Key Points
- Mutsumi reflects on her lifelong love for school and why her experience differs from many others.
- She identifies that her positive experience stemmed from fitting into the existing social and academic “mold” without facing discrimination.
- The discussion highlights how systemic issues like gender norms and academic pressure can alienate students who do not fit the traditional “mold.”
- Mutsumi expresses a commitment to using her platform to help create inclusive environments where everyone feels safe and supported.
- Fuki discusses the balance between the comfort of belonging to a community and the freedom of being independent.
Full Transcript (English)
Mutsumi: Hello, I’m Mutsumi.
Fuki: And I’m Fuki.
Mutsumi: Today, I want to share a recent realization I had. I’ve always been the type of person who really likes school. I loved middle school, high school, and university. Even elementary school—I just love the memories of being there.
Mutsumi: However, as I’ve become more involved in social activism, I’ve met many friends who didn’t like school at all. I started wondering why I liked it so much while others didn’t. For a few years, my hypothesis was simply that I have a high sense of belonging—that I just tend to love any group or school I’m part of.
Mutsumi: But recently, I realized another major factor. I liked school because I never felt uncomfortable or like I didn’t have a place there. I didn’t have the attributes that would make school a difficult place. For example, I have friends in the LGBTQ+ community who felt a constant sense of mismatch because schools are so strictly divided by gender in classes and rosters. Others felt alienated by the intense pressure regarding academic records and career paths, where getting into a national university is seen as everything.
Mutsumi: Even though my grades weren’t great, I never faced the threat of being expelled or excluded. I happened to be born with a brain that could keep up with the system. I realized that my ability to say “I love school” is largely because I happened to fit the existing “mold” of the school system. It’s a realization that came a bit late, but it hit me hard.
Fuki: That makes a lot of sense. Your initial hypothesis about having a strong sense of attachment is probably true too, as you rarely speak ill of places you’ve been. But it’s also true that you were fortunate not to have experiences where your inherent attributes caused you pain. That’s a wonderful thing, but as we are now in early September—a time when many young people feel they can’t face going back to school after summer break—it’s an important distinction to make.
Mutsumi: Exactly. Even in elementary school, which was known for having bullying issues, I didn’t suffer because I didn’t have trouble with PE, I didn’t have trouble with studies, and I didn’t feel out of place with the gender binary. Because I didn’t experience discrimination or major setbacks, I only felt a slight “roughness” rather than true pain.
Mutsumi: I feel the same way about 8bitNews now. I’m able to work here happily because the environment supports my weaknesses. For instance, I make a lot of typos—I’ve mentioned this before. In a typical major media outlet, I might be scolded constantly and hate coming to work. But here, the staff supports me. They check my work and help me correct mistakes before they go live. Because of that support, I can come to work with a light heart.
Mutsumi: I want to remember that I am blessed. Instead of just being satisfied with my own comfort, I want to think about how we can build frameworks and organizations where anyone, regardless of their attributes or position, can feel that they belong and are safe. I feel a sense of responsibility—or rather, a strong desire—to work toward that.
Fuki: It’s great to have someone who thinks like that. It provides a sense of security for those around you. I also think about the “freedom of not belonging.” While being part of a community provides comfort, being independent or a “freelancer” has its own merits and a lack of certain pressures. The goal should be to lower the barriers for those who *want* to join a community but feel they can’t. We need to change the “mold” of society so it doesn’t exclude people.
Mutsumi: Yes, exactly. It’s not about forcing people into a group, but making sure that when people want to gather for a common goal, the space is welcoming to everyone regardless of their background. I don’t want to stop thinking about how to achieve that.
Fuki: As you become more influential by 2030, you might be seen as an authority figure. If you ever get too full of yourself, we’ll show you this video to remind you of what you said today!
Mutsumi: (Laughs) Please do! It’s a memo to my future self. If you’re in an environment that makes you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to stay there. You can change your environment, or you can try to change the space itself. Your heart is the most important thing. That’s the conclusion I want to leave us with today.
