We think, therefore we are.
We think, therefore we are.
This alone is why we founded Big Questions.
It grew out of a shared awareness—and a shared sense of urgency—
that the two of us have carried for nearly 20 years
working across the different fields of business, art, and education.
Predictable outcomes.
Shorter processes.
Easy gains in efficiency.
Stress-free relationships.
The avoidance of failure and responsibility.
We have every excuse not to think deeply -
to address only those questions whose answers are already known
or can be produced immediately.
Perhaps not thinking - or merely pretending to think -
may seem like the optimal way to navigate society today.
Of course, even in a society where not thinking has become an unwritten rule,
questioning the very foundations of things is often necessary
to achieve extraordinary results.
But framing such act of thinking solely in terms of productivity and efficiency
is not what we wish to stand for.
Why do we, as human beings and as a society, exist in the first place?
What are happiness, essence, meaning, value,
good and evil, and equality?
What is creativity?
What is an idea?
What is a concept?
What does it truly mean to think?
What makes us human is that we do not turn away from big questions,
and that we cherish the very act of thinking itself.
Within the act of thinking,
we find the joy and fulfillment of being human.
We transform a culture that does not think into one that does -
a culture that values and, above all, enjoys thinking.
We exist to cultivate the culture of thinking.
This alone is why we founded Big Questions.
It grew out of a shared awareness
—and a shared sense of urgency—
that the two of us have carried for nearly 20 years
working across the different fields
of business, art, and education.
Predictable outcomes.
Shorter processes.
Easy gains in efficiency.
Stress-free relationships.
The avoidance of failure and responsibility.
We have every excuse not to think deeply –
to address only those questions
whose answers are already known
or can be produced immediately.
Perhaps not thinking
- or merely pretending to think –
may seem like the optimal way
to navigate society today.
Of course, even in a society
where not thinking has become an unwritten rule,
questioning the very foundations of things
is often necessary to achieve
extraordinary results.
But framing such act of thinking
solely in terms of productivity and efficiency
is not what we wish to stand for.
Why do we, as human beings and as a society, exist in the first place?
What are happiness, essence, meaning, value,
good and evil, and equality?
What is creativity?
What is an idea?
What is a concept?
What does it truly mean to think?
What makes us human is that
we do not turn away from big questions,
and that we cherish the very act of thinking itself.
Within the act of thinking,
we find the joy and fulfillment of being human.
We transform a culture that does not think
into one that does –
a culture that values and, above all, enjoys thinking.
We exist to cultivate the culture of thinking.
This alone is why we founded Big Questions.
It grew out of a shared awareness
—and a shared sense of urgency—
that the two of us have carried for nearly 20 years
working across the different fields
of business, art, and education.
Predictable outcomes.
Shorter processes.
Easy gains in efficiency.
Stress-free relationships.
The avoidance of failure and responsibility.
We have every excuse not to think deeply –
to address only those questions
whose answers are already known
or can be produced immediately.
Perhaps not thinking
- or merely pretending to think –
may seem like the optimal way
to navigate society today.
Of course, even in a society
where not thinking has become an unwritten rule,
questioning the very foundations of things
is often necessary to achieve
extraordinary results.
But framing such act of thinking
solely in terms of productivity and efficiency
is not what we wish to stand for.
Why do we, as human beings and as a society, exist in the first place?
What are happiness, essence, meaning, value,
good and evil, and equality?
What is creativity?
What is an idea?
What is a concept?
What does it truly mean to think?
What makes us human is that
we do not turn away from big questions,
and that we cherish the very act of thinking itself.
Within the act of thinking,
we find the joy and fulfillment of being human.
We transform a culture that does not think
into one that does –
a culture that values and, above all, enjoys thinking.
We exist to cultivate the culture of thinking.
What is the thing
we truly have to think about?
We think, therefore we are. We ask big questions. We exist to cultivate the culture of thinking.
What is the thing
we truly have to think about?
We think, therefore we are. We ask big questions. We exist to cultivate the culture of thinking.
We bridge.
