(Left) Mr. Hiroaki Miyahara, President of Gakken Holdings Inc., (Right) Masahiro Morimoto, President of FRONTEO Inc.

At the National Defense Academy, which provides training aimed at providing the necessary insight and ability as an executive self-defense officer of the Self-Defense Forces in the future, and also providing extensible qualities, in addition to daily rigorous training, long-distance swimming and cutter training, etc. The two say in unison that a big event is prepared every year, and the attitude of cooperating with friends and the ability to accomplish difficult things are cultivated.

— What did you learn from the rigorous training?

Mr. Miyahara, President of Gakken Holdings (hereinafter referred to as Miyahara):Training at the National Defense Academy is often tough, such as getting up at 6 o'clock and rubbing dry cloth, emergency calls that are held irregularly in the middle of the night (running with a gun in the dark with a fully equipped combat posture), diving training, etc. I remember it.

FRONTEO CEO Morimoto (hereinafter Morimoto):You were thoroughly trained when you were a student.

Miyahara:There are five ranger lessons: 1. I don't think I'll eat, 2. I don't think I'll walk on the road, 3. I don't think I'll sleep at night, 4. I think I'll have a break, 5 The content is that the instructor / assistant professor seems to be a god, but it was certainly tough, but I think that gaining the power to accomplish it here will have a great impact on my life later. "Going on a road without a road" is exactly that.

Morimoto:At the National Defense Academy, it was common for people to suddenly do something they had never done before.Of course it's hard at first.It's painful, but if you continue, it will take shape.As Mr. Miyahara says, "go on a road without a road", and by continuing this, "a road without a road" will be created.

Miyahara:I think I had a great connection with my seniors and juniors, and also had a great encounter with my teacher.It was because they were there that I was able to overcome the painful training.

Being able to take a marketing class for four years by Professor Ikujiro Nonaka, who is known as the creator of knowledge management, will have a major impact on his life after that.Mr. Miyahara calls this experience "the original experience of management."

— Is there anything you learned at the National Defense Academy that is linked to your current management?

 Miyahara:The education of the National Defense Academy complies with the university establishment standards set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the subjects of liberal arts education, foreign language, physical education, specialized basics and specialized subjects (humanities, social sciences and science and engineering) are the same as those of general universities. Under the curriculum to educate students and the policy of "cultivating the basic training items required by the Self-Defense Forces, understanding the responsibilities of executive self-defense officers, and developing the qualities and skills to adapt to them." It consists of a training course called.When I was in school, Professor Ikujiro Nonaka was in charge of marketing classes for four years, and I feel that the learning there has greatly contributed to my life at a private company.

In Professor Nonaka's class, after reading Carl von Clausewitz's "On War," we will examine various battles up to that point.The subject of verification extends not only to the battles of military personnel but also to the battles of private companies.In other words, he also specifically introduced the Cola Wars with comparative advertising of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, as in the MBA course, and the case study on Heinz's ketchup plastic bottles.This overlapped with the strategy part of the training course and I found it very interesting.

In addition, as a verification of how to fight, the former Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, which focused on the command of the Combined Fleet (Task Force) and defeated the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Heihachiro Togo, Commander-in-Chief, and Isoroku Yamamoto, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the United Fleet during the Pacific War (1941-1945), also gave a comparative analysis of the two headquarters.In retrospect, I think this is the original experience of my management.Gakken is also creating a task force to collaborate with schools, homes, and cram schools.

Morimoto:As I mentioned earlier, I can understand what I learned from training, but in my case, what I am still alive is the power to never give up.We started those businesses from an era when words such as digital forensics (fraud investigation) and discovery (discovery procedure) had not yet entered Japan, and we were forced into a disadvantageous situation due to lack of discovery know-how. We have been promoting our business with the desire to save Japanese companies.I think that the determination to go on a road that no one has walked was made possible because of the training at the National Defense Academy.It's painful and painful now, but when you get over it, glory awaits you, and knowing that, you can step on to glory.

Miyahara:It's amazing to think about doing AI from an era when it wasn't an AI boom yet.I think it will grow even more and fly to the world.

— It seems that Gakken's image has changed since Mr. Miyahara took office. Is there anything you are aware of?

Miyahara:I myself try to be dying with all my might.I think I can do that because I met someone who could be called a teacher when I was a student.It really depends on whether you can meet your teacher or not.The four-year dormitory life at the National Defense Academy was tough and difficult, but I think everyone was able to do their best because there was always someone nearby.

