theory of post-industrial society and Toffler's The Third Wave as a base, we took the liberty of discussing the future beyond Al Gore's information superhighway. The numbers began to show signs that the Chinese economy would overtake the Japanese economy, and although a student, I was thinking about how the world would become centered on Asia. Mr. Hemmi, when I read your recent book, “China-ASEAN: New era of Regional Geo-economic and Its impact on business strategy”, memories of those days came back to me. To think that the thoughts I had at eighteen or nineteen years old while learning about China’s presence are now starting to become a reality, and now you, Mr. Hemmi, write about the steps that should be taken further down the road, it’s quite emotional and moving. I was just thinking I should write a book, and you’ve inspired me.

Being able to take a double major (have two specialties) is another highlight of SFC. One of the reasons I chose SFC is that, as a high school student, I couldn’t decide whether to go into the world of images, for I simply loved movies, or onto the international stage in a position such as a diplomat. I wanted to study at a place where I could think this over. During university, I was constantly watching films, and I had seen over 2,000 by the time of graduation. In addition to joining the international economic law seminar of Professor Tamura (currently a professor at the Faculty of Law), I joined then Professor Eitaro Morikawa's seminar to study film. He was a contemporary of director Nagisa Ōshima (Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, etc.) and took the world by storm as one of the Shochiku Nouvelle Vague. He invited various master filmmakers to the seminar and opened our eyes to the vast world. We also studied the cinematic techniques and screenplays of the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and François Truffaut. What I learned then about perceiving society and people became a great asset. Mr. Morikawa was a strict teacher, but he would also pose philosophical questions. He would suddenly start discussing Beauvoir's poetry or Raichō Hiratsuka. For example, he might say, “In primitive times, women were the sun. Do you know what this means?” He definitely left all kinds of marks. Also, learning how film techniques are used to present things has helped me in unexpected ways. These techniques are useful not only when writing books and giving talks, but also in business industries, including consulting work. The story is a vital element. Often, communication is difficult when relying solely on so-called logical thinking.

I'm not a specialist in design thinking, but, for example, when constructing a script for a visual work, it’s necessary to consider how non-essential elements are to be incorporated. Also, the meaning of contemporary thought or post-modern has no relevance in our day-to-day lives and seems to be useless when it comes to work, but there are times when the more useless something seems to be, the more it actually is useful. In those days at SFC, there was a full range of courses that, at first glance, seemed to have no practical use, but these actually turned out to be useful. Even more so in this age of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) and world uncertainty. We can learn from the wisdom of our predecessors that no era has ever been certain.

From SFC’s early days, the faculty worked closely with us students to create together. It was a time before the present seminar-centered SFC, and the main order of business must have been to first nurture us as individuals. At today’s SFC, a capable first-year student can join a seminar and take on cutting-edge cases.

I witnessed a competition for knowledge not only at Keio, but also on a global scale. I imagine that education at SFC will continue to evolve. What do you see the position of SFC to be in the future?

Keio had well-established faculties for specialties at Mita, Yagami, and Shinanomachi, so I consider that Keio founded SFC with the intention to approach areas these faculties could not, to take the unknown and put it into practice. It’s important for specialized faculties to further advance what has been deemed valuable, but I think the meaning of SFC’s existence is to continue creating what has yet to be seen. From a global viewpoint, this gives SFC an advantage. SFC’s existence doesn’t depend on the likes of academic rankings. We happen to have many international students, but it’s not for the sake of improving rankings. Rather, it’s the result of striving to create a world of our own on campus. When I go abroad, people are surprised when I tell them SFC is a place where they can reach across policy management, design, and computers to create their own unique focus of study.

SFC develops global classes and research with the world in view, so rather than trying to make Japan a better place, we are trying to improve the world. Education in information and multilingual education that make up SFC’s foundation take into account a universal world connected by the Internet and the rich multilingual communication that occurs there. Keeping these values in mind, we send out graduates to be active on the world stage, and so, in a way, I believe we distance ourselves a bit from the competition for knowledge.

I remember hearing something about four pillars vital to current-day SFC.

If design is medicine, art is poison. Design allows us to create a healthy society, but too much design is as dangerous as taking too much medicine. Humans can’t help but to seek out things that excite us or even harm us, and through art, we continue to question the nature of humanity. Another thing, if science is modesty, technology is desire. By coming face-to-face with the wisdom of nature through science, we can gain a broad, objective perspective of things. Technology, on the other hand, is ultimate human augmentation, and it continues to stimulate human desires. I proposed on the university website that mastering these four elements is to live creatively in today’s world.

