This place has existed in my imagination in many forms for a long time. It is a dream, but also more than a dream. At times, it has existed in real life. As I look out the window of my office at Togitsu Bay, it feels like I can actually touch the “Institute.”
What would this “Institute” be? Well…it would be an institute of learning, reading, writing, practical problem-solving…maybe even teaching kids…a leadership academy for youth…and who knows what else? It would also have a great selection of teas and coffees.
From 2018 to 2021, the many wonderful moments in Isee Isahaya, in the small second-floor school behind the flooring shop, felt like an embodiment of the “Institute” as an ideal. A little place for English-language learning for kids and adults. At its best: perfection.
Perhaps I am the Institute. Perhaps I just need to wait and let life meet me halfway.
But as time goes by, my dream of the Institute becomes gradually more specific. Just as in my middle school and high school, as my troubles mount in the real world, my fantasy worlds become richer and more detailed. Lately, I’ve been more and more certain that my Institute would be in one of these places.
- Kinkai, Nagasaki
- Togitsu, Nagasaki
- Kabashima or Wakimisaki, Nagasaki
- Iojima, Nagasaki / Shin-Kamigoto / Nishi-Isahaya
These places would offer cheap rent and spectacular views. But, of course, the question: Where would the students come from? And what could we offer that the 21st century would actually value?
It seems that English education wouldn’t be enough. The curriculum, of course, would be based on both Cengage texts such as World English and Time Zones. In my imaginary fantasy land, Pieter would have to tell me how to use AI to improve the business and expand into other businesses and services. Tony would offer therapy sessions for students.
In my imagination, when I do this in the Kabashima / Wakimisaki area, it always involves me improving the island with clean energy like solar panels.
Anyway, aspects that would be nice but that are in no way realistic? A projector for movies. A simple curriculum that any teacher could understand in a moment. A small library filled with wonderful books. Tea time guests. Music for the soul. Physical training equipment. Learning games. A rich network that would connect me with places around the world: C40, Mayors for Peace, Isee English…
So, if revenue is the source of respect (as my technical students liked to ask me, “If you’re so smart, why…”) and the fuel for my dreams, then why aren’t I rich?
So, let’s say the money magically arrives in the form of a grant or endowment or simply some frivolous rich person’s benevolence, then what?
First, I need to improve my current projects.
- Quality Check (QC) my books. Prioritize Statues. Set a foundation of three good novels and a good short story collection. (Sage and the Scarecrow, Ghosts of Nagasaki, Statues in the Cloud, a “Best of” short story collection).
- QC my platform: create a top notch website…also, social media accounts, Goodreads profile, Youtube channel.
- Figure out what my core projects are going to be. (Novels, English teaching, small-scale problem-solving…)
- Figure out what my flaneur projects are going to be. (IR, City Diplomacy, local community improvement…). Pitch deck for small city diplomacy. Youtube channel.
- Green! Solar panels, a garden…make your Institute Carbon zero.
- Develop consistent revenue streams.
- Prospect. Teachers and students are always entrepreneurial. Infinitely resourceful.
One way to flip this fantasy on its head: Stop asking: What do you want? Start asking: What do other people need?
May 28, 2028 – 5 years in the Future – A Day In the Life of an Institute
Today, I am typing up a progress report for the institute.
- 10 percent of the houses in Wakimisaki now have solar panels and a solar farm in the area provides half the electricity the area’s needs.
- The empty houses have been cataloged
- Local kids now have a “juku” to study in
- The Institute has developed a “pitch deck” for local diplomacy
- A town to town relationship has been started with another place in the world (US, UK, Korea…)
- Plans have been drawn up to turn the old elementary school in Kabashima into a Japanese language school for foreign students
- Not bad for the first 3 years of the institute’s existence
I drink red wine, play with my dog, and do a conference call with my colleague to discuss what our next moves shall be.
This is the abandoned “kominkan” center in Kabashima. This would be the perfect place for your “Institute.”
For now, though, I have to leave this fantasy place in an imaginary future. As an employee of the Institute, I know that the “pragmatism” aspect of the institute is very real. Begin with your feet on the ground. The best way to do that is to deal with everyday problems as best as you can.
The Ghosts of Nagasaki: A Novel 