これからの時代に必要な生きるスキルThe Life Skill Needed in the Coming Era
In the era we are about to enter, what is the essential faculty—the vital skill for life—required of us as individuals? If we look back at history, every epoch has birthed and demanded its own specific skills; those who adapted swiftly were able to carve out social standing and careers. However, the seismic shift of the coming decades will undoubtedly be defined, as we are already witnessing, by AI and the uncrewed automation of existence.
These two social tides are unavoidable. Even if the "AI bubble" were to burst in two or three years, causing a multitude of enterprises to vanish, history dictates that technology will merely transition from a phase of hype to one of deep permeation. The true struggle begins there. The modern mind has a bad habit of judging matters in binary black and white, and thus a trend will likely arise that equates the bursting of the bubble with the end of AI technology. Looking at history, however, such a conclusion is impossible.
Ultimately, even if we speak of AI, it remains an equipment industry. When the bubble collapses, the entities that survive will be those with the fiscal endurance to continue paying for the electricity that feeds the data centers. The companies that rose on the bubble without such stamina will be absorbed or selected out. Limiting our view to that perspective, the individual possesses no means to resist these macroscopic forces.
However, we tend to be captivated only by this single facet of AI technology, and that narrow gaze becomes a fog that obscures the total picture of the era. We must not forget that the aspects of life benefiting from this technological progression have already begun. Furthermore, we must seriously consider the fact that this benefit is being democratized as a critically important skill for the world in which we must survive. If we fall into the trap of judging AI as simply "good" or "bad," we will misread the future.
Personally, I began studying Precision Nutrition at the beginning of this February. I sense a remarkable leap forward in this field, and the technology supporting that leap is AI. First, to avoid confusion, I should distinguish this from the commonly heard "Molecular Nutrition."
To supplement the history briefly: Molecular Nutrition (Orthomolecular Medicine) is a concept established in the United States in the 1970s, advocated by Nobel laureate Linus Pauling and others. Its content focused on creating an optimal nutritional state at the molecular level that constitutes the body. It adopted a "supplementation-based approach"—supplying vitamins, minerals, and amino acids beyond necessary quantities to fill deficits. While this played a certain role for many years, it relied heavily on the empirical medicine of individual doctors, and criticism remained that it lacked evidence by modern scientific standards. As a system established fifty years ago, this was perhaps inevitable.
Inheriting that foundation, a medical system then emerged focused on the network of bodily functions and curing root causes. This is Functional Medicine, systematized in the United States in the 1990s. The philosophy of Functional Medicine views the body not as a collection of parts like the stomach or brain, but as "an integrated system where everything is connected," adopting an approach that seeks the root cause rather than merely treating symptoms. While it employs molecular nutritional supplement therapies, it is characterized by a greater emphasis on the process: "Why is nutrition not being absorbed? (Gut environment)" or "Why is inflammation occurring? (Toxins, stress)." Consequently, it has comprehensively addressed lifestyle habits as a whole, including detoxification, gut environment improvement, hormonal balance, sleep, exercise, and mental care.
Precision Nutrition, which emerged as a successor to this lineage, is another significant tide beginning in the U.S., a cutting-edge scientific project led by the government (NIH and FDA). It advocates for complete personalized medicine. To offer my own view on how it differs from traditional nutrition: this is the first stage where it has become possible to do everything for the sake of "just one person." From the perspective of background technology, it is positioned as a current of a new era, entirely distinct from conventional nutrition.
Indeed, Precision Nutrition employs the latest technology liberally. Beyond the basic blood analysis data, it utilizes measurable objective data as its foundation—genetic analysis (SNPs), microbiome, CGM (continuous glucose monitoring), HRV, and sleep data—and actively employs AI to analyze this information. In other words, the frontline of this scientific approach relies not on the rule of thumb of specific doctors, but on big data and experimental science.
In blood nutrition analysis, Precision Nutrition sharpens the perspective accumulated by Molecular Nutrition—reading blood data through the lens of metabolism and nutrient absorption—and inherits it while adding the revolutionary multi-faceted viewpoint of genetic influence. Conceptually, items usually viewed individually in hospitals—iron, ferritin, zinc, B-vitamins, albumin, neutral fats, AST/ALT, leukocyte fractionation—are grasped as a comprehensive system. From there, one deciphers cell energy production (mitochondrial function), inflammatory tendencies, glucose metabolism, hormonal balance, and even the inflammatory state of the gut.
