[April Dream] 'Sorry to have a father like me' — A rural cram school director's dream after overcoming unemployment and illness to achieve commercial publishing: 'Changing Japanese Education from Inae, Shiga!'

General Learning School Bridge, located in Inae, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture—a small town with fewer than 100 children per school year—is home to a cram school where over 100 students attend. By adhering to a unique teaching philosophy of 'not over-teaching so as not to stunt student growth,' I have sent many students to top-tier junior high and universities, including Nada, Todaiji Gakuen, and Kobe Jogakuin.

I am also a pioneer in futuristic education, having introduced Japan's first online study room using Zoom in 2015. Despite being in a small local private school where it's hard to make a splash, I continue to publish commercially nationwide. This stems from a desperate desire to 'leave proof of my existence' after a past of hitting rock bottom, including panic disorder and multiple layoffs.

Now, I hold a grand dream: 'Changing Japan from Inae.'

### Bottoming Out: The Unemployed Years and the Wish to 'Leave a Legacy' My dream of publishing began with the birth of my first daughter. Due to a chronic illness, I moved from job to job, being fired 4-5 times before the age of 30, and welcomed my daughter's birth while unemployed. At the time, I felt inadequate and wanted to leave something behind that my daughter could be proud of. The desire to publish was a desperate wish to live and to leave my thoughts for my children and grandchildren.

### Building a School as Local Infrastructure Without Fanning Anxiety Overcoming repeated adversity, I realized my childhood dream of raising children in my hometown of Inae and opened a cram school there. The goal was to build a place that supports the community without relying on fear-based marketing.