Imagine a picture with nine spots with three spots in each row. Without lifting your pencil, all nine spots should be connected by no more than three straight lines. Some people think that the line must not extend outside and must go through each spot’s center. Testing these guesses could solve the problem.

When hiring a new employee, Thomas Edison would invite the person over a bowl of soup. He would not offer the job if the person put salt on the soup before tasting it because Edison did not want people who depend on their guesses. Instead, he wanted to hire people who test their guesses consistently.

Producing new ideas often become limited by putting emphasis on guesses. The image with nine spots shows that any guess can be tested. Most people think the nine spots cannot be connected by one straight line, but it is possible. First is to cut and put them in a straight line, then draw a line through them. Second is move a brush with paint across them. People can be open to possibilities by accepting that many things must be taken for granted. Until people try proving their guesses, they will never see numerous possibilities.

Uchino Kanako really loved to explore the sea. Ever since she visited Miyake-jima, she has become very interested in the sea. With her growing interest, she read a book about Nainoa Thompson and the Hokule’a. She learned about the successful sail of Hokule’a with the traditional navigation skills that Nainoa Thompson learned in Satawal. She became interested in the traditional navigation skills, so she made up her mind to see the Hokule’a in Hawaii.

She studied ocean ecology at the University of Hawaii. At that time, the Hokule’a was back from its long travel. She was trained to be part of the crew and participated to repair the Hokule’a. The Hokule’a was planning to travel from Hawaii to Micronesia, and then to Japan in 2007. She was asked to be part of the crew which made her feel honored.

On their way to Okinawa, they became familiar with the movement of the stars, the waves, and the wind direction which are part of the skills they needed as they travel.

Ashura is a statue with three faces and six arms. This can be found in Kofukuji Temple. It is considered one of the most famous Buddhist statues in Japan. This three-faced statue shows three different emotions. The emotion of the left face is a young angry man. Second, the right face expresses pain and regret. Lastly, the front face shows repentance.

Many buildings and statues in Kofukuji Temple have been destroyed by natural disasters. While the Ashura remains strong up to this day.

Ashura is light that is why it could be carried easily during an emergency. It stands 153 centimeters tall and weighs 15 kilograms. This was believed to be one of the reasons why it is able to survive for almost 1,300 years. Although its original colors have faded over the past years, people can still see its original colors and how it looked before through its replica that can be seen in Nara National Museum.