Every few years, a powerful inventor appears in the world. One example is the American IT leader, Steve Jobs. He introduced new devices such as portable music players, smartphones, and computers. These products became widely popular and changed how we live today.

There was another innovator who impacted the fashion industry. Her name was Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She started with a hat boutique in Paris in 1908. Chanel later created comfortable dresses that did not need corsets. Due to World War I, women in Paris needed clothes that would allow them to move with ease. Chanel’s “simple,” “comfortable,” and “useful” dresses gained popularity in Paris and had a strong influence on modern fashion.

Chanel was also the first to design shoulder bags for women by attaching leather straps to her bags so she could carry them on her shoulders. Chanel closed most of her shops and retired when World War II broke out. However, she returned to the fashion world in 1954, at age 70. Although her style has been criticized for being outdated in Europe, her jersey suits were a big hit in the United States. Her “Chanel Suit” is extremely popular with professional women.

Chanel had a great passion for producing what she needed and liked. That was the force that drove her work forward.

All languages are constantly changing. However, English globalization can change the language in ways we can only begin to imagine. “Tri-English” could exist in the future, where people speak local English at home, the natural version at school or work, and international Standard English to talk to foreigners. Native speakers are currently low in number, so students would accept their own local versions and stop trying to speak American or British English.

English has become the common language of the world. Even Korean executives doing business in Shanghai or German politicians writing laws in Brussels are probably speaking English. Non-native speakers start learning English at a young age to achieve fluency in the language. Primary schools in China offer English lessons in the third grade rather than in middle school. A growing number of parents send their preschool children to local English courses.

There is so much enthusiasm in the English language because of jobs. Back then, only elites like executives needed English for work. Today, it has become a requirement in business, technology, and education. English has been established as the international language and there is little chance for it to change in the future.

Human beings have accomplished the most on earth. We invented useful things such as transportation, devices, medicines, and institutions like schools, hospitals, and banks. Without them, we would not exist in the modern world. However, the things we have created are potentially harmful. Pesticides kill insects, but they poison the soil. Cars are one of our main modes of transportation, but the gas they release is one of the main causes of global warming. The question is, “If we were to live in harmony with nature, could we maintain our comfortable way of living?”

Janine Benyus suggests that the answer may be found by looking to nature for inspiration. Biomimicry comes from the words “bio,” which means “life,” and “mimesis,” which translates to “imitation.” We can find a way to live a nature-friendly lifestyle if we imitate nature. Now that the environment is threatened, humans must learn how to sustain our environment through observation of nature.

Benyus explains that once we learn from nature and not about her, we will feel a sense of wonder. Many animals and plants are more than what we can imagine. For example, dragonflies move quicker than helicopters, and ants carry objects much heavier than their body weight. They do these things without harming nature.

The first Anpanman book was published 28 years after World War II. Some kindergarten teachers, however, did not want children to read it because they thought it was cruel for others to eat one’s head. Some critics said that children would not be interested in the plot.

Yanase continued to draw Anpanman in spite of the criticisms. He noticed some changes over time. One father said that his son loved Anpanman. A kindergarten teacher also shared that the students bought several copies of Anpanman because the books would wear out quickly. “They are innocent and always give straight answers. They are honest critics who toss the books they don’t like, ” Yanase said about children. He wanted to communicate the message to them honestly, which is “What is justice? We can’t do justice without being hurt.”

After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Anpanman’s March requests flooded into radio stations. People wanted the children who experienced the earthquake to listen to the song. Adults were also encouraged by the song and repeated their requests. The song gave courage not only to the people in Tohoku but all over Japan.