Monday, September 8, 2025
- 1 Career Design Camp: The Dragon Sunflower Story Begins! Students' Enthusiasm as They Illuminate the Town's Future with a Presentation
- 2 More Photos
- 3 Related Articles and Websites
Career Design Camp: The Dragon Sunflower Story Begins! Students' Enthusiasm as They Illuminate the Town's Future with a Presentation
General MC: Akiko Ichii, Representative Director, Connecting Community Development Institute
Opening remarks: Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town
Mayor Sasaki: Good morning, everyone. This is the fifth day of the Career Design Camp. The students will be divided into two teams, the childcare team and the construction team, and will be making presentations. We look forward to discovering new things and realizing things that even we didn't know.
Presentation flow
Moderator: Representative Director Ichii: I will now explain how the meeting will proceed. First, the "Childcare Team" will give a presentation, followed by the "Construction Team." Each team will give a presentation of about 20 minutes. After each presentation, there will be about 10 minutes for questions from the audience.
After both teams have finished their presentations, the mayor and the town council chairman will give their comments. After that, as time permits, we would like to hear from the supporters who supported the students. The entire event is scheduled to last about an hour and a half.
[Childcare Team] Presentation
From Dragon Zakura to Dragon Himawari
Have you heard of the TV drama "Dragon Zakura"? It's a story about a failing high school student who gets accepted into Tokyo University. There's a famous line in the drama:
"Only idiots and ugly people should go to Tokyo University"
We want to weave a story of "Dragon Himawari" that surpasses this story in Hokuryu, the town of dragons. This is our vision.
"Childcare workers and those raising children should come to Hokuryu."
I would like to share with you what we have seen over the past five days and the recommendations that have emerged from it.
Sharing survey results
We conducted interviews and questionnaire surveys with hotel staff, childcare students in Tokyo, staff from a nearby nursery school, and students from Hokuryu Junior High School.
- Voices of people working in the town
We heard comments such as, "I'll move to the city when I retire," and "If I want to raise children, I'll move to another area," and we got the impression that young people and those raising children in particular were anxious about living there long-term.
- Voices of childcare students in Tokyo
Nearly half of the respondents answered that they would consider working at a local nursery school if the area was attractive. There was a tendency to prioritize support for daily life, such as a two-day weekend and rent subsidies.
- Voices of Hokuryu Junior High School students
As students progress through the grades, a somewhat sad reality becomes apparent: the number of students who want to become nursery school teachers and those who want to stay in their hometowns decreases.
- Voices of nursery teachers at nearby kindergartens
Young childcare workers decide where to work based on the nursery's policies and the behavior of the children. We also learned that having sufficient staff allows for flexible working styles. This reaffirms that manpower is the key to high-quality childcare and a comfortable working environment in childcare settings.
Our proposal
Based on the issues identified through the survey, we will make proposals to resolve the labor shortage in the short term.
The underlying motivation for this was the earnest voice we heard from nursery teachers saying, "We want anyone who can hold the children to help out," and the parents' sense of "lack of unity as a town." We were also encouraged by the voices that said they needed extra help just for busy periods like the Sunflower Festival.
- Hop Hokuryu connects "what you want to do" with "help for nurseries"
This is a portmanteau of "childcare" and "Help Hokuryu." We will create a website that allows residents to help out at the nursery on a day-to-day basis, like a one-off part-time job. We believe this will reduce the workload of childcare workers.
- Recruiting support nursery teachers for the Sunflower Festival
Specializing in the busy summer vacation period, the town is recruiting childcare students from outside the town and childcare workers on leave for a short period of time as "support childcare workers." The town is also appealing to people outside Hokkaido with attractive flyers, and is working to alleviate the summer labor shortage.
- The "Traveling Childcare Worker" system appeals to potential childcare workers
It is said that there are one million "potential childcare workers" in Japan who are qualified but not working as childcare workers. We propose new ways of working for these people.
It's a lifestyle where you travel to unknown places while earning a salary by utilizing your qualifications. You can freely design the length and location of your stay, and rather than working full-time, you also value the time you spend experiencing the local lifestyle and culture. By offering the new value of "travel x work," we are sure to create new connections with Hokuryu Town.
