I don’t do fortune-telling. Not because I don’t believe in them, but because I don’t want to leave my fate in the hands of others. I want to control my own destiny.

Some people attribute the corona to nature’s punishment or political intrigue, but it seems to me that they are relinquishing control of their own destiny.

So, what kind of information are you guys gathering?
Do you believe news from strangers coming from Japanese newspapers or social networking sites?
Is that what the Wide World of TV is saying?

Well, I understand the mood of the public, but I can’t bring myself to disrespect the boy who drowned while playing in the river during the period of self-restraint. I am afraid that everyone will throw stones at those who don’t believe in the village god.

Fukuda’s information gathering begins with BS NHK’s “World News. News from major media outlets around the world can be obtained. He watches the program from 6:00 a.m., and it airs on a loop at least twice a day, so he can get a good idea of what’s going on even while eating breakfast.

I also search and read information related to China. If you don’t take an active role, information about China will not come naturally.
Since I run companies in Japan, the U.S., and China, I need to know about this area to make it directly relevant to my actual business.

So, I scan the list of articles in Newsweek, Forbes, Nikkei Newspaper, etc., with my eyes and read them randomly. If I don’t understand a word, I search for it each time.

Even if you agree with the article, search for the writer and the article criticizing it and often think about it. Note that if you do not do this work, you may be influenced by the article and take it at face value.

In Masaru Sato’s book, I read that international spies gather most of their information from published information (newspapers, statements by high-ranking officials, etc.). Of course, simply reading one newspaper does not make one a spy. You have to read multiple different media sources (try to get at least the headlines in English!). to formulate hypotheses and summarize ideas. Then, the summarized ideas are ruminated over several times and allowed to mature through self-denial. This is how they come up with “their own ideas. The idea may also be rejected within a few days. It is tough to keep yourself from drowning in a filter bubble.

Let me know how you gather your information, please.