Since such fields premise their work on the analysis and reading of blood data and all manner of biological data, they were naturally limited to a select few, such as doctors and nutritionists, in the past. However, this is now being democratized.
Conversely, what we must seriously consider is this: while medical acts themselves cannot be democratized, the cutting-edge wisdom of the medical field—viewed as a skill for surviving the era—is beginning to be completely democratized. It is often said that most professions, including doctors, will be replaced by AI. Personally, I believe this is only a partial truth. The true entity that will supersede these professionals is likely the person who was previously unrelated to medicine entirely. After all, if one learns the complex and specialized knowledge described above fundamentally, and acquires the skill to utilize AI, we are entering the first era where an individual can decipher health from a viewpoint far higher than that of a specialist.
From another perspective, the occurrence of this trend is a pronouncement of a terminal condition: the social systems supporting medicine can no longer be maintained by existing methods. A prime example is Japan. Japan has established one of the world's leading medical systems to support its citizens. However, the establishment of this colossal medical system has birthed strong vested interests. Furthermore, as a detriment of the national health insurance system, the option of discretionary (free) medical practice has lagged significantly behind other advanced nations. In reality, a medical system akin to a socialist state permeates daily life. Certainly, one does not need to wait months for a diagnosis as in other countries, but the spectacle of hospitals overflowing with patients is the everyday reality of Japan.
This might have been sustainable during the period of high economic growth. But now that Japan is nationally exhausted and reaching an impasse, with revenue shortages due to a declining birthrate and aging population, maintaining the medical system itself is no longer "the real." In fact, the government has already begun deploying policies to increase the burden on the elderly and patients themselves. Examples include increased self-pay for brand-name drugs, expanding the window payment for those over 75 from 10% to 20%, and increasing fixed charges for diagnosing at large hospitals without a referral. Just this morning, news announced an additional burden on patients for about 1,100 drug items containing 77 components, such as Loxoprofen, starting in 2027.
Japan may be a somewhat unique example, but the preparation of measures to avoid being swept away before the system—which has received its terminal notice—collapses, is likely common to all. In this context, one must acquire the democratized knowledge of Precision Nutrition and elevate it to a skill that can actually be utilized in daily life. This does not merely mean making it a profession; it is done to live one’s own life in health and tranquility, and as a skill to aid the health issues of those around you.
The reason is that, in the modern age, the environment—including our dietary life—is far too degraded. If we perceive these elements comprehensively as poison, we can no longer escape this pervasive toxicity. Our cells, in particular, harbor stress from being exposed to this poison twenty-four hours a day. This becomes a factor in physical malaise, but simultaneously, the mind falls ill, and psychosomatic health is impaired. To respond to the maladies of a modern age that has become too complex, we must no longer depend solely on existing methods; we must become capable of managing our own health ourselves.
Furthermore, everyone senses that the era is likely to worsen from here. Therefore, what we must consider first, regardless of the world we find ourselves in, is that if we are healthy, we can survive—even if a catastrophic world ensues. Without health, one cannot live briskly, no matter what the world becomes.
People living in a world where mobility is standardized, as it is now, will feel this keenly: more than money, the most critical issue for those who premise their lives on movement is health management. Since one carries the risk of falling ill or becoming sick in other countries, the management to avoid falling into such states is the foundational literacy of the mobile individual.
To live daily life while making micro-adjustments from this perspective, one must acquire the capability—the skill—to sense subtle changes in the body, shifts in mood, and inconsistencies, and to correct them immediately. This capability to address vulnerability is, rather, the essential skill for living in the 21st century.
The background to this democratization lies in the benefits of AI's leap forward, specifically in genetic analysis and protein analysis. These are fields where much remains unexplained, but due to the progress of AI technology, things that human scientists could not clarify are being understood one after another. Vast amounts of data and facts will come to light in the future, and we are beginning to hold the possibility of understanding "the self" from a perspective that includes the biological. This is the greatest transformation occurring right now.
However, there are issues. In truth, this biological realm—which one could call the last territory left to humanity—feels, to my eyes, akin to fortune telling. Why do I perceive Precision Nutrition as resembling divination? Because the answer changes depending on who reads the data. Even in fortune telling, the signposts to a solution and the phrasing change depending on who reads for you. But I believe the essence of fortune telling, especially what is important for the fortune teller, is that the person accepts and is convinced.
