明けましておめでとうございます　　　　※ENGLISH FOLLOWED AFTER JAPANESE

創刊50年、全米18都市に配布されている米国新聞「ニューヨークビズ」新年号にて、さくら代表が、12年目となる新年のご挨拶を掲載させていただいております。

2026年も、日米代表として、在米日本総領事・大使とともに、5名のひとりとして新年のご挨拶を発信いたしました。

👇オリジナル紙面は、以下の画像をクリックしてご覧ください。

HAPPY NEW YEAR

*Published on January 1, 2026, in the New Year’s issue of “New York Biz,” a U.S. newspaper distributed across 18 U.S. cities

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in the fabric of our social structures, I feel that we have entered an era in which society is becoming more polished and values are being revealed. The pandemic that began in 2020 accelerated the adoption of remote and online systems, reshaping how we work and live. Today, society is learning to engage with another new paradigm: AI.

These two major structural transformations—remote systems and AI—have enabled more efficient, streamlined frameworks by eliminating inefficiencies. At the same time, they compel us to question the very foundations of what we value.

As we thoughtfully integrate remote technologies and AI into our lives, the things that cannot be replaced by them naturally come into sharper focus—

　　moments whose value lies in sharing the same physical space,

　　experiences created through human warmth and touch, and

　　fields where human wisdom and judgment remain essential.

I hope that this rediscovery of irreplaceable human value, combined with new forms of efficiency, will allow a society to emerge that is easier to live in, yet still rich in character.

Guided by the mission of making the world even a little better, our medical consulting firm—founded in New York 22 years ago to save lives and support the creation of new life across borders—has continued its work with deep conviction.

In 2010, together with NHK journalist Mayumi Makimoto, we introduced to Japan for the first time the concepts of “oocyte aging and oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing)”, which was largely unknown at the time. After years of challenges, including criticism and debate, we have now reached a milestone: sixteen years later, the Japanese government (the Children and Families Agency) has positioned egg freezing as one of its official policy initiatives for fiscal year 2026. While our contribution has been modest, I am deeply moved to have played a small role in this journey, and I remain profoundly grateful to our medical partners around the world who support our work every day.    As we enter the new year, I reaffirm my commitment to focusing on the work that only I—as a human being—can do. With heartfelt wishes for your continued health and well-being, I offer my New Year’s greetings.