Children's University Library 3 ”Watashi no nakani minna ga iru”? (”Everyone is in me”? - AI, robots and educational philosophy)

This book introduces the educational philosophy, “Everyone is in me,” which was proposed by Mr. Terumichi Kambayashi, a former schoolmaster of the Kunitachi Gakuen Elementary School. The philosophy is presented in an easy-to-understand way. As the subtitle, “AI, Robots and Educational Philosophy,” suggests, Professors Katsuhiko Shirai—a former president of Waseda University and an AI researcher—and Hajime Asama, a robotics engineer, contribute their interpretations of “Everyone is in me” from the perspectives of AI and robotics.
 
In the first chapter, Professor Asama remembers that when his daughter and son were attending elementary school, Mr. Kambayashi talked at a parents’ meeting about “Everyone is in me.” Professor Asama visited Kambayashi’s home to inquire about this concept. In this chapter, Kambayashi’s valuable explanation regarding the development of his educational philosophy is mentioned. Professor Asama introduced the story about his visit in his final lecture when he retired from the University of Tokyo in March 2024.
 
Chapter 2 contains the content of a roundtable discussion between Mr. Kambayashi and Professors Shirai and Asama wherein Shirai, who specializes in AI, and Asama, who specializes in robotics, expressed their thoughts on the concept of “Everyone is in me” from their respective perspectives.
 
Chapter 3 describes Professor Asama’s special lecture, “Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems: Self-Organization and Adaptation inCollaborative Swarms” delivered at the Robotics and Mechatronics Conference of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers in Utsunomiya. He introduced interdisciplinary research topics for making many autonomous robots work cooperatively and described how the concept of “Everyone is in me” relates to robots’ cooperation.
 
In Chapter 4, lectures delivered at Children’s University Kunitachi by Mr. Kambayashi and Professors Shirai and Asama, the three participants in the roundtable discussion, are introduced. These lectures were delivered to elementary school students and their parents immediately before the roundtable discussion, and the contents conveyed the expertise and thoughts of the three participants.
 
In Chapter 5, Mr. Kambayashi sends a message to children and their parents. Children are diverse. Each child is different and has the potential to grow in various ways. The important educational concept follows.
 
In a world where people tend to think “I am in all,” the concept of “Everyone is in me” is extremely important for nurturing considerate, compassionate humans while respecting their individuality. To say that it is the basis of democracy is not an exaggeration. I hope that this concept will be widely disseminated in the future, leading to a peaceful society.
 

(Written by ASAMA Hajime, Project Professor, Tokyo College / 2025)