Abstract

Selected for use in 2 language arts textbooks for high schoolers, authorized by Ministry of Education 2023
Winner of 2020 Yaesu Book Center Prize

In this captivating memoir, researcher Dominique Chen takes readers on a journey across languages, cultures, and modes of expression. With poetic eloquence, he reflects on how multilingualism shaped his worldview from childhood. Chen’s seamless blending of personal narrative with philosophical rumination reveals a mind dancing across disciplines—from linguistics to computer science and beyond.

Far from being a dry academic tome, Chen’s prose brims with wit and humanity. We accompany a young Chen watching French and Japanese swirl together as he puzzles over the magical aura of kanji. We share his fascination with exploring digital worlds through the pixelated portals of 80s gaming consoles. Most touchingly, we witness the blossoming of insight as Chen “rediscovers the emergence of the relationship binding our family” while reviewing home videos with his toddler.

Inspired by intellectual ancestors from Jakob von Uexküll to Gregory Bateson, Chen’s approach celebrates both science and the ineffable. He illuminates how designed communication systems could shape our “sense of being together.” Unlike social media algorithms that entrench divisions, Chen envisions using technology to embrace mutual incomprehensibility while “listening closely to differences.” His vision, blending openness and care, offers hope in an increasingly fractured world.

From the joys of fatherhood to bold corporate experiments and linguistic theory, Chen covers immensely varied ground. Yet he returns continually to the theme of life as an interplay of endings and beginnings. Walking this Möbius strip with him leaves one renewed yet wistful, glimpsing the endless creative renewal woven from our commingled threads of experience. Mirai wo tsukuru kotoba (Words That Make the Future) is a shimmering testament to language’s power to illuminate reality’s hidden contours. Chen maps a future where technology elevates our very humanity.

Author’s Information

Dominique Chen, Ph.D., born in Tokyo in 1981 holding French citizenship, is an information studies scholar, digital artist, and advocate of open culture. Since 2004, he has promoted Creative Commons licenses in Japan, founding Creative Commons Japan. In 2008, Chen founded the IT startup dividual inc., developing web services and apps expanding digital interaction. He has showcased his artistic creativity internationally at venues like the Triennale Milano and the Aichi Triennale.
Beyond art and technology, Chen is an acclaimed author on topics ranging from open-source philosophy to neo-cybernetics. His unique perspective reimagines relations between humans, technology, and nature. This is embodied in his invention NukaBot, an IoT robot fostering intimate bonds between humans and microbes. Chen’s journey from promoting open digital culture to human-microbe connections exemplifies his vision of technology as a means of deeper connection rather than just efficiency. He contributes to Japan’s well-being initiative, being senior researcher for Well-Being for Planet Earth, a public interest incorporated foundation. At Waseda University, he emphasizes collaborations between the liberal arts and engineering to design better technologies.
Chen’s memoir Mirai wo tsukuru kotoba (Words That Make the Future) encapsulates his lifelong interest in language, culture, and communication. In reflecting on multilingualism’s impact on his worldview, Chen explores linguistic relativity and subjectivity. He advocates using technology to embrace mutual incomprehensibility while listening closely to differences. Chen’s interdisciplinary approach and belief in open, inclusive digital culture shine through this philosophically insightful memoir.