"Register with Otetsutabi" and "Register with a resort part-time job site" to accept childcare workers from outside the town for a limited period. Specializing in the busy summer vacation period, the town is recruiting childcare students from outside the town and childcare workers on leave for a short period as "support childcare workers." The town is appealing widely to people outside Hokkaido with attractive flyers to alleviate the summer labor shortage.
- Towards public housing that everyone aspires to
To realize public housing that everyone will want to live in, we will provide comfortable and clean housing. Furthermore, we will hold weeding events in which children and students can participate, and clean-up volunteer activities in which local residents and students work together to clean the public housing and surrounding areas, in order to maintain and improve the living environment throughout the community.
- Creating a base for short-term stays by utilizing vacant houses
We will renovate a vacant house and provide a short-term guesthouse, providing a safe base for people working in Hokuryu, such as childcare workers and agricultural supporters.
- Visualizing the voices of townspeople using AI
Using an AI-based method called "broad listening," we will visualize the many opinions received from townspeople and reflect them in policy. On a trial basis, we will collect and analyze opinions from small communities such as nursery schools, social welfare councils, and town halls, and use this to identify issues within each organization. (Reference:Takahiro Yasuno, Broad Listening)
- Leveraging the power of young people to develop the city: Realizing a youth conference
We will hold a "Youth Council" where young people can proactively exchange opinions, make policy proposals and draft plans for solving local issues and urban development. We will continue to hold activities like this Career Design Camp in the future.
- Start your second career in Hokuryu: Encouraging experienced childcare workers to move here
We aim to become a place where qualified childcare workers in their 40s and 50s who want to live in a place rich in nature can move here and use their experience to work as mid-career hires, thereby starting a new life.
- "English Town" initiative connecting with the world
We will brand Hokuryu as an "English Town" where people can have experiences that connect them to the world, in the northern land where sunflowers bloom in full glory. We will hold summer and winter camps that bring people from overseas together, and create an environment where people can easily experience different cultures within the town.
[Construction Industry Team] Presentation
Issues and causes facing the construction industry
Through interviews with technical high school students, we were able to identify the challenges facing the construction industry. These challenges are a shortage of young workers and a high turnover rate among people in their 30s and 40s. The following points are thought to be the causes of these challenges.
- The 3K image (hard, dirty, dangerous)
- The preconceived notion that wages are low
- High hurdles to professional jobs due to the need for qualifications
- The appeal of working in Hokuryu Town is not being conveyed.
- Increase in the rate of technical high school students going on to higher education
Of course, there are voices from the field saying that "the working environment has improved" and "wages are by no means low," but this has not yet dispelled the image from the outside.
Proposal direction: Connecting the town with the construction industry
What we felt through our interviews was how deeply connected the construction industry in Hokuryu Town is to the local community. They are trusted by the local residents and have a good atmosphere within the company. They take pride in supporting all of the town's infrastructure.
Initially, we thought about promoting the construction industry itself, but we felt that there was a hurdle that could not be overcome by promoting the construction industry alone, as the image of the industry as a whole, represented by the 3K standards, was deeply rooted.
So we changed our perspective and turned our attention to the town itself, which has a close relationship with the construction industry. Hokuryu Town has powerful tourist resources, such as its sunflower fields. So we should first promote the town and increase the number of people moving there, and then those people will eventually find their way into the construction industry. Isn't that the kind of big flow we should create?
Our proposal is to start by promoting the town and then increase the number of people involved in the construction industry.
Concrete proposal: Creating a ramp for migration
It takes courage for newcomers to suddenly jump into the specialized world of the construction industry. Therefore, we came up with a system that provides a gentle "slope" and allows people to get involved in the industry in stages.
- Step 1: Discover the charm of Hokuryu Town
It all starts with making people realize the appeal of this place and make them think, "I want to work here."
We will build "prefabricated huts" that can showcase information and features of each industry.
- Step 2: Increase opportunities to engage with the construction industry
We will create events and opportunities for people who have moved here to gradually become involved in the construction industry.
- Step 3: Visualization of the construction industry
We will make the true nature of the construction industry, which we felt on-site - "gentle, friendly, and fun" - visible to outsiders. Furthermore, we will create a system that clarifies the motivation and goals of workers, encouraging them to stay in the industry.
As a starting point for this slope, I would like to propose a migration policy itself. I heard from the town hall that there is a migration support fund that has not yet been fully utilized. We should use this to gently nudge those who are hesitant to migrate.
