Dear Children, Your Potential is as Limitless as the Universe
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Good morning, children!
Japan's Golden Week holiday has come to an end, and many of you are getting back into the rhythm of going to bed early and waking up early.
We hope the holidays were a time for you to spark your curiosity — whether about things you find interesting, wonderful, or even strange.
Perhaps you went on a trip with your family. Maybe you researched the local area, transportation, or traditional foods before you went. Having a bit of background knowledge can make the experience much more enjoyable.
But the destination itself isn't really what matters. Maybe you just went to a nearby park. In early May, nature is lively — plants are growing, and you can see flowers, insects, and birds. There's plenty of opportunity to discover something new.
Some of you may have stayed at home, watching TV or playing games. Even then, you might have come across new words or images you didn't recognize — something that sparked your curiosity.
If there's something you don't understand, ask your mom or dad for help and research it together online. I also recommend visiting your local library and looking for books related to the topic.
All of this is to say, the most important question you can ask while you're young is "Why?" Kokishin — curiosity — is important. It often begins with a chance encounter.
Here's an interesting story worth remembering. It's about Dr Hideki Shirakawa, who is now 88 years old and a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry. When he was a boy, he used to help at home by cooking rice and heating the bath.
One day, while using old newspapers to start the fire, he noticed something strange. The flames turned yellow instead of the usual orange. These were newspapers that had been used to wrap dried fish. Hideki Shirakawa (left) and then-Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori at the Prime Minister's Official Residence on October 18, 2000. (©Prime Minister's Office of Japan)
This is known as a flame color reaction — a phenomenon where the color of the flame changes depending on the metal elements in the material being burned. In this case, salt (sodium chloride) from the dried fish reacted to the heat, turning the flame yellow.
After learning this, Shirakawa began experimenting with other metals in his school lab and enjoyed seeing the different colors they produced. His curiosity eventually led him to become a world-renowned chemist.
What I would like you to realize is that the "why" that sparked Dr Shirakawa's interest while helping out at home set him on the path of his future research.
So, if you find something unusual, don't you want to know more about it? What's important is not to leave it at that, but to take it a step further and really think about it. Then, talk to someone about it. Even if you can't explain it perfectly, adults will listen if they see you're genuinely curious.
And when you finally solve the mystery, you'll think, "Yeah, I get it!" — and feel proud of yourself. That feeling of satisfaction is very rewarding, and it makes learning even more fun.
Your everyday life is full of things you don't yet know. First, recognize that. Then, build a desire to learn more, and take action.
Develop your own interests — whatever they may be. Your potential is as limitless as the universe.
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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