The “Doomsday Clock,” regularly published by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in the United States, pointed to “90 seconds” in 2023. Now, around the world, a movement is spreading among young people who choose not to have children, motivated by the desire not to subject them to crises like climate change or nuclear war. Politicians aim to win elections by proposing policies to help the poor now, rather than addressing future crises. In reality, it’s the politicians colluding with the wealthy who are causing suffering for the poor. However, people caught up in daily life often support them as saviors. Politicians, building their power on the support of the poor, can become dictatorial, and when power becomes too concentrated, they may even plunge the country into destruction due to delusions. Such history has repeated itself many times over, and it seems poised to repeat once more. Rather than the qualities of the politicians themselves, isn’t it the responsibility of the citizens who fail to discern them? While Japanese people possess a spirit of compassion toward others, they believed they were fighting for their own country’s interests when wars with foreign nations broke out. Japan should reflect upon them, and advocate for world peace through culture. (From April issue, 2024 / 2024年4月号より)