Specifically, they will provide a "free gap period" of one to two months with generous subsidies. This was inspired by the system recently introduced by universities, where students can enroll without deciding on a major in order to prevent mismatches. Newcomers will first visit various places in the town without a set goal, meet people, and get to know the lifestyle. In the process, they will naturally come into contact with the construction industry. This system has the potential to help solve the town's overall labor shortage, not just in the construction industry, but also in agriculture, service industries, and other sectors.
- Proposal 1: Support for relocation to Hokuryu Town
The target audience will be narrowed down to households considering a second career and people wishing to return to or move back to their hometowns within Hokkaido.
The subsidy will be used to provide a "post-employment bonus" for each achievement step. In addition, participants will be asked to submit a "review report" one year later and receive feedback.
- Proposal 2: Education × Construction Industry
This proposal is aimed at elementary and junior high school students in Hokkaido, with the aim of creating an opportunity for them to become involved in the construction industry in Hokuryu Town in the future.
1. Helpful Independent Research:
A construction company will actually come to Hokuryu Town to support independent research and exploration activities (for example, "making mosaic art using sunflower seeds, making sunflower candle holders, etc.").
2. Summer Camp:
Children from across Hokkaido will be staying in Hokuryu for three days and two nights during their summer vacation, participating in various activities at facilities built by construction companies, creating a memorable experience. (To create a unique experience, a stamp rally will be held around facilities managed by the NPO Himawari. Each booth will have two signs: one with the name of the construction company and one with a photo of an employee, and one with a visitor's handprint stamp.) Since the construction company's reward is "building something that will remain on the map," we wanted the children to have an experience that will not only be memorable, but also remain in their memories.
- Proposal 3: Publish a compilation of opinions from industrial high school students who majored in civil engineering and architecture.
As a result, by discovering the charms of Hokuryu Town, participants were able to carry out rewarding work that would leave a mark on the map, and through the "handprint stamps" they were able to visualize and feel the "thank you" of the children and townspeople.
After the students' passionate presentations, the hall was filled with emotion and excitement. What did the supporters and leaders who will be responsible for the town's future think and say in response to these innovative proposals? This is a record of a sincere dialogue that transcends generations.
Comments and comments from supporters
Construction workers
The construction industry is in a really tough situation, especially when it comes to recruitment. When I was young, 70 to 80 percent of the workers were local, but now the situation has completely reversed, and we are relying heavily on people from outside the town.
In the past, the appeal of the construction industry was that it offered a quick income with at least some time off. However, as work style reforms progress, this appeal has faded, and young people tend to shy away from the industry, saying, "My parents did it, but it seems like it would be tough with no time off." Even with the introduction of a two-day weekend, the image of the industry has yet to catch up. Today's proposal sheds new light on this current situation, and I felt it was a very good perspective.
Targeting children is something we are currently working on. The Construction Industry Association is also brainstorming ideas, and the target audience is gradually moving downward from university students to high school students, and now to elementary and junior high school students. This shows how serious the shortage of workers is.
Hokuryu Town used to have three high schools, but now there are only two. The hurdles to recruiting talent are very high. We are sometimes told, "Our school is a preparatory school," and we are keenly aware of the severity of the situation where we are short of staff. Please lend us your wisdom again.
I used to work in the nursing care department of a special nursing home for the elderly. The nursing care industry is also experiencing a labor shortage, but I hear that a certain number of staff members there chose this profession because of the warm experiences they had with their grandparents in their childhood.
After listening to today's talk, I felt that the same is true in the construction industry. The "emotional experiences" one has in childhood can have a major impact on determining one's future. This is why I was reminded that it is so important to approach children from their elementary and junior high school years onwards.
Childcare workers
The students visited the nursery school many times and had in-depth discussions with the nursery teachers. If we just stayed within our own group, we would have tended to think narrowly about Hokuryu Town and the surrounding area. However, the students made a new discovery: "There are potential leaders all over the country who we have yet to discover."
I knew there were people in the town who had childcare qualifications, but I had never thought of visiting them "on my way to town." I've realized that there are many different ways to do this. The declining population and the number of people wanting to live here is an issue facing the town as a whole. I'd like to incorporate everyone's opinions and work to make the town more attractive, by creating housing that young people will want to live in and parks where children can play.
