In this episode, I question the way self-help culture assumes that life must always have meaning. Many motivational messages begin with the promise that your struggles are meaningful and your life is destined for purpose. While this sounds kind, it can quietly become dangerous. It excludes those who cannot find meaning in their experiences and turns uncertainty into failure. I argue that meaning is not guaranteed, and that honest thinking must start from that uncertainty. When “meaning” is treated as a product that can be sold, people begin to outsource their own lives. This episode explores why such comforting stories deserve careful skepticism.

In this episode, I examine a paradox of modern society: as more people succeed through personal responsibility, those who cannot survive by that logic gradually lose their voice. Self-reliance, effort, and competition are not wrong, and they have created many capable and independent individuals. However, when a society is designed only around self-responsibility, structural problems are translated into personal failure. People facing health issues, family burdens, mental strain, or simple bad timing become invisible. What appears efficient on the surface slowly accumulates distortion beneath it. This episode argues that a sustainable society needs both freedom to compete and systems that protect dignity when competition fails.

In this episode, I explore why capybaras have become unexpected icons of comfort in modern society. Their popularity is not simply about cuteness, but about what they represent. Unlike traditional “healing” figures or mascots that carry roles, messages, or expectations, capybaras do nothing and ask for nothing. They offer no lessons, no encouragement, and no meaning. In a world that constantly demands opinions, productivity, and purpose, this complete lack of obligation feels deeply reassuring. This episode examines capybaras as a symbol of a society exhausted by meaning—and explains why “doing nothing” has quietly become a form of value today.

In this episode, I reflect on Japan’s growing emphasis on tourism as a national strategy and ask what it reveals about the country’s current direction. Tourism is often presented as a hopeful engine for economic revival, yet it is typically a labor-intensive, low-productivity sector that struggles to support long-term stability. By looking at issues such as demographic decline, aging society, and limited wage growth, this episode questions whether tourism can truly address Japan’s deeper structural challenges. Rather than offering easy answers, the discussion explores why tourism has become an appealing option—and what may be overlooked when it is treated as a central solution.

In this episode, I explore why living freely has become increasingly difficult in modern society. Although we often hear that values are more diverse and people are free to choose their own paths, the reality may be the opposite. By comparing postwar Japan with the present, I argue that earlier eras were restrictive but gave real weight to personal choices. Today, countless lifestyle “templates” circulate through social media, making deviation feel easy but shallow. What appears to be freedom often means borrowing pre-made stories. True freedom, I suggest, requires refusing borrowed narratives and fully accepting one’s own position and responsibility.

In this episode, I examine the concept of “Three-Nothingism” and how it has evolved in modern Japanese society. Originally used in the 1970s to describe apathy among youth, the term has transformed into a new configuration: no ideology, no criticism, and no engagement. This is not a sign of laziness or ignorance, but a rational survival strategy in a society where taking a stance carries risk. By comparing past cultural “detachment” with today’s permanent withdrawal, this episode argues that choosing not to think, criticize, or engage has become a fully developed social and political attitude—one uniquely optimized for contemporary conditions.

In this episode, I explore how “storytelling” has shifted from a tool for communication into a mechanism for hiding desire. In contemporary society, individuals, companies, and even states are expected to justify their actions with purpose, meaning, and moral narratives. Yet beneath these stories often lie simple, unspoken desires: comfort, approval, power, or control. Rather than confronting these motives directly, polished narratives function as moral cover, deflecting responsibility and neutralizing criticism. As stories grow larger and cleaner, true intentions become harder to see. This episode questions the modern faith in storytelling and argues that refusing to wrap desire in narrative may be a more honest stance.

In this episode, I examine why so-called “establishment-friendly experts” — government advisors, media commentators, consultants, and influencers — tend to survive, succeed, and accumulate wealth in the 21st century. Rather than attacking individuals, this talk analyzes the structural reasons behind their stability. These figures rarely lie outright; instead, they selectively frame problems in ways that protect organizations, sponsors, and existing power structures. This approach minimizes risk, avoids enemies, and leads to long-term financial rewards. By contrast, those who question structures and assign responsibility often remain economically disadvantaged. This episode explores that trade-off and asks listeners to consciously choose where they stand — not morally, but structurally.