I can’t say if these four elements are juxtaposed in myself as an individual, but at today’s SFC, the curriculum is designed to offer, at least, study of all four of these elements, and we hire faculty members who can cover these areas.

Mr. Wakita, you recently talked about deepfake through one of your works. I was hoping you could tell me something about how you develop your perspectives. I’m in the business of analyzing international affairs, so it’s vital to have a counter perspective to see a situation from the other side or from different viewpoints. Mr. Wakita, when you look at things and society as a designer and artist, is there a certain perspective you take into consideration?

I believe that many people have, in a broad sense, the potential to be artists.
Joseph Beuys said “Every human being is an artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping the conditions, thinking and structures that shape and inform our lives.”

As it is often said, the origin of creation is mimesis. We may find something to be exemplary or something to aspire to, and in the process of copying it, find that we have created something that is our own. Mimesis is a process in all mental activity. For example, when undertaking academic processes and activities, we read the research of our predecessors, share awareness of issues, and from there, we build upon it ourselves. Even in business, new fields are created, something different is built, then taken down… the act of mimesis is involved.

Deepfake also serves as a reminder that the entire world is full of mimesis. As we can also see in mass production and mass consumption, it doesn’t mean there is only one original and whatever follows is fake. We live in an age where we consume fakes, and the act of doing so has value. In Simulacra and Simulation, Baudrillard argues that today is an age where fakes themselves can have more value than originals.

This concept was frequently used in American Pop Art of the 1980’s. For example, Richard Prince took Marlboro scenes and plagiarized them for a separate group of photos, and Barbara Kruger created pieces using only newspaper ad clippings. At first glance, these may look like copying, but they actually established a method critically known as appropriation. Incidentally, the fashion brand Supreme uses a font extensively used by Kruger (The font widely used in Kruger’s work is applied to Supreme’s iconic box logo). The attitude of plagiarizing plagiarized art is cool. In this way, deepfake is an opportunity to rethink our activities themselves, and is a counter perspective, accompanied by technical experimentation, to the perspective of original/fake.

So, you’re saying fake includes the concept of mimesis, right? I had been thinking that cell phones, for example, that sell well in Southeast Asia and China are copies, but as these products mature to some extent, they sometimes develop their own context and unique ways of being used. I discuss such context in my book, but surprisingly, originators of strong products often make their products with a focus on preventing counterfeits, so their perspective may start to go slightly off.

The act of protecting the original may be going against nature. I believe that in the natural order of things, mimesis is necessary for survival.

Do you have any advice for current students, those who will agonize for four years, those who are about to go out into society, and those who are aiming to come to SFC? For example, what should they value in life and what kind of society will we live in?

I think it’s best to follow your heart, be true to yourself, and trust your principles. It’s important to listen to your feelings of whether you like or dislike something, and to give priority to your interests. Don’t get too caught up in the perspective of others, such as those you may encounter in a school system or friendships. Forcing yourself to do something will take you the wrong way, so if you feel something isn’t right for you, it’s all right to feel that way.

Same applies to careers. It’s not as if the world is waiting for you ready with a program that meets your desires. If something doesn’t exist, there’s nothing you can do except to make it yourself or take time to put the pieces together. In such situations, I think it’s important to continue searching for a principle, one that won’t be influenced by others.

Like the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Great East Japan Earthquake ten years ago, and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake before that, unexpected timing of things put us up against many unforeseen situations and things that cannot be controlled. We first need to understand this reality that cannot be controlled. For this process, places like universities act as testing tools to experiment with our thoughts and ideas.

While in school, you can test things out with relatively low risk. I also took part in film production during my university days. I once dreamt of becoming a filmmaker, but when I saw the tremendous talent of others up close, I realized I was way out of my league. After graduation, these people went on to make popular tv programs such as the medical drama Doctor-X and educational show PythagoraSwitch. Same thing for your works, Mr. Wakita. I can see we live in completely different worlds. But unless you try something, you won’t know if you’re suited for it or not. Unless you put something out there, you won't get feedback. If you don't embarrass yourself during rehearsal, success won’t come at the crucial moment. Will you give critiques or be critiqued? You are free to choose. The same applies to writing books or giving lectures. It is only when we propose something to the world that we get a response, and our awareness deepens.

When I was studying in France, I learned that life is not give and take. It is give and give. In the end, if you want to give, you must become strong. It’s extremely demanding work, but I feel it’s important to continue.

“Give and give” is a superb phrase. I, too, believe that it’s important to be true to yourself. I want to value not only what everyone else recognizes as good, but also what I feel is important, such as particularity and insight.