Thursday, January 30, 2025
The day after the 17th B&G National Summit, on Thursday, January 23rd at 8:00 a.m., Hokuryu Town Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki and Superintendent of Education Yoshiki Tanaka visited The Nippon Foundation and met with Chairman Yohei Sasakawa.
- 1 A conversation with Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa: A journey of spiritual richness that begins in a sunflower field
- 1.1 1. Sunflowers form a bond, and my feelings for Ukraine
- 1.2 2. Creating a town with rich people is not just about population.
- 1.3 3. To regain the lost "heart of cherishing children"
- 1.4 4. Regional revitalization is driven by "heart" - Passion and determination open up the future -
- 1.5 5. The leader's passion and determination drive everything
- 1.6 6. The appeal of Japanese "Omusubi"
- 1.7 7. Successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro at age 85
- 1.8 8. Educational reform begins with human resource development
- 1.9 9. Teacher reform first
- 1.10 commemorative photograph
- 2 Nippon Foundation and Office Introduction
- 3 Youtube Video
- 4 More Photos
- 5 Related Articles
Discussion with Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa:
A journey of spiritual richness that begins in a sunflower field
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, for kindly taking time out of his busy schedule to sit down for a 30-minute discussion at 8:00 a.m.
The Nippon Foundation is a public interest incorporated foundation that uses revenue from boat racing, a type of publicly managed sporting event, to support marine-related businesses, public welfare projects, international cooperation projects, and other activities, as well as to provide financial assistance to NPOs working to solve social issues both domestically and internationally. It also promotes donations and fosters a volunteer culture. Its budget for fiscal 2024 is 98.7 billion yen.
The discussion took place in the Nippon Foundation Executive Reception Room (7th floor), where beautiful paintings donated by Chinese officials were displayed on the walls.
1. Sunflowers form a bond, and my feelings for Ukraine
Mayor Sasaki introduced how Hokuryu's town revitalization initiative is a "village of sunflowers" that spreads as far as the eye can see. Chairman Sasakawa sees a similarity between the sunflowers and the Ukrainian flag. He said that the landscape of Hokuryu is colored by blue skies and yellow sunflowers that are reminiscent of the Ukrainian flag.
Chairman Sasakawa spoke about how, while traveling around the world in his efforts to eliminate leprosy, he has also encountered patients in Ukraine, and how there are sunflower fields stretching as far as the eye can see. He felt that his fascination with sunflowers might not be a coincidence.
The cover of Chairman Sasakawa's book, Running Around the World, also features an image of him standing in a sunflower field in Ukraine.
2. Creating a town with rich people is not just about population.
The conversation then turned to the topic of how life isn't just about a hectic life in the city.
Chairman Sasakawa stated that it is not the size of the population that is important, but rather that residents live a rich and fulfilling life, and that the mayor should lead the town and encourage residents to come together to work together to create a fun town, an opinion with which Mayor Sasaki strongly agreed.
Chairman Sasakawa emphasized the need for the mayor to listen to the voices of the residents and show leadership in bringing them together to forge ahead with building an ideal town. Mayor Sasaki said he felt a sense of responsibility.
He also revealed that a special superintendent of education was appointed in January of this year to work together with him on "building a city for children."
3. To regain the lost "heart of cherishing children"
Chairman Sasakawa mentioned that Japan was once one of the world's leading "countries that valued children." Even though they were poor, their children were always smiling and shining.
He pointed out that modern education is destroying individuality and harming children. He said we should feel a sense of crisis about the reality that there are children who face problems such as school refusal, disabilities, and poverty, and the fact that there are children who have never eaten curry rice.
In light of the current situation in which school teachers are so busy dealing with complaints from parents that they are unable to devote time to educating children, he strongly stated that people with leadership skills like the mayor should act with education as their top priority.
Mayor Sasaki recognized once again that the situation was serious. Hokuryu Town is taking an innovative approach to allow children from the neighboring town of Uryu to use the town's B&G pool. The idea that "if the neighboring town doesn't have one, we can use ours" is a perfect example of how cooperation can work in a community.
Chairman Sasakawa stated that in the coming era, it will become increasingly difficult for schools to maintain club activities on their own, so cooperation from the local community will be essential. He stressed the need for a place where parents and local residents can gather, with children at the core, and where rich conversation can take place.
4. Regional revitalization is driven by "heart" - Passion and determination open up the future -
Chairman Sasakawa said that it is a misunderstanding that money is essential for regional revitalization, and that the most important thing is the "heart" of the residents. He expressed his belief that if leaders have passion and determination, the people will surely follow.
He noted that even in what was once a poor village, children were given thorough education and were taught that "you are the pride of this village," emphasizing that the essence of regional revitalization lies in the hearts of the people, not money.
Chairman Sasakawa comes to work at 6:30 every morning and writes handwritten thank-you letters to everyone who donates. He spoke about the importance of the mayor adding a message to the thank-you letters for hometown tax donations, rather than printing them, and stressed the importance of conveying feelings.
He also said that by including photos of people working at disaster sites on postcards and adding words of thanks and signatures, it would be possible to gain sympathy. He then called on Mayor Sasaki to assert his own views, not just think about the election, but to fulfill his responsibilities as mayor and vigorously push forward with town development. Mayor Sasaki seems to have taken these words to heart.