Recently, it has become difficult to meet people who can be called such "teachers".As I grow older, I don't listen to what my parents say, so if a third party is in the position of a teacher, I think I can do my best to grow even if something stumbles or fails.Children live in a really small world, and they stumble on trivial things, but I expect AI to match those children with the "teachers" who met them.It would be great if we could somehow match an urban child suffering from bullying with an adult living in the wilderness and blow away the trouble through nature experience.

Morimoto:Currently, FRONTEO provides a system in which AI finds the answer to what you want to know.At the same time, we also provide a system to find "people who know what they want to know".If you make good use of this, I think you can find a teacher who suits you and give you appropriate advice, as Mr. Miyahara said.I would like to consider expanding to the field of education.

— How do you think AI will be used in the education industry in the future?

Miyahara:I think education is now in a transitional period since the Meiji era.The degree of happiness of children changes depending on whether or not they can meet a good teacher.When a particular subject, such as a math teacher, is not good at it, I immediately stop studying math.I don't understand because I don't study.I think AI can cover this virtuous cycle.I think it would be very beneficial to Japan if we could make an AI version of a teacher with top-level leadership and provide it at a low price.

However, income disparities and regional disparities still exist.It costs more than 30 yen a year to attend a cram school.Regional differences are improving due to the GIGA school concept, but in remote islands and depopulated areas where a stable communication environment is not available, the gap with urban areas is widening.It is not possible to go around the country only by the people who live in urban areas.I think that a country that always has local clever people who want to change the country with fresh ambitions is strong.Japan is a country where we can only live by human beings, that is, by developing human resources, so I would like AI to somehow cover that.

Morimoto: FRONTEO originally started its business with the desire to eliminate the digital divide.Even though the proceedings and criminal investigations are supposed to be fair, the results will change depending on the existence of technology to find evidence.You shouldn't give up the proceedings just because you can't find evidence.Similarly, we are developing AI to support dementia diagnosis in an attempt to eliminate the medical disparity that dementia cannot be found in clinics that do not have specialists in rural areas.

If we can apply the skills of doctors to AI, I think we can do something that can be used in educational settings.Tell me what to find in the interaction between the teacher and the students (whether you find something you don't know right now, or do you find the characteristic of making the same mistake), and even the "points to find" around that. For example, I think FRONTEO's AI can handle it.

Miyahara: FRONTEO provides a system that allows staff to prioritize what is judged to require early response from the history of child abuse consultations and reports sent to child guidance centers, but that is also interesting. right.

— Does Gakken have any plans to set up facilities that provide ideal education in the future?

Miyahara:I think I'm a typical person raised in education.The National Defense Academy is positioned as a military academy in other countries.Although the educational method has been established, I think that the dormitory life at the National Defense Academy has had a great impact on the rest of my life.I was trained both physically and mentally during the four years of the National Defense Academy so that I could say that there was nothing scary.I'm out in the private sector now, but I like the education at the National Defense Academy so much that I think it's necessary to have an environment that is cut off from the outside to some extent in order to provide good education.

 In the future, I would like to create a facility where education can be carried out all at once to the university, and provide education that will lead to the education business and long-term care medical business of Gakken, such as the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Nursing.Besides, I also want to do a hospital.

Morimoto:Some say that the gap with other countries will widen, but I still believe in the power of the Japanese people. I think again that the AI ​​business is being expanded globally at a company called FRONTEO, but planning ability is also important, but the ability to execute crazy is extremely important, and as a result, something is achieved and goals and dreams are realized. I became convinced that I could do it.In education as well, not only rationality, but also the ability to compete with people and the ability to "do what you have to do" can be acquired by rushing toward dreams and goals, and you can improve your strength. I want to make a country like this.

Of course, we will do it to the end, we will do it until we win-using this power that we have acquired at the National Defense Academy as a weapon, we would like to carry out and realize the activities that make Japanese AI the number one in the world.

GIGA School Concept (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)

・ By integrally developing a terminal for each person and a high-speed, large-capacity communication network, individual optimization is fair without leaving any diverse children, including children who need special support. To realize an educational environment where qualities and abilities can be cultivated more reliably
・ Maximize the power of teachers and students by aiming for the best mix of Japanese educational practices and cutting-edge technology.

https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20200625-mxt_syoto01-000003278_1.pdf