Monoxer Official Podcast "Learning to Teach Radio" Season 2 Features Writer Fuminori Koga, Author of "The Courage to Be Disliked"

Monoxer Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representatives: Kotaro Takeuchi, Keisuke Ayanagi), provider of the memory platform "Monoxer," will release a new episode of its official podcast program "Learning to Teach Radio" on Monday, July 6, 2026, featuring writer Fuminori Koga, who also serves as the representative of Batonz Inc., as a guest.

This program features practitioners and researchers at the forefront of "teaching" in schools and universities, and through dialogue, explores the nature of learning and the role of education.

What does "teaching" mean in schools and other institutions today? Is it about conveying knowledge, showing correct answers or goals, or supporting the foundation for continuous learning? Against the backdrop of digitalization, the advancement of generative AI, and changes in university entrance examination systems, the premises surrounding education are currently in flux. The question, "Is the way we've been teaching still appropriate?" is quietly beginning to emerge both inside and outside the field.

In Season 2, against the backdrop of these changes, we will re-examine the act of "teaching." Instead of reducing education to individual effort and ingenuity, we will explore it as a theme for society as a whole, spanning schools, universities, and industries, through dialogue.

The new episode, released from July 6, features writer Fuminori Koga as our guest. Mr. Koga has written and structured numerous books, including the global bestseller "The Courage to Be Disliked" series. In recent years, he has also written books aimed at junior high and high school students, conveying the enjoyment and significance of "writing" and "reading" (e.g., the "Hold a Pen on a Lonely Night" series).

In this episode, we engage in a dialogue on the theme of "writing and reading," exploring how adults can support children in confronting themselves and fostering their autonomy and imagination.

In the first part, the dialogue began with the theme, "How can adults respond to children saying, 'I don't know what to write?'" Mr. Koga points out that the reason children get stuck on essays or book reports might be the consciousness that they "must write something good." The conversation then shifts to the differences between Japanese and Western approaches to essay instruction. While Japan tends to emphasize "what to write," Mr. Koga introduces the Western evaluation criteria of "how to write (structure, clarity, evidence, voice)," and discusses the importance of expressing one's own perspective and voice. Furthermore, he highlights the significance of writing in a "diary" as a space to cultivate one's voice, delving into the value of writing on "paper," which allows for reflection on even the pen strokes and mistakes.

The middle part focused on the theme, "Why is alone time important for children?" In an era where one can always be connected to others through social media and smartphones, the value of time spent confronting oneself is discussed. Citing the ideas of political philosopher Hannah Arendt, Mr. Koga introduces the differences between "solitude," "isolation," and "loneliness," explaining that "solitude" is a state of being able to converse with oneself and is essential for personal growth. He also discusses how writing a diary can help discover emotions and thoughts one wasn't aware of, and shares examples of the increasingly popular practice of "journaling," deepening the conversation about how alone time can lead to better relationships with others.

The final part addressed the theme, "How do children encounter 'their own book'?" Reading is not just about acquiring knowledge; it is also an activity that fosters imagination by encountering different values and lives. Mr. Koga shares his own experience of "reading as a hobby" and discusses the importance of "browsing" as a way for children to encounter books, as well as the sense of self-efficacy that comes from discovering authors independently, not just reading famous works found in textbooks. He further explores the essential value of reading, stating that novels are a medium through which one can understand the inner lives of people in different positions, and that they have the power to cultivate "imagination," the ability to empathize with others.

Writing and reading are not merely learning tools, but also means to deeply understand oneself and the inner lives of others.

In this episode, from the perspective of a professional wordsmith, we explore how children can create time to confront themselves.

"Season 2, Episode 6 Guest: Writer Fuminori Koga"

Representative of Batonz Inc. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1973.

After working at a publishing company, he became a freelancer in 1998. His works include "Interview, Writing, Revision," "The Courage to Be Disliked" and "The Courage to Be Happy" (co-authored with Ichiro Kishimi), and "Writing Lectures I Want to Give My 20-Year-Old Self." He has also structured about 100 other books, including the "Textbook for 16-Year-Olds" series and "Zero" (by Takafumi Horie), with a cumulative total of 21 million copies sold. In 2014, he received the "Business Book Award - Special Jury Prize" for his contributions to the status of business book writers.

"Program Overview"

Program Name: "Learning to Teach Radio" Season 2

Host: Kotaro Takeuchi (CEO and Representative Director, Monoxer Inc.)

Release Schedule: Every Monday around 7:00 AM

Format: 4 episodes per guest (3 main episodes + 1 after-talk)

Listening URLs:

YouTube here

Spotify here

Apple Podcast here

Amazon Music here

Related Content

Official note [Learning to Teach Radio | Recording Report]: https://note.monoxer.com/n/n8a9cbcaaa8bf

Recording reports for each episode can be viewed here.

https://note.monoxer.com/m/me8974855f0c8

"About the Program"

What is "teaching"? As the premises surrounding it are being questioned, this podcast program invites practitioners and researchers at the forefront of education, such as in schools and universities, to engage in dialogue on various themes, including the nature of learning and the role of education.

This program features a 4-episode structure for each guest. Episodes 1 through 3 will feature a conversation between the guest and the host, Monoxer CEO Kotaro Takeuchi. For the fourth episode, as a new initiative, we have introduced an "After-Talk" by Takeuchi.

In the After-Talk, we share the immediate post-recording energy, along with reflections on the conversation, points not fully covered in the main episode, and Takeuchi's personal insights and reflections with our listeners.

Additionally, the podcast content will be sequentially published on note as recording reports. We aim to create content that allows listeners to deeply appreciate the background of the dialogues and our passion for education by moving between the audio podcast and the written note.

"We Are Accepting Listener Mail!"

We have also opened a submission form for this program. We welcome your feedback on the program, suggested talk themes, and educational topics you'd like us to cover.

Please submit your mail through this form.

Listener Mail Form: https://forms.gle/yGqFQTircwAdqdLB6

"About Monoxer Inc."

Monoxer Inc. has the mission of "Making Memory a Part of Everyday Life" and develops and provides the learning platform "Monoxer" for memory retention.

Memory forms the foundation of all human intellectual activities.

When people recognize something or make a judgment, when they create something new, or when they interact with others, the foundation of memory accumulated daily within them always exists and has a significant impact. On the other hand, activities like "memorizing English vocabulary" are often perceived as arduous. We believe the cause of this difficulty lies in the information not being organized in a memorable way, and the methods and management for memory retention being left to individual perception.

As a result, people unconsciously distance themselves from memory, thereby narrowing the foundation that shapes their own potential. If memory could become an activity that everyone can do effortlessly and naturally, they could freely learn new languages and work abroad, or obtain qualifications and pursue their desired professions. Even their weekend activities and casual daily conversations would gain new breadth.

In other words, memory is what gives depth and options to people's lives. Monoxer's mission is to "make memory easier and more commonplace." For everyone to expand their potential to the fullest and lead richer, more fulfilling lives.

"Company Overview"

Company Name: Monoxer Inc.

Established: August 10, 2016

Representative: CEO Kotaro Takeuchi

CTO Keisuke Ayanagi

Location: 7th Floor, Sumitomo Fudosan Iidabashi Ekimae Building, 3-8-5 Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0072

Business Activities: Development and operation of the memory platform Monoxer

URL: https://corp.monoxer.com/