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 create bonds, and feelings for Ukraine
- 1.2 2. Creating a town that is rich in spirit, not just in population
- 1.3 3. To regain the lost "heart of cherishing children"
- 1.4 4. Regional revitalization is driven by the 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. First, teacher reform
- 1.10 Commemorative photo
- 2 Nippon Foundation and Office Introduction
- 3 YouTube videos
- 4 Other photos
- 5 Related articles
A conversation with Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation:
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 AM.
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 projects, 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 year 2024 is 98.7 billion yen.
The discussion took place in the Nippon Foundation Executive Reception Room (7th floor), where magnificent paintings donated by Chinese officials were displayed on the walls.
1. Sunflowers create bonds, and feelings for Ukraine
Mayor Sasaki introduced Hokuryu's town revitalization initiative, which is to create a "Sunflower Village" that spreads out as far as the eye can see. Chairman Sasakawa saw a similarity between the sunflowers and the Ukrainian flag. He said that the landscape of Hokuryu is colored by the blue sky 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 discovered that there are patients in Ukraine, and that sunflower fields stretch as far as the eye can see. He felt that his attraction to sunflowers may not be a coincidence, and felt a strange connection.
The cover of Chairman Sasakawa's book, "Running the Earth," also features him standing in a sunflower field in Ukraine.
2. Creating a town that is rich in spirit, not just in population
The conversation then turned to the topic of how life isn't just about the 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 fulfilling life, and that the mayor should lead the town and the residents should come together to create a fun town, an opinion that Mayor Sasaki strongly agreed with.
Chairman Sasakawa emphasized the need for the mayor to listen to the voices of residents and demonstrate leadership that will bring residents together to vigorously promote the creation of an ideal town. Mayor Sasaki said he felt a sense of responsibility.
He also revealed that a special superintendent of education has been appointed since 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 in poverty, children were always smiling and shining.
He pointed out that modern education is destroying individuality and harming children, and stressed that we should feel a sense of crisis about the reality that there are children facing problems such as school refusal, disabilities, and poverty, and that there are children who have never eaten curry rice.
In response to the current situation in which school teachers are overwhelmed with dealing with complaints from parents and 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 was reminded of the seriousness of the situation. Hokuryu Town is taking an innovative approach by allowing 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 local cooperation can work.
Chairman Sasakawa stated that in the coming era, it will be difficult for schools to maintain club activities on their own, and that 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 conversations can take place.
4. Regional revitalization is driven by the heart - Passion and determination open up the future
Chairman Sasakawa said that the idea that money is essential for regional revitalization is a misconception, and that what is most important is the "heart" of the residents. He expressed his belief that if leaders have passion and determination, people will surely follow.
He said that even in the poor villages of the past, children were thoroughly educated and taught that they were the pride of the village, and emphasized that the essence of regional revitalization lies not in money but in the hearts of the people.
Chairman Sasakawa comes to work at 6:30 every morning and writes handwritten thank-you letters to all donors. He spoke about the importance of the mayor writing a message on the thank-you letters for hometown tax donations, rather than printing them, and stressed the importance of conveying one's feelings.
He also said that by including photos of people working at disaster sites on postcards and adding words of gratitude and autographs, 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 emphasized that the passion and determination of leaders drives 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 their 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 meltwater is an important source of water for growing high-quality rice.
Chairman Sasakawa spoke about the history of how the US military spread bread culture after the war, and mentioned how Japanese rice balls are currently attracting attention worldwide, and expressed his hope for the revival of Japanese rice, pointing out 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 up 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 climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, 5,895m above sea level) in February last year, and said he aims to climb Mount Everest by the age of 90. He said that we only have one life, so we should live it happily and with all our might.
He said he did not want to die in a way that he would regret at the time of his death, and pointed out that roughly 99% of people die with regrets. Mayor Sasaki was deeply moved by his words.
「キリマンジャロ登頂に成功」 ―影に強力な助っ人あり― キリマンジャロ（5895メートル）登頂には強力な助っ人が二人い…
8. Educational reform begins with human resource development
Zen University, a full-fledged online university originating from Japan
Chairman Sasakawa stated that education reform ultimately comes down to human resource development. He introduced the study abroad programs at world-class universities and the efforts of ZEN University (a full-fledged online university originating in Japan, established in partnership with 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 in Japan, where you can complete the learning necessary 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 "improvements" but not so good at "reforms," and stressed the need for bold "innovation." He said people should live their lives doing what they love in the fields they love.
9. First, teacher reform
Hokuryu Town is moving towards making 9th grade compulsory education schools.
Superintendent Tanaka stated that in taking on the role of education in Hokuryu, he would first like to reform the teaching staff. He revealed that he is planning training to change the teachers' mindset.
Chairman Sasakawa spoke about how he used to visit his teacher at his home and respected him through their personal interactions, and he stressed the importance of personal interactions with teachers.
He hoped that this human interaction, which is difficult to achieve in cities, would be realized in rural areas and that strong children would be raised. He said that it is okay for children not to be good at studying, and that it is 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.
Commemorative photo
This conversation was extremely thought-provoking when 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 people, and carving out the future through the power of education.
I am truly grateful for Chairman Sasakawa's many wonderful words, which show that cooperation and a spirit of mutual support that transcends town boundaries 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 his life, living a life of joy and abundance, and as he puts his all into the implementation of future educational reforms that allow people to enjoy and freely learn what they love.
1月23日(木) 6:30 財団着 7:30 海野光行 日本財団常務理事 8:00 佐々木康宏 北竜町長 9:0…
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 extremely 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 videos
Other photos
Click here for 38 photos of a journey of spiritual enrichment that begins in a sunflower field >> Click here for photos (67 photos) of The Nippon Foundation Building 2025 >>Related articles
「ちょっといい話」その186 ―オーライ！ニッポン大賞― 元日本財団職員・寺内昇さんが「第18回オーライ！ニッポン賞」…
◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)
