I recently had the great pleasure of attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, billed as the world’s largest tech display. More than 4,000 exhibitors and a reported 130,000 attendees flocked to Sin City for it. My journey through the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center as a first-time attendee was not just an exploration of technology’s cutting edge, but a glimpse into the great minds driving tomorrow’s innovation.
Since September 1, I’ve been studying in Berlin. I was always on the fence about studying abroad, but after more than three months, I can confidently say my decision was well worth it. I spent my entire high school career and a few semesters at Hamilton studying German language and culture, but never had the opportunity to experience the country. While many of my encounters here have reinforced things I learned in class, there were also a few unexpected lessons.
In Japan, the term 者 の 哀れ (mono no aware) – which translates to “the pathos of things” – highlights the awareness of the impermanence of living things. Ironically, Japan has the highest life expectancy and the oldest average population in the world. Due to lower fertility rates and low immigration flows, Japan’s population has been shrinking at an alarming rate. In what the International Monetary Fund refers to as “shrinkanomics,” the nation’s demographic change is putting pressure on a vanishing labor force. As a result, Japanese youths are forced to adapt to a reality that is focused on supporting their elderly.