Tomorrow, on June 13, is Inventor’s Day. It is a day when a few countries around the world recognize inventors. The countries that recognize Inventors Day are Argentina, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Moldova, Russia, Thailand, the UK, and America.

It seems like only a few countries, but invention is very important for everyone in every country.

Invention gives us great progress and many new things that help our lives be better. We are in a world of so many inventions. Looking back in time we have inventions such as cloth making, pottery, bread, farming, fishing, sailing, writing, bronze making, star charts for stars, water wheels, mathematics, weapons, the newspaper, clocks, microscopes, motors, telephones, computers, and medicine.

Inventions give us our countries, our societies, and safe ways to live and grow. Inventions are all made by people who see a problem and then think of a way to solve that problem.

When you look around your home and your school you will see many amazing inventions. Televisions and telephones, ball point pens and sharp pencils, printed books and computers. All of these things come from someone’s imagination and someone’s dream.

When we look at history we learn a lot about unique and special Japanese inventions.

There are a huge number of great Japan-based inventions. In art, Japan has invented the comic books. In film, Japan invented anime and many modern art styles. Japan has invented special kinds of buildings, like castles and temples. Japan invented special kinds of pottery, like “kutani-yaki” and “arita-yaki”. Japan has invented unique styles of sports like, aikido, judo, jujutsu, karate, ninjutsu, and shorinji-kempo. Japan invented video games, like the Playstation and Nintendo. Japan has made many inventions in science and medicine. Japan has also created many kinds of medicines too. Japan is the mother of cupa-of-ramen, sushi, and takoyaki. Japan created great sound stereos, CD players, DVD players, batteries, cameras, and house hold items like rice cookers and air conditioners. Japan is the inventor of the shinkansen and the hybrid car. Japan invents and makes so many things. We are living in the country of great inventions.

Here we are together on Wednesday morning at Otemae. We are students and teachers, office staff and support workers. We are in this amazing school to learn and to grow. We are here to explore and understand. We are here to know the problems of our world and to find ways to make it better. There are things that we need for the future, and this need is the beginning of the next invention.

I think we will find more problems in the future. And for these problems we will need inventions to fix those problems. Otemae is a great school to grow the next generation of creative people, and from these creative people we will see new ideas, new stories, new inventions, and new discoveries. One of you can surely be the next great inventor for the future.

Happy Inventor’s Day!