We bridge the culture of thinking with the culture of doing, academic knowledge with practical wisdom, and academia with business and society.
We bridge.
We bridge the culture of thinking with the culture of doing, academic knowledge with practical wisdom, and academia with business and society.
We bridge.
We bridge the culture of thinking with the culture of doing, academic knowledge with practical wisdom, and academia with business and society.
Academic Consulting is
Fundamentality Consulting.
A process of collective inquiry into the foundations of business - connecting academic knowledge and thought in pursuit of the essence of things with practical wisdom and real-world action in business and society.
The Big Questions:
What is your business ultimately for?
What do your people - customers, employees, and society at large - ultimately live for?
What does it mean to think? How do we cultivate the culture of thinking?
Science and Humanities Communication
led by communication and creative experts.
As specialists in strategy, research, and practice across the fields of communication and creativity, and as scholars engaged in the academic pursuit of philosophy and the humanities, we bring the essence and joy of thinking, and the value of academic inquiry, to wider society.
In particular, we focus on the humanities - a field that has largely remained a blind spot in science communication.
The Big Questions:
Why do the humanities need to exist?
What is the dream of the humanities—one that can capture the public imagination?
What is truly needed to support research in the humanities?
Embodying Thought.
Experiencing Essence.
Workshops and educational programs that nurture creative, artistic, and essential thinking.
Our approach to cultivating the culture of thinking is grounded in:
years of experience leading a calligraphy school that encourages artistic inquiry beyond the mastery of prescribed forms;
workshops exploring creativity as part of academic research in educational psychology;
and extensive experience leading collaborative processes for strategic development in business.
The Big Questions:
How can we cultivate the culture of thinking?
How do we experience and embody creative, artistic, and essential thinking?
Bridging Two Worlds— from Within Both.
Connecting networks of academic researchers and practitioners in business and society through a deep understanding of each world’s context and culture.
The Big Questions:
What knowledge and resources are available for your project?
What processes and communications work best to bridge academia and business?
Sharing Knowledge, Sharing Joy.
Opening pathways to the joy of thinking by making knowledge more accessible.
The Big Questions:
What forms of knowledge can inspire the joy of thinking?
What forms of knowledge can go beyond productivity while capturing people’s interest?
How can knowledge be created and shared in ways that benefit academia, business, and society alike?
Academic Consulting is
Fundamentality Consulting.
A process of collective inquiry into
the foundations of business –
connecting academic knowledge
and thought in pursuit of
the essence of things
with practical wisdom and real-world action
in business and society.
The Big Questions:
What is your business ultimately for?
What do your people - customers, employees, and society at large –
ultimately live for?
What does it mean to think?
How do we cultivate the culture of thinking?
Science and Humanities Communication
led by communication and creative experts.
As specialists in strategy, research, and practice across the fields of
communication and creativity,
and as scholars engaged in the academic pursuit of philosophy and the humanities,
we bring the essence and joy of thinking, and the value of academic inquiry,
to wider society.
In particular, we focus on the humanities –
a field that has largely remained a blind spot in science communication.
The Big Questions:
Why do the humanities need to exist?
What is the dream of the humanities—
one that can capture the public imagination?
What is truly needed to support research
in the humanities?
Embodying Thought.
Experiencing Essence.
Workshops and educational programs that nurture creative, artistic, and essential thinking.
Our approach to cultivating
the culture of thinking is grounded in:
years of experience leading a calligraphy school that encourages artistic inquiry beyond the mastery of prescribed forms;
workshops exploring creativity as part of academic research in educational psychology;
and extensive experience leading collaborative processes for strategic development in business.
The Big Questions:
How can we cultivate the culture of thinking?
How do we experience and embody creative, artistic, and essential thinking?
Bridging Two Worlds— from Within Both.
Connecting networks of academic researchers and practitioners in business and society through a deep understanding of each world’s context and culture.
The Big Questions:
What knowledge and resources
are available for your project?
What processes and communications work best to bridge academia and business?
Sharing Knowledge, Sharing Joy.
Opening pathways to the joy of thinking
by making knowledge more accessible.