The construction company is also an important partner, helping to liven up the kindergarten with Christmas and bean-throwing events. I hope to use today's proposal as a reference to further deepen our collaboration. I hope you will come to Hokuryu again and see the changes in the town. Thank you very much.
When I learned about Otetsutabi, I wanted to take part in it myself. I hope you learned about the many charms of Hokuryu Town this time, and if you are interested in the future, please come visit Hokuryu Town again.
Thank you for today.
Construction workers
I've felt this since the interim reports, but what surprised me most was the high level of presentation skills everyone had. They spoke smoothly, never looked down at their manuscripts, and answered questions accurately. I was deeply impressed by their abilities. This has made me realize once again how important communication skills are in any job.
The content was excellent, and it is invigorating to think that not only will the efforts of the companies be appreciated, but also that "our efforts as the town" in response to this proposal will be put to the test. The mayor's skills will be put to the test. It was a very good experience for us.
Yasuhiro Sasaki, Mayor, Hokuryu Town
In both childcare and construction, labor shortages are an urgent reality. ICT and digital transformation can only make up for a limited portion of the gap, and nothing can get done without the right people. Everyone's proposals looked farther into the future than we had anticipated.
I understand that you are the six people selected after overcoming 10 times the odds. I hear that you have been working late into the night for the past few days, carrying the responsibility and the feelings of the students who were not selected. You came all the way to Hokkaido, but you probably didn't get to go anywhere. Did you eat anything delicious? I feel a sense of parental love.
I would definitely like to continue this career design camp. If possible, I would like the next camp to be held when the sunflowers are in full bloom, so that the children can experience the seasons of Hokkaido. And now we are in the middle of rice harvesting. I would have liked them to have had the opportunity to experience farming, such as riding a combine harvester. I still have a lot to learn about the charms of this town.
Our six-day involvement doesn't end here. See you in Tokyo, Kobe, and Nara. Please continue to connect with Hokuryu Town. And if there's anything you feel you can explore further, please let us know at any time. We're grateful beyond words. Thank you so much.
Chairman Naokazu Nakamura, Hokuryu Town Council
I was struck by the unique perspective of all of you young people. We tend to think of things in a narrow sense, such as Hokuryu Town and its surrounding areas. However, your proposals have broadened our horizons to include "someone we have yet to meet" across the country. This is a new discovery for me.
I had heard that there were people in the town who had childcare qualifications, but how could we connect that? I hadn't thought of it as something to do "while traveling." I realized there are many different ways to do it. Although the population is declining, I would like to think further about how we can make today's proposal a reality.
I also had an interesting experience the other day. I helped a foreign tourist who was in trouble at a bus stop, and even though we couldn't communicate, we ended up taking a photo together. I also met a family at Kitchen Harebare, a Western restaurant in Hokuryu Town, and later received a thank-you letter written by the children.
I feel that each and every encounter like this will lead to an increase in the number of people connected to the town. I believe that the connections we have made today will enrich Hokuryu Town in many ways in the future. Thank you very much for the wonderful time.
Closing remarks that connect to the future
Katsuyoshi Takahashi, General Policy Officer, Hokuryu Town
I've been watching you all since your first Zoom meeting, chat conversations, and even when you actually came to Hokuryu Town. You thought for yourself, made appointments, and went to interviews. Your sincere dedication made me realize how reliable you all are, and I was really looking forward to this day. Thank you so much for all your hard work over the past five days.
It's truly amazing that they managed to put together so much in just three days. I thought the interim reports were interesting, but today's final presentation completely exceeded my expectations.
As someone involved in town development, I was excited by today's proposal. Everyone, regardless of business or position, can join forces to enhance the town's appeal, attract people, and connect them to the leaders of each industry. This vision of a cycle was really interesting to hear, and it gave me a sense of the many possibilities.
This encounter is an invaluable asset to us. We hope to continue connecting with you all, not only at today's social gathering, but also in Tokyo and elsewhere. And above all, we sincerely hope that this proposal will serve as a catalyst for how Hokuryu Town will change in the future, and that we will watch over its future together. Thank you very much for your hard work. And thank you very much.
By listening to the diverse voices of Hokuryu town residents from a variety of perspectives, the young people have come up with unique and exciting proposals and ideas to solve the town's problems!!!
With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, we hope that the Career Design Camp will help create wonderful connections between people and brighten the future of Hokuryu Town.
More Photos
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