Notable Moments

March 21, 2022

Twenty-two years ago, during a period when it was still cold in the month of March, Inamori visited the Tama Juvenile Detention Center located in Hachioji City, Tokyo. Inamori was serving as the president of the National Federation of Volunteer Visitors for Inmates (a public-interest foundation) dedicated to helping juvenile offenders reintegrate into society through counseling and education, and this visit was made possible due to his role. After inspecting vocational training sessions at the detention center, Inamori gave a lecture to approximately 180 young people between the ages of 15 and 19.

He said, "You must fully reflect on the offenses you have committed thus far. ... Moreover, you should appreciate the life you have today, be grateful for what your teachers have taught you, and strive to outperform everyone else in society as soon as you get out of here. If you do so, an incredibly wonderful life beyond your imagination awaits you." He has often said that he was deeply moved upon learning about the Federation's work in rehabilitation and impressed to know that there were people in the world with such incredibly pure hearts. When he took over as president, he didn't just accept the role but also wondered what he could do to contribute, leading to his decision to visit the detention center. Using his own misfortunate youth as an example, Inamori pledged to live positively no matter how difficult life got and encouraged the young detainees to work hard on shaping their future lives.