The Big Questions:
What forms of knowledge
can inspire the joy of thinking?
What forms of knowledge
can go beyond productivity
while capturing people’s interest?
How can knowledge be created and shared
in ways that benefit academia, business, and society alike?
Academic Consulting is
Fundamentality Consulting.
A process of collective inquiry into
the foundations of business –
connecting academic knowledge
and thought in pursuit of
the essence of things
with practical wisdom and real-world action
in business and society.
The Big Questions:
What is your business ultimately for?
What do your people - customers, employees, and society at large – ultimately live for?
What does it mean to think?
How do we cultivate the culture of thinking?
Science and Humanities Communication
led by communication and creative experts.
As specialists in strategy, research, and practice across the fields of communication and creativity,
and as scholars engaged in the academic pursuit of philosophy and the humanities,
we bring the essence and joy of thinking, and the value of academic inquiry, to wider society.
In particular, we focus on the humanities –
a field that has largely remained a blind spot in science communication.
The Big Questions:
Why do the humanities need to exist?
What is the dream of the humanities—
one that can capture the public imagination?
What is truly needed to support research
in the humanities?
Embodying Thought.
Experiencing Essence.
Workshops and educational programs that nurture creative, artistic, and essential thinking.
Our approach to cultivating
the culture of thinking is grounded in:
years of experience leading a calligraphy school that encourages artistic inquiry beyond the mastery of prescribed forms;
workshops exploring creativity as part of academic research in educational psychology;
and extensive experience leading collaborative processes for strategic development in business.
The Big Questions:
How can we cultivate the culture of thinking?
How do we experience and embody creative, artistic, and essential thinking?
Bridging Two Worlds— from Within Both.
Connecting networks of academic researchers and practitioners in business and society through a deep understanding of each world’s context and culture.
The Big Questions:
What knowledge and resources
are available for your project?
What processes and communications work best to bridge academia and business?
Sharing Knowledge, Sharing Joy.
Opening pathways to the joy of thinking
by making knowledge more accessible.
The Big Questions:
What forms of knowledge
can inspire the joy of thinking?
What forms of knowledge
can go beyond productivity
while capturing people’s interest?
How can knowledge be created and shared
in ways that benefit academia, business, and society alike?
Academic Consulting is
Fundamentality Consulting.
A process of collective inquiry into
the foundations of business –
connecting academic knowledge
and thought in pursuit of
the essence of things
with practical wisdom and real-world action
in business and society.
The Big Questions:
What is your business ultimately for?
What do your people - customers, employees, and society at large –
ultimately live for?
What does it mean to think?
How do we cultivate the culture of thinking?
Science and Humanities Communication
led by communication and creative experts.
As specialists in strategy, research, and practice across the fields of
communication and creativity,
and as scholars engaged in the academic pursuit of philosophy and the humanities,
we bring the essence and joy of thinking, and the value of academic inquiry,
to wider society.
In particular, we focus on the humanities –
a field that has largely remained a blind spot in science communication.
The Big Questions:
Why do the humanities need to exist?
What is the dream of the humanities—
one that can capture the public imagination?
What is truly needed to support research
in the humanities?
Embodying Thought.
Experiencing Essence.
Workshops and educational programs that nurture creative, artistic, and essential thinking.
Our approach to cultivating
the culture of thinking is grounded in:
years of experience leading a calligraphy school that encourages artistic inquiry beyond the mastery of prescribed forms;
workshops exploring creativity as part of academic research in educational psychology;
and extensive experience leading collaborative processes for strategic development in business.
The Big Questions:
How can we cultivate the culture of thinking?
How do we experience and embody creative, artistic, and essential thinking?
Bridging Two Worlds— from Within Both.
Connecting networks of academic researchers and practitioners in business and society through a deep understanding of each world’s context and culture.
The Big Questions:
What knowledge and resources
are available for your project?
What processes and communications work best to bridge academia and business?
Sharing Knowledge, Sharing Joy.
Opening pathways to the joy of thinking
by making knowledge more accessible.