5. The leader's passion and determination drive everything
Chairman Sasakawa stated that the idea that "you can't do anything without money" is a mistake, and that it is possible to win the hearts of farmers and townspeople even without money.
He strongly stated that the passion and determination of leaders move everything. He emphasized that regional revitalization is not impossible because of a lack of money, but that money cannot change people's hearts. He said that in the past, people were taught to live with pride in being residents of a country (town), even if they did not have money.
6. The appeal of Japanese "Omusubi"
The conversation shifted from the amount of snow in Hokuryu Town to how the meltwater is an important water source for growing high-quality rice.
Chairman Sasakawa spoke about the history of how the US military spread bread culture after the war, and how Japan's "omusubi" rice balls are currently attracting worldwide attention. He expressed his hope for the revival of Japanese rice, and his viewpoint that rice is superior to bread.
Mayor Sasaki expressed his hope that Chairman Sasakawa's words would reach the children of Hokuryu. Chairman Sasakawa said that all the residents of Hokuryu are like one big family.
7. Successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro at age 85
Chairman Sasakawa revealed that the secret to his health is to stretch every day and to take the stairs to the seventh floor every day. He emphasized the importance of continuity and said that we should not take shortcuts in life.
He shared the amazing story of how he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, 5,895m above sea level) in February last year, and said that he aims to climb Mount Everest by the age of 90. He said that we should live our one and only life with joy and enthusiasm, giving it our all.
He said he didn't want to die in a way that he would regret on his deathbed, and pointed out that roughly 99% of people die with regrets. Mayor Sasaki was deeply moved by his words.
"Successfully Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro" - There are powerful helpers in the shadows - There were two powerful helpers in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters)...
8. Educational reform begins with human resource development
Zen University: A full-fledged online university from Japan
Chairman Sasakawa stated that education reform is ultimately about developing human resources. He introduced the study abroad programs at the world's top universities and the efforts of the correspondence education program ZEN University (a full-scale online university originating in Japan, established in partnership between the Nippon Foundation and Dwango Co., Ltd.), and emphasized the importance of education that allows students to study what they love.
This is a full-fledged online university originating from Japan, where you can complete the learning required to obtain a university degree online. You can study independently at any time.
The need for innovation and reform
He pointed out that Japan is good at "improvement" but not at "reform," and stressed the need for bold "innovation." He said that people should live their lives doing what they love in the fields they love.
9. Teacher reform first
In Hokuryu Town, we are moving towards making 9th grade compulsory education schools.
Superintendent Tanaka stated that when he takes on the role of education in Hokuryu Town, he would like to reform the teaching staff first. He revealed that he is planning training to change teachers' awareness.
Chairman Sasakawa said that he used to visit the teacher at his home and respected him through their personal interactions, and he stressed the importance of personal interactions with teachers.
I hope that this human interaction, which is difficult to achieve in the city, can be realized in rural areas and that children can grow up to be strong. I said that it's okay for children not to be good at studying, and that it's important for them to grow up to be cheerful and honest.
Mayor Sasaki explained that together with the superintendent of education, he aims to create a "hometown of the heart."
After the discussion concluded, Mayor Sasaki and Superintendent Tanaka expressed their gratitude to Chairman Sasakawa.
January 20, 2025 (Monday) We interviewed Yoshiki Tanaka, who was appointed as the Hokuryu Town Superintendent of Education on January 1, 2025 (Wednesday), about his career and teaching experience.
commemorative photograph
This dialogue was extremely thought-provoking in terms of considering the future of local governments.
I was reminded of the importance of living in harmony with nature, the richness that comes from connections with others, and the power of education to carve out the future.
I am truly grateful for Chairman Sasakawa's many wonderful words, which show that cooperation and a spirit of mutual support that transcends the boundaries of towns will be a powerful force for change throughout Japan. Thank you for your wonderful talk.
We send our boundless love, gratitude, and prayers to Chairman Sasakawa Yohei as he puts his all into implementing education reforms that allow people to learn what they love in a fun and free way, and to his life as he lives a joyful, rich, and energetic life.
January 23rd (Thursday) 6:30 Arrival at the Foundation 7:30 Mitsuyuki Umino, Executive Director of the Nippon Foundation 8:00 Yasuhiro Sasaki, Mayor of Hokuriku Town 9:00…
Nippon Foundation and Office Introduction
After the discussion with Chairman Sasakawa, Executive Director for General Affairs Kazuhiro Yoshikura gave us a tour of the Nippon Foundation office.Currently working at the Nippon Foundation, a subordinate who has been very helpful to me, arranged this interview. Thank you very much.
Nippon Foundation Parasports Support Center
This is the official website of the Nippon Foundation Parasports Support Center (Parasapo). Aiming to realize a DE&I society through sports, we…
Youtube Video
More Photos
Click here for 38 photos of the journey to spiritual richness that begins in a sunflower field >> Click here for photos (67 photos) of The Nippon Foundation Building 2025 >>Related Articles
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◇ Reporting and writing by Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editorial assistance by Noboru Terauchi)
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