本当に思いがけないことですが3月29日にスウェーデン北極星勲章（Riddare av första klassen Kungliga Nordstjärneorden / Officer First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star）を授与されました。
北極星勲章は1748年に制定されて以来、スウェーデンの科学、文学、文化、社会貢献等の分野における顕著な功績に対して、スウェーデン政府の決定に従い、スウェーデン国王の名前で与えられる名誉ある勲章です。
現国王が即位後、憲法改正（1975年）により、国王の政治的権限が大幅に縮小され、勲章についても、スウェーデン国民に与えられることはなくなりました。対象は外国人、王族のみに限定されています。
日本人では、本田宗一郎さん、井深大さんら財界人、松前重義博士（東海大創設者）、岡澤憲芙名誉教授（早稲田大）、清水育男名誉教授（大阪大）、歴代在スウェーデン日本大使などが受賞されています。
通常は在外スウェーデン大使館で授与式が行われますが、私はスウェーデン在住のため、ストックホルムの外務省儀典長室で執り行われ、Charlotte Wrangberg大使から授与されました。
家族の他、廣木在スウェーデン日本大使、Fleetwood日瑞基金専務及びMarie Tsujitaさん、Belfrage元外務副大臣、などにご参列頂きました。
昨年の日本の外務大臣表彰に続き、大変光栄なことです。
私は1970年7月、米国留学の帰路、当時ペンフレンドであったリレモルを訪ねて初めてストックホルムに来ました。
それ以来、スウェーデンと日本の関係は私にとっての公私のライフワークになりました。今回スウェーデン北極星勲章という形でこのライフワークを認めて頂けたことは喜びにたえません。
以下は私のお礼のご挨拶です。
I would like to thank His Majesty the King and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so much for this Royal Order of the Polar Star. Special thanks for the ambassador Hiroki for taking up your precious time today. I am of course so honored, proud and happy. May I also take this opportunity to thank my family, Lillemor, Erika, Daniel, Madeleine and everybody here.
I was asked to say some words not on the past but on the future planning or projects.
After working at the Tokai University in Sapporo, Japan for 25 years, I got retired and came back to Sweden in 2013. But I could not imagine that pensioners are so busy! I enjoyed so much to see both Swedes and Japanese to be engaged on common interests and challenges toward 2018 when we celebrated 150 years of diplomatic relations.
Tony Wagner, former Harvard researcher has said, ”The world no longer cares about what you know. The world cares about what you can DO with what you know.” and I totally agree with him.
The question is then HOW you can do with what you know.
Professor Lynda Gratton of London Business School gave me a valuable hint in her book ”The Shift – The future of work is already here”.
The second shift according to Lynda Gratton is
From Isolated competitor to “Innovative Connector”
The volume of available information is unlimited nowadays and expanding so rapidly. Besides speed of the changes of the society and technology are so quick.
Ray Kurtweil has stated ”Technological development in the 21st century will be equivalent to 20.000 years of the 20th century” in his well-known book, “The Singularity is Near”. This year, 2019 alone is equal to 200 years of the last century.
It is therefore not feasible for one person to cover all the information, skills and competencies for a task. The only way, I believe is to connect innovative resources by interdisciplinary networks.
I believe that these ”innovative connections” will be my ways to make it feasible to do something even in the future.
I came to Stockholm first time in July, 1970. I was going to meet Lillemor on the way back home to Japan from New Hampshire where I was studying.
Since then Sweden and the Swedish-Japanese contacts have become my “life work” both privately and in my professional career for nearly half a century.
Mr Yasushi Akimoto, who produced among others famous AKB48 singers group and is now engaged in the planning of Tokyo Olympics next year has said he will not retire as long as the curiosity exists. Lillemor and I met Dagny Carlson, soon 107 years old Sweden’s oldest blogger before and much impressed. I would like to continue to be active and curious like Dagny and look forward to enjoyable collaborations with all of you here.
Tack. Arigato gozaimasu.