The Big Questions:
What forms of knowledge
can inspire the joy of thinking?
What forms of knowledge
can go beyond productivity
while capturing people’s interest?
How can knowledge be created and shared
in ways that benefit academia, business, and society alike?
Over a decade before the concept of “Purpose” gained widespread recognition, Kazutaka established himself as an expert in brand strategy and organizational identity. Working at global creative agencies and consulting firms, he has defined and brought to life the purpose and societal role of leading multinational companies across a wide range of industries, including QSR, food and beverage, FMCG, technology, and automotive.
His work extends beyond brand and product communications to encompass product and service development, internal culture-building, and organizational decision-making processes. In every aspect of a company or brand’s activities, he places its fundamental purpose and societal role at the heart of the design process. His professional motto is: “Never let thinking about what truly matters become an empty gesture.”
In 2026, he co-founded Big Questions to help create a society that reflects on what it means to think - and takes joy in thinking - by bridging academic and practical knowledge. While pursuing graduate studies in philosophy and Integrated Human Studies at the University of Tokyo, his research focuses on the “Philosophy of Creativity” and “What constitutes the product of creative thinking.” Through this dual path, he strives to connect academic, humanistic, and philosophical insight - as well as scholarly networks - with society and the business world.
Outside work, he enjoys a “No Cat, No Life” life with his beloved cat, Plato.
Master’s Student,
Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
The University of Tokyo
Yui is a calligraphic and seal-carving artist, as well as a calligraphy educator and academic researcher in creative education. Through the art of calligraphy, she continuously engages with fundamental questions such as “What does it mean to learn?” “What does it mean to express oneself?” “What does it mean to teach?” and “What does it mean to think?”, while seamlessly bridging practice and academic research.
By promoting art and education that embrace individuality and diversity, she hopes to help build a society in which people think for themselves and take joy in expressing their ideas. In 2026, she co-founded Big Questions, an initiative that embodies the path of her own career: connecting academic knowledge with practical knowledge.
Yui has received numerous awards for her calligraphy. She is also a TED speaker and has extensive experience designing and facilitating a wide range of creative workshops.
Member, The Mainichi Shodo Association
Founder, Hyoshinkai Calligraphy School
Secretary-General, Gyokuen Calligraphy Association
MA (Psychology) and PhD student,
Educational Psychology Course,
Graduate School of Education
and Faculty of Education,
The University of Tokyo
The heart of Big Questions - the endless source of comfort and inspiration.
Kazutaka Kikkawa
Co-founder and Representative
Strategy Director
Over a decade before the concept of “Purpose” gained widespread recognition, Kazutaka established himself as an expert in brand strategy and organizational identity. Working at global creative agencies and consulting firms, he has defined and brought to life the purpose and societal role of leading multinational companies across a wide range of industries, including QSR, food and beverage, FMCG, technology, and automotive.
His work extends beyond brand and product communications to encompass product and service development, internal culture-building, and organizational decision-making processes. In every aspect of a company or brand’s activities, he places its fundamental purpose and societal role at the heart of the design process. His professional motto is: “Never let thinking about what truly matters become an empty gesture.”
In 2026, he co-founded Big Questions to help create a society that reflects on what it means to think - and takes joy in thinking - by bridging academic and practical knowledge. While pursuing graduate studies in philosophy and Integrated Human Studies at the University of Tokyo, his research focuses on the “Philosophy of Creativity” and “What constitutes the product of creative thinking.” Through this dual path, he strives to connect academic, humanistic, and philosophical insight - as well as scholarly networks - with society and the business world.
Outside work, he enjoys a “No Cat, No Life” life with his beloved cat, Plato.
Master’s Student,
Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
The University of Tokyo
Yui Hatakeda
Co-founder
Culture & Education Director
Yui is a calligraphic and seal-carving artist, as well as a calligraphy educator and academic researcher in creative education.
Through the art of calligraphy, she continuously engages with fundamental questions such as “What does it mean to learn?” “What does it mean to express oneself?” “What does it mean to teach?” and “What does it mean to think?”, while seamlessly bridging practice and academic research.
