Japan Future Leaders Summit
The “Japan Future Leaders Summit” was held in Tokyo from October 12 (Sat.) to 14 (Mon.), 2024.
The “Summit” is the largest of our annual programs. This year, 53 students participated from all over Japan, providing them with an opportunity to take the first step toward becoming leaders who can overcome difficulties.
Thoughts on Activities
The theme of this year’s summit was “Social Isolation as Considered by Young People”. We asked the participants to think about what they could do from the perspectives of high school and university students and others, utilizing their own experiences and learning, to address the issues that have become a social problem in recent years.
As part of our support for the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred at the beginning of the year, we also invited 11 high school students from the Hokuriku region to Tokyo to provide them with an opportunity to learn in Tokyo, as well as time for all participating students to think about natural disasters and reconstruction.
Our goal is to create a society in which young people can hold on to hope without being crushed by adversity. Their paths should not be closed off by family circumstances, ill will from others, or natural disasters.
We have organized this summit to help them convey these thoughts to themselves and to society.
– “I felt that I could take my next step and make my life better in the future.” (From a first-time summit participant and high school first-year student)
– “I realized that my past is nothing to be ashamed of, in fact, it is because of my experiences that I am who I am today.” (Endeavor scholarship student, high school second-year student)
Outline of the event
〈Participating students〉
- Endeavor (high school students) scholarship students (14 students)
- Japan Future Scholarship Program (University students, etc.) Scholarship students (12)
- Non-scholarship High school students (15 students)
- High school students from the Hokuriku area (12 students)
- Internship students (6 students)
〈Sponsored by〉
Bank of America, All Nippon Airways, Greencore Group plc., Kinko’s Japan Co., Ltd.
〈Supported by〉
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Activity Highlights
Making Proposals
The participating students spent three days thinking about social isolation, and each group discussed “what we can do to solve the problems caused by unwanted social isolation”.
Each group was assigned a working adult volunteer as a mentor and made a proposal that combined the perspectives of high school and university students with those of working adults.
On the final day, the students presented their proposals.
In front of the judges and the audience, the participating students showcased their proposals in a presentation format to appeal their ideas to society.
BEYOND Tomorrow’s annual scholarship recipients also reported on their activities this year.
Special Session
On the second day, four guests were invited to participate in a panel discussion facilitated by Daijiro Hashimoto, Chairperson of BEYOND Tomorrow, on the theme of “Natural Disasters and Society in the Future.”
At the beginning of the session, students from Wajima High School presented their town revitalization project, known as “Machi Pro,” and received feedback from the guests.
In the panel discussion the guests discussed:
(1) What were the guests thinking at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Noto Peninsula Earthquake, and what have they done since then?
(2) What do the guests think is the “true recovery”?
(3) What were the difficulties the guests faced and what they are conscious of in taking action and pursuing their own path, not limited to the time of the earthquake.
By hearing from four individuals who are active in different fields and based on their own positions and experiences, the participating students gained a more multifaceted viewpoint.
The event was covered by NHK metropolitan area news. The article and video can be viewed here.
Comments from participating students
- A student outside the Summit (a first-year high school student)
“I learned the importance of having experiences. Before, I would just do things randomly and be done with it, but now I am able to think about how I feel about something and what I will do next, and I feel that I have changed. Through this BEYOND Tomorrow experience, I felt that I could take the next step and make my life better in the future.” - A high school student from the Hokuriku region (second-year high school student)
“I received a lot of inspiration during the three-day summit. Sharing various perspectives and knowledge not only greatly broadened my horizons but also inspired a passion for new challenges within me. I feel that this valuable experience will be a great asset to my future growth.” - Endeavor Program participant (second-year high school student)
“I have spent my life in the past believing that I was different from the norm in a single-mother household and that not having two parents was something to be ashamed of. Because of this, I kept a lid on my true self and avoided talking about my father. However, sharing my experiences and thoughts with my BEYOND colleagues made me realize that my past is nothing to be ashamed of, and in fact, it is because of those experiences that I am the person I am today. This summit gave me the opportunity to realize that the past, which I could not overcome right away, is gradually being overcome, and that I am changing.” - Scholarship Program participant (first-year university student)
“Before attending the summit, I was worried about various things, even though I usually have high self-esteem. Therefore, I was unsure if I would be able to fully commit myself to addressing the theme of this year’s event, social isolation. However, during the discussion, a voice was raised that it is inevitable to lose your self-esteem sometimes. Given that, you need something that can raise your self-esteem. I used to think that struggling itself was something I wanted to get rid of, that it was a waste of time in my life, but now I feel that struggling is not so bad, and I am willing to struggle a lot.”
The three-day program was an intense time in which the participating students were able to confront themselves and society thoroughly.
We would like to thank the many people who helped make this program possible. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them all.