Sunday, November 8, 2026
Trust Your Children and Quietly Watch Over Them
（子どもを信じて、静かに見守る）
Two Seminars with Mr. Kobayashi
On Friday evening, November 6, and again on Saturday morning, November 7, I attended two seminars organized by the Kuwana City Rinri Hojinkai, an association of small business owners and self-employed professionals.
The speaker at both seminars was Mr. Genta Kobayashi, managing partner of KCC, a tax accounting firm based in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture. He also serves as an executive committee member of the Iwata City Rinri Hojinkai.
An Unconventional Journey
To my surprise, he has a rather unconventional background for a tax accountant and certified public accountant.
Music had long been a big part of his life. He did not enter university immediately after high school. When he eventually enrolled, he left after a few years to devote himself to a career as a professional guitarist.
He played more than 100 live shows a year and continued performing with his band until around the age of 30. His band went to great lengths to release a CD in 2003.
However, he could not earn enough from music to support his family, so he worked various odd jobs to make ends meet.
At 34, he followed his father’s advice and began studying for the certified public accountant examination. After three and a half years of hard work, he passed the second stage of the exam at 37.
He then completed three years of practical training and registered as a certified public accountant. He joined his father’s tax accounting firm and took over from his father as managing partner about three years ago.
At the age of 49, he also trains hard to qualify for SASUKE, a well-known obstacle course competition broadcast nationwide on TV. He has even installed training equipment in his garden.
Whether in music, accounting, or physical training, he has consistently worked toward his goals. I was impressed by his grit and persistence.
A Firm Commitment to Change
At the Friday evening seminar, he mainly talked about how he turned the business around after taking over from his father. On Saturday morning, he spoke about positive changes in his family life.
In both talks, he emphasized the importance of making a firm commitment to changing our mindset, attitude, and behavior.
What stayed with me most was his story about his eldest son, who had stopped attending school while he was in junior high school.
A Father’s Worries
Around October 2023, when his son was in his second year of junior high school, an injury cost him his place in the starting lineup of his soccer club.
He later began complaining of headaches and lower back pain and stopped going to school. He spent more and more time playing video games, staying awake at night and sleeping during the day.
As a father, Mr. Kobayashi was naturally worried about his son. He simply wanted him to return to school and get back into a regular routine.
So he limited his son’s access to gaming apps. However, this only made his son angrier and strained their relationship further.
His son even sent him messages that left him speechless. Mr. Kobayashi found himself at a loss as to what to do.
Learning to Trust and Give Space
Mr. Kobayashi and his wife sought guidance from one of the Rinri Hojinkai’s advisers.
The adviser encouraged them to reflect on their own attitude toward their son.
Were they unknowingly imposing their values on him? Were they expecting him to think and act as they did?
They were advised to trust their son, give him space, and quietly watch over him without telling him what to do.
The adviser also encouraged them to nurture their relationship as a couple, get along with each other, and avoid arguing in front of their children.
What would you do if you were in their shoes?
If my child were staying up all night and missing school, I would naturally want to say something.
Trusting your child and quietly watching over them may sound simple, but it is far from easy.
It takes patience to hold back from intervening, live with your worries, and give your child time to find their own way forward.
Sharing the Stage Again
Despite their anxiety and concerns, Mr. Kobayashi and his wife committed themselves to following this advice.
Their son eventually began attending school again when he entered high school.
The distance between father and son gradually disappeared, and they now sometimes perform live together, with his son singing and Mr. Kobayashi playing the guitar.
Mr. Kobayashi compared himself to the central piece of a puzzle. Once he made a firm decision about his own attitude and actions, the pieces around him began to fall into place.
Through this experience, he said his relationship with his wife grew stronger, and his business continued to thrive.
His message resonated with me deeply: When you change, everything around you begins to change for the better.
Remembering Our First Wish
Another part of his talk also stayed with me.
He recalled checking his newborn child’s fingers and feeling relieved that the baby had arrived safely. At that moment, all he wanted was for his child to be healthy.
As children grow, however, our wishes often multiply.
We want them to do well at school, succeed in sports, or choose a particular path.
Without realizing it, we may begin to expect them to live according to our hopes.
It is natural to want our children to be happy. But sometimes we may decide for ourselves what their happiness should look like.
Letting My Daughter Live Her Own Life
My daughter is now an adult. She has married and begun a new chapter in her life.
Listening to Mr. Kobayashi reminded me that she has her own life to lead.
As her parent, I want to pray for her health and safety, trust her choices, and quietly watch over her as she continues to grow.
