Greetings from Director Emeritus and Chief Director

  • Dr. Kazuo Inamori

    Dr. Kazuo Inamori
    Director Emeritus
    Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center

    I was 27 when I started Kyocera Corporation with the support of many people, and since then I have continued to uphold a management philosophy based on Rita no Kokoro, or “altruistic mind,” and whenever making decisions ask myself, “What is the right thing to do as a human being?” I have run the company in line with this management philosophy, and have shared it with employees.

    As a result, Kyocera is now a globally recognized electronics manufacturer, having been operating in the black for more than fifty years since its foundation. Furthermore, Daini Denden (DDI) Corporation (present-day KDDI), which I started from scratch in 1984, has now grown to be one of the leading telecommunication companies in Japan.

    In 2010, upon request of the Japanese government to restructure the company, I became chairman of Japan Airlines after it went bankrupt, and helped the company become re-listed on the stock exchange in two years and seven months, which is quite a short period of time. Japan Airlines is now an entirely different company, and has achieved the status of being one of the most profitable airlines in the world.

    To my pleasure, all of these three companies are now recognized as among Japan’s most successful companies, and I think this fact lends convincing evidence that the management philosophy based on Rita no Kokoro is the key to corporate growth and development.

    Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center, a new research institute established by Ritsumeikan University, aims to promote research on my management philosophy based on Rita no Kokoro through various academic approaches, and also to develop educational programs that help people master this philosophy and share the achievements of the center’s activities widely with the world. It is my heartfelt wish that research and educational activities led by this center will eventually contribute to the progress and advancement of humankind and society.

    Dr. Kazuo Inamori
    Director Emeritus
    Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center

  • Dr. Atsushi Aoyama

    Dr. Atsushi Aoyama
    Chief Director
    Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center

    I am pleased to announce that Ritsumeikan University has opened Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center, thanks to the cooperation of Dr. Kazuo Inamori.

    The focus of this center is the management philosophy advocated by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, one of the most respected business leaders in the world. His management philosophy is a guiding principle that should be taken to heart by people in general, not by business persons and philosophy researchers alone, and is based on Rita no Kokoro, or “altruistic mind,” and “What is the right thing to do as a human being?”

    Today, our civilization faces many critical issues, such as the continuing deterioration of the global environment, frequent outbreaks of regional conflicts, the widening of socioeconomic and other gaps, and a decline in morals and ethics. It seems to me that unlimited and uncontrollable human desire is at the core of these problems. In this light, we believe that the idea of Rita no Kokoro, which constitutes a central part of Inamori’s management philosophy, provides us with very important insights that will help us overcome these critical issues.

    At Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center, we will conduct research on Inamori’s management philosophy from the perspectives of various academic disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, and business administration, to ensure this valuable philosophy will become more universally applicable and more widely practiced. At the same time, we will conduct research and development on educational programs that will help people master this philosophy, so that these programs will be incorporated into the educational programs at Ritsumeikan and other elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools and universities, and also implemented as part of adult education. We will communicate the achievements of our research and educational activities widely to the world, with the hope that our efforts will eventually contribute to the progress and advancement of humankind and society.

    We highly appreciate your support and encouragement.

    Dr. Atsushi Aoyama
    Chief Director
    Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center


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