By promoting art and education that embrace individuality and diversity, she hopes to help build a society in which people think for themselves and take joy in expressing their ideas.
In 2026, she co-founded Big Questions, an initiative that embodies the path of her own career: connecting academic knowledge with practical knowledge.
Yui has received numerous awards for her calligraphy. She is also a TED speaker and has extensive experience designing and facilitating a wide range of creative workshops.
Member, The Mainichi Shodo Association
Founder, Hyoshinkai Calligraphy School
Secretary-General, Gyokuen Calligraphy Association
MA (Psychology) and PhD student,
Educational Psychology Course,
Graduate School of Education
and Faculty of Education,
The University of Tokyo
Plato
Chief Source of Inspiration
The heart of Big Questions - the endless source of comfort and inspiration.
Kazutaka Kikkawa
Co-founder and Representative
Strategy Director
Over a decade before the concept of “Purpose” gained widespread recognition, Kazutaka established himself as an expert in brand strategy and organizational identity. Working at global creative agencies and consulting firms, he has defined and brought to life the purpose and societal role of leading multinational companies across a wide range of industries, including QSR, food and beverage, FMCG, technology, and automotive.
His work extends beyond brand and product communications to encompass product and service development, internal culture-building, and organizational decision-making processes. In every aspect of a company or brand’s activities, he places its fundamental purpose and societal role at the heart of the design process. His professional motto is: “Never let thinking about what truly matters become an empty gesture.”
In 2026, he co-founded Big Questions to help create a society that reflects on what it means to think - and takes joy in thinking - by bridging academic and practical knowledge. While pursuing graduate studies in philosophy and Integrated Human Studies at the University of Tokyo, his research focuses on the “Philosophy of Creativity” and “What constitutes the product of creative thinking.” Through this dual path, he strives to connect academic, humanistic, and philosophical insight - as well as scholarly networks - with society and the business world.
Outside work, he enjoys a “No Cat, No Life” life with his beloved cat, Plato.
Master’s Student,
Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
The University of Tokyo
Yui Hatakeda
Co-founder
Culture & Education Director
Yui is a calligraphic and seal-carving artist, as well as a calligraphy educator and academic researcher in creative education.
Through the art of calligraphy, she continuously engages with fundamental questions such as “What does it mean to learn?” “What does it mean to express oneself?” “What does it mean to teach?” and “What does it mean to think?”, while seamlessly bridging practice and academic research.
By promoting art and education that embrace individuality and diversity, she hopes to help build a society in which people think for themselves and take joy in expressing their ideas.
In 2026, she co-founded Big Questions, an initiative that embodies the path of her own career: connecting academic knowledge with practical knowledge.
Yui has received numerous awards for her calligraphy. She is also a TED speaker and has extensive experience designing and facilitating a wide range of creative workshops.
Member, The Mainichi Shodo Association
Founder, Hyoshinkai Calligraphy School
Secretary-General, Gyokuen Calligraphy Association
MA (Psychology) and PhD student,
Educational Psychology Course,
Graduate School of Education
and Faculty of Education,
The University of Tokyo
Plato
Chief Source of Inspiration
The heart of Big Questions - the endless source of comfort and inspiration.
Tacit Knowledge
that Translates Essence into Practice
Deepening knowledge and putting it to work.
Our tacit knowledge is grounded in firsthand experience
and a proven track record in both.
Tacit Knowledge
that Translates Essence into Practice
Deepening knowledge and putting it to work.
Our tacit knowledge is grounded in firsthand experience and a proven track record in both.
Tacit Knowledge
that Translates Essence into Practice
Deepening knowledge and putting it to work.
Our tacit knowledge is grounded in firsthand experience and a proven track record in both.
Tacit Knowledge
that Translates Essence into Practice
Deepening knowledge and putting it to work.
Our tacit knowledge is grounded in firsthand experience and a proven track record in both.
What is your big question?
Let’s start there and think together.
What is your big question?
Let’s start there and think together.
Copyright © Big Questions LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © Big Questions LLC. All Rights Reserved.