[About the Book]

ーEducation that nurtures the heart creates the future-

This book is the life’s work of the author, an English teacher who has dedicated his career to the practice of education rooted in Japan’s traditions of kokoro no kyōiku (education of the heart), spiritual discipline, and moral instruction.

Believing that true education is not about cramming knowledge but about cultivating the heart, the author also embraced an approach that draws on ki-the vital life energy that permeates nature-and applied it to the classroom and to each child’s growth.

Grounded in the philosophy of unifying mind and body, the author has consistently taught the importance of harmonizing one’s inner self, living daily life with a positive flow of ki, and fostering gratitude, focus, and moral strength. By awakening children’s motivation (yaruki), this approach revives essential values that modern education often neglects.

This is a book for all teachers, parents, and educators who wish to nurture children’s hearts to be strong, kind, and resilient.



[Table Of Contents]

Words of Recommendation

Introduction

1. Education That Cultivates a Heart Willing to Bow to the Invisible

2. A Fateful Encounter with the Practical Application of Ki

3. Applying “Ki Utilization” in Education

4. Astonishing Experiences

5. Adding the Spice of “Ki” to Education

6. Is This Really Acceptable for Japanese Education?

7. You Only Live Once!

8. Ki Utilization in the Internet Age

Afterword

Acknowledgments

“whole-body Ki breathing method”

Author Profile



[Editor’s Comment]

As parents and teachers, we naturally hope that children not only excel academically but also grow into admirable human beings. The author of this book shares the same vision and has long practiced “education of the heart” from an Eastern perspective. Through this record of his educational practices, we invite you to discover insights that may inspire your own approach to fostering the heart.



[Author Profile]

Kazuyoshi Kurita



Born in April 1947 in Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture.

In 1970 he joined the Junior High School of Tamagawa Academy, where he spent many years overseeing international education, working with returnee students, and sending a large number of them out into the world.

In April 2007 he met Mr. Ryūji Okamura of the NPO “Ki no Katsuyō Com,” and has since been communicating the importance of Ki Utilization in education.

He is now in his 39th year as a senior-high English teacher, responsible for religious education, serving as advisor to the softball club, supervising the independent-study “Photography” group, and, as a shakuhachi enthusiast, always performs for his homeroom students on their birthdays.

His published works include Singing Junior High School English (TDK Core) and the five-volume TDK Educational Video Series Communication Activities (TDK Core), among others.