Lecture by Yutaka Aso, Chairman and Representative Director of Aso Co., Ltd.

On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, we hosted a lecture featuring Mr. Yutaka Aso, Chairman and Representative Director of Aso Co., Ltd., a comprehensive corporate group with its origins in Fukuoka. The theme of the event was "The Mindset of a Leader Who Moves Society from the Regions."

Mr. Aso is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Keio University and New College at the University of Oxford in the UK. His distinguished career includes serving as President and Chairman of Aso Cement Co., Ltd., Chairman and Honorary Chairman of the Kyushu Economic Federation, and as an Executive Board Member of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Approximately 100 people, including both students and visitors from outside the university, attended the lecture. Notably, the student attendance represented roughly one in eight regular undergraduate students, demonstrating a remarkably high level of interest among the student body.

During the lecture, Mr. Aso used data to highlight current issues facing Japan. He also shared his track record as a business leader, his learnings from his time at Oxford, his experience in business operations involving the local community in his hometown of Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and his future goals.

Following the keynote speech, which focused on his way of life and beliefs developed through his practice as a global leader, a Q&A session was held with the participants. A wide range of dialogue took place, from inquiries about Mr. Aso’s personal philosophy to direct questions regarding his work as an industrialist. Even after the lecture concluded, it remained a meaningful occasion as many students gathered around Mr. Aso, who kindly showed them the handwritten notebooks he has kept for 40 years.

We received numerous comments from participants, including: "It was a good opportunity to think about my long-term future, which I had only thought about vaguely before." "I learned that to be active in society, it is important to have clear goals and understand what I want to do." "I will face several challenges in my life ahead, and I intend to do my best by recalling this lecture."