Mr. Yasutomi of Reiwa Shinsengumi: “It is really abuse to have excessive expectations of children and make them think that ‘they have to enter a prestigious university’ or ‘they have to be employed by a leading company’.”

The video below is about the speech of Mr. Ayumi Yasutomi from Reiwa Shinsengumi, who ran for the Lower House election. The article below is part of transcription of the video. I find the speech quite interesting and Mr. Yasutomi calls himself a “survivor from abuse.” 

According to him, people who get into a prestigious university such as Tokyo University or Kyoto University and get into the fast track truly believe that “they are not worth for living unless achieving results” and are frightened by people who have more power.

Just look at the bureaucrats today, and I feel that we can easily understand it. Decent people cannot commit criminal acts even if they are ordered to do so by their supervisors.

Mr. Yasutomi says: “It is really abuse to have excessive expectations of children and make them think that ‘they have to enter a prestigious university’ or ‘they have to be employed by a leading company’.” There are people who have single-mindedly tried to take into consideration of how parents or teachers feel and have made desperate efforts by suppressing themselves in order to have them accepted by superiors or teachers. Such people have become government bureaucrats and now they make efforts to be accepted by their superiors while watching out for the superiors. They are physically adults but mentally infants.

Mr. Yasutomi says that “we should not leave such people to make important decisions.” I quite agree with him.

Even Mr. Yasutomi says that he was scared of being scolded by his mother. In case of Abepyon, his mother is called God Mother. We can easily understand that she is a huge entity to him. Being born into an elite family is tough.

Mr. Yasutomi says that “to protect children means not to produce people like me” and “we should stop scolding children. Adults have no right to train children.”

What he says is exactly true. Children are not “trained” but should be “understood.” Even if children’s behavior is inexplicable to adults, they should carefully observe them and discover the reason why they do so. Then we will see that it is their understandable action.

From my own experience of child-rearing, I can say that “babies never cry after being three months old.” In our case, I think that our baby never cried once a month. So, based on our experience, I feel that if parents have babies cry for some reason, they fail in child-rearing.

This is absolutely our standard, but I think that there are almost no parents on the earth who raise children properly. In my opinion, the earth is so miserable because people raise babies while having them cry.

Mr. Yasutomi says that it is abuse to put silent pressure on children to force them to be “good children.” I feel the same way. The ultimate form of abuse is to raise children at parents’ convenience. To cite an example, parents leave little children to nursery schools. 

I understand that there are some parents who are forced to leave their children to nursery schools for a living. However, we are responsible for having created such a society. How can we create a society where children need not cry? As long as adults cry in heart, such a society will never come.

Masatoshi Takeshita

August 7, 2019

Note:

Shanti-phula has indicated some parts of the following text in black bold-faced type or in red letters.

Distributed by YouTube– July 6, 2019 –

Speech by Ayumi Yasutomi at the front of Shinbashi Station (accompanied by viewers’ comments)

English translation of an excerpt from a Japanese article: HARBOR BUSINESS Online– July 13, 2019 –

Reason why Ayumi Yasutomi, Reiwa-backed candidate, addresses only to “protect children”

<snip>

I changed my name from “Ayumu” to “Ayumi.” I have not been frightened when called my new name since then. I have realized that “Ayumu” was the name that my mother used when she scolded me.

<snip>

I entered Kyoto University, worked for Sumitomo Bank, took graduate course and earned a doctorate from there, and became a professor in Tokyo University. Like this, I got into the fast track. However, I think I am a survivor from abuse.  <snip> It is impossible for decent people to devote younger days to academic life in order to get into Tokyo University or Kyoto University.They can pass into university because they think they would die if they do not get accepted. It is abuse to raise children in that manner.”

<snip>

“This country is led by elites with academic qualifications. We elites are frightened of being spoken ill of by somebody. We are frightened of being scolded in particular by people who can yield power to us.  <snip> To protect children means not to produce people like me. Just imagine what will happen if such people lead the society.

<snip>

There are people who accept themselves as they are, namely, people who admit to being wrong when they do something wrong. We have to leave only such people to make important decisions.  <snip> We need people who are not frightened but kind and strong-minded.”

<The rest is omitted>