That is to say, fortune telling does not exist to say something grand that changes a person's life; rather, the fortune teller exists so that the person can find conviction regarding the malfunctions and unease they harbor in their own life. Therefore, an excellent fortune teller requires the technique to discern the other's problem, grasp it, and lead them to conviction. For as we understand, life is a thing where all manner of problems arise, but the majority of problems are resolved through acceptance. The crux is whether one can be convinced within oneself. Conversely, there are many dopamine-addicted fortune tellers who try to say something impactful, but such people cannot sustain their activity.
Exactly the same can be said for biological analysis. Certainly, it is possible to comprehensively analyze blood data, genetic data, environmental factors, and dietary data in Precision Nutrition to propose detailed methods for solving a person's malaise or problems. However, one must consider whether that is truly what is important. Human problems are not so simple that they can be solved by data alone.
For instance, where does that malaise come from? When considering why this person's blood mineral balance has collapsed to this extent, or why an inflammatory reaction is occurring in this person's body, anyone can simply say, "There is inflammation, so take zinc and magnesium," or "Your mineral balance is poor, so let's adjust your meals." But that is not the answer the person is seeking.
What becomes important here, just as in fortune telling, is the method of reading the blood data. It is not merely checking whether values fall within a standardized reference range, but re-reading the same blood data through the lens of metabolism and nutrient absorption. With this background knowledge, one must draw close to that person's own heart and life, earnestly facing the question of what has happened to cause these subtle fluctuations in the numbers. This, I believe, is the fascinating point of Precision Nutrition.
Anyone can simply read numbers as mandated meanings and analyze them, but that is not it. How far can one draw close to the heart of that "single individual"? How far can one draw close to the life of that "single individual"? And can one truly make that person's life better? I believe the true meaning of a Precision Nutrition analyst lies there. But as I mentioned earlier, this need not be a profession; it is enough to save oneself and the people around one.
Of course, what is fundamentally important is blood data, but another critical element is genetic data. I currently possess only the minimum genetic data, but a service will be announced around the end of January allowing for 20,000 analyses specifically for the Japanese population. Receiving that, I intend to spend 2026 conveying the details that become visible from various perspectives.
This year, I have looked at the blood data of people harboring various ailments. Interestingly, when viewed comprehensively as data of modern Japanese people, one notices a consistent law. For example, to speak simply, Japanese people generally have low magnesium values and low Vitamin D. And overall, cortisol is high, and blood sugar control is not going well—these are problems common to almost all without exception. However, that does not mean there is a common solution for everyone. In fact, I myself have engaged energetically in these matters this year, but the majority of health methods generally said to be "good" did not suit me. I also struggled considerably through trial and error to find the optimal intake method and timing for supplements. This demonstrates the clear fact that genes, which govern metabolism and the like, are truly different for each and every person.
However, I reject the determinism that posits genes decide all. Genes are indeed such fundamental blueprints, but how a gene expresses itself and how it constructs the person as they are now is heavily influenced by the environment; thus, genetics is not destiny. Therefore, the assertion that "because you have this gene, your personality is like this" is impossible. Rather, the common problems for modern people are inflammation and oxidation. In a state where this soil is not corrected, no matter how magnificent the genes one possesses, it becomes the norm to end one's life without ever being able to display that power.
Furthermore, based on this knowledge of Precision Nutrition, there is something I wish to tackle in earnest from next year onwards. That is the inquiry into "Origins" (Kigen). I have become extremely conscious of this word "origin" since the latter half of this year. I do not yet know the reason, but I have a premonition that it will become an important theme. To explore these origins in my own way, I intend to integrate my own genetic testing next year with what I have done so far.
Health is something everyone living in the modern age must think about. And even if numerical data is arranged beautifully, there remains the problem of each individual's origin, lurking in the final core that is not resolved. Since I am Japanese, I will proceed from the study of Japan and the Japanese people, but I believe the territory reached through that depth of inquiry is the same. If true universality, true fraternity, and true compassion exist there, then no matter how desolate the world becomes, the last utopia left to humanity may be found exactly here.
Like the sages of old who gathered in the deep recesses of the mountains to escape a desolate world and live in freedom, the final unexplored frontier for us lies not in the external world, but strictly within.