“Fuurinkazan” is a famous phrase written on the military flag of Takeda Shingen. It describes four mental attitudes for battle, and means that depending on the situation, you should move swiftly like the wind, remain calm like a forest, attack fiercely like fire, and remain steady like a mountain.

Global society is in a period of change, and Japan, as a member of it, is also being forced to change. There is no question that Japan is in a period of change. On the other hand, what is of concern is the image of the word “change.” The word “change” sounds brave, and it evokes the wind and fire in “Fuurinkazan.” In short, change has a strong image of making things new quickly and violently. There is no mistake in that image, but when changing a large vessel that involves many people, such as national or social change, it requires a certain amount of care. If you proceed only with wind and fire, conflicts will arise somewhere and you may end up with a setback. Forests and mountains are also necessary.

What I want to say is that in society, there are elements that need to be changed and elements that should be maintained as before, and it is important to distinguish between them. It is not good to change everything. To use an extreme example, Japanese people take off their shoes when they enter a house. Stopping this and entering the house with shoes on would certainly be a change, but it would be meaningless as it would destroy a desirable culture that is unique to Japan.
Keep what is good and renovate what is not. Change must be carried out from this perspective. In this case, what is particularly demanding is the ability to think of the forest and the mountains, that is, to remain calm and steady. If one does not move quietly when loud calls for change are made, one may easily come across as negligent and be criticized as stupid. Changing things quickly and vigorously makes one appear more diligent and competent. In Japan, where a demerit mentality is particularly prevalent, there is a tendency to blindly follow the wind and fire. Rather, it is the wind and fire that should change this demerit mentality… In any case, fruitful change will not be possible unless importance is placed on the forests and mountains as well as the wind and fire. (Kei Kitajima)

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