— Rethinking Intelligence and Value in a Post-Structure World —

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In 2025, both Japan and the world are quietly but surely undergoing a massive structural collapse.

Economy, politics, education, and media—
Systems we once trusted are beginning to decay.
Even when we get the “right answers,” we’re left wondering:
“So what?”
A kind of existential emptiness is taking root beneath the surface of everyday life.

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◆ Until now, intelligence was measured “inside the structure”

At school, it meant test scores.
In society, degrees and certifications.
In companies, obedience and compliance.

Those who excelled at this game were called “smart,” “diligent,” “elite,”
and they were rewarded with power, position, and trust.

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◆ But that kind of intelligence means nothing when the structure breaks

The systems we’ve relied on are no longer functioning.
We now live in a world with no clear answers.
In such a world, the ability to “quickly solve problems” is becoming irrelevant.

It is said that the current structural collapse is already 70% underway,
though only 30–40% is visible to the public.
That’s why many still cling to the illusion that things might go back to normal.

But in reality, our institutions—governments, schools, corporations—
are already past the point of no return.

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◆ The structure now collapsing is the one built after the Industrial Revolution

What’s being dismantled now was created during the 18th–19th century industrial age—
when rural, self-sufficient communities were replaced by urban production systems.
Handcraft became mechanized.
Independence gave way to wage labor.

In short, we are witnessing the first true shift in structural foundations since the Industrial Revolution.

And this time, even those who created the system—the power holders—may not survive it.

In the past, even as social systems changed,
kings, aristocrats, capitalists, and bureaucrats always remained on top.
But now, with the rise of Web3, decentralization, and reputation-based economies,
the game is shifting.

Power is no longer defined by control or wealth—
but by thought, resonance, and credibility.

We are rewriting the rules of who holds power, and what is valuable.

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◆ What defines intelligence in this new era?

To thrive in the next society, you’ll need:

• Insight — to detect invisible cracks in the system

• Philosophical thinking — to ask the right questions

• Creative expression — to give form to new meaning

• Passion — to keep building even when nothing’s certain

And most of all:
the ability to think, choose, and stand on your own.

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◆ What schools never taught is now what matters most

Insight, philosophy, creativity—
You might’ve been told these things are “too abstract,” or “not practical.”

But in the emerging structure, they are core currencies.

In a world where money and status grow unstable,
those who generate meaning and draw new paths
will become the architects of the next world.

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◆ In closing

We are shifting from a world of “correct answers”
to one where we must ask, “what truly matters?”

It’s not an easy transition.
But that’s precisely why it’s meaningful.

When structures fall apart,
those who hold vision and light will shape the future.

Even if we are few now,
those voices will guide us forward.

That’s why I continue to build this small structure called ZONE—
as a prototype for what might come next.