Session ⁄ Event

Event Report

A regional session was held in Funagata Town to commemorate the town's 70th anniversary. In the latter half of the session, the mayor, the town's superintendent of education, and other audience participants joined in to draw a "future vision" of the town together.

The third regional session of the YAMAGATA Youth Summit 2024 was held in Funagata Town on November 10th, and the theme was "Creating a Town to Return To: A Vision for the Future on the 70th Anniversary of Incorporation." The town of Funagata is unique in many ways, such as being naturally blessed with stunning mountains and rivers and being the discovery site of Japan's largest clay figurine (Dogu), the "Jomon Goddess," which is designated as a national treasure. The figurine was excavated from the banks of the Mogami Oguni River, which flows through the center of the town, making the Jomon Goddess a proud symbol of Funagata. Funagata Town will celebrate its 70th anniversary of official town incorporation this December. As pare of the commemorative events, the town held a session of Youth Summit in November. 8 people from diverse backgrounds, including a young town official who is also a hunter, high school and university students, a former ALT from the U.S., and a comedian duo, held discussions about where the town is heading. In addition, a high school student who, together with his father, is protecting the rice paddies and fields he inherited from his grandfather sent a video message.

Panelists commented on the town's initiative to promote nutrition education by serving the "best school lunch in Japan," saying, "What a wonderful project! I wish there was a restaurant where adults could eat the best school lunch in Japan as well." Town mayor Mori Tomihiro himself took notes while presenting his thoughts on the project. The presentation included the unique charms of this town as seen through the eyes of a civil servant, who is also a hunter, and ideas for promoting the town by university students who moved here from outside the prefecture. High school students who work hard as volunteers talked about what they would like to do in the future, and a former ALT talked about the potential of inbound tourism from a Westerner's perspective, added to by ideas from female comedians who want to promote futher about the town. The whole experience was deeply moving and gave everyone time to reflect on the values of Funagata, a town overflowing with historical charm and rich nature. Together, everyone drew a future vision of Funagata that they would like to continue living in.

Mr. Saito is a town employee and a member of a hunting club who has started making content on social media. The panelists praised him by saying, "I think everyone wants to know about the real world of hunters that you can experience in Funagata Town!"

Ms. Kato is a member of the high school volunteer circle "Funakko." She is involved in a wide range of activities that make the town a better place to live, including nursery school visits and organizing festivals.

Like Ms. Kato, Ms. Yakuwa is a member of "Funakko" and wants to hold a small town festival in order to revitalize the town.
In response to her idea, two panelists, comedian duo Spike, promised to collaborate!?

"I love Funagata Town," said Mr. Sakamoto, a native of Aomori Prefecture. He actively participates in events held by the town's neighborhood association, and he is constantly sharing the town's charms on the town's official social media account, "Funagata Lifestyle."

As part of a class, Ms. Funakoshi wants to renovate a produce stand in the town. She proposes revitalizing the community through direct marketing of products, saying, "It should be a place where children can have fun, with playground equipment and even a dog run!"

"Westerners come to Tohoku for special experiences that they can't find anywhere else! Why don't we market special tours, such as ayu (sweetfish) fishing, that can only be done in Funagata Town?" said Mr. Hagglund.

Ms. Matsuura, who is a member of the comedian duo Spike, is from Tsuruoka City. Using the example of the Kamo Aquarium in Tsuruoka City, which became popular due to its unique jellyfish exhibit, she suggested that Funagata Town also make a "breakthrough" with a single unique attraction.

Ms. Ogawa, the other half of Spike, loves camping. She added, "I would like to see events such as yoga and Zen meditation programs held every week in Funagata Town, which is rich in nature."

Mr. Ito is engaged in farming while still attending high school. He talked about how he came to start farming in earnest and his hopes for the future, which include protecting the rice paddies of Funagata Town and making it a more vibrant town.

Regional Forum

Speakers

• 
  Panelist

  Shinjo Kita High School 2nd Year Student

  Kanato Ito

  Kanato Ito is a local high school student who is heavily involved with farming in Nagasawa (Nagao), Funagata Town. Since his nursery school days, he has been helping out with agricultural activities and began farming in earnest during his first year of junior high school when he had a break from school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His grandfather fell ill in the summer of his second year of junior high school and passed away the following March, after which Ito joined his father in taking over responsibility for their rice paddies. He also cultivates rice seedlings in early spring and grows his own sweet potatoes and lettuce. In 2022, he took his passion for farming to new heights when he participated in the 2022 Youth Advocacy Competition.

• 
  Panelist

  Funagata Town High School Volunteer Circle "Funakko"

  Tsubaki Kato , Natsumi Yakuwa

  Natsumi Yakuwa is a first-year student at Shinjo Higashi High School, and Tsubaki Kato is a first-year student at Kajo Gakuen High School. Despite being from different schools, both are active members of Funakko, a volunteer circle of high school students in Funagata Town, with a history of over 40 years. They focus on exchange activities with children in the town and volunteer work at welfare facilities for the elderly and disabled.

• 
  Panelist

  Tohoku Professional University of Agriculture and Forestry

  Yuki Sakamoto , Misaki Funakoshi

  In April 2024, Tohoku Professional University of Agriculture and Forestry opened in Shinjo, Yamagata Prefecture. The town of Funagata is doing its utmost to support local and out-of-prefecture students who live in the town during their studies.

• 
  Panelist

  President, MY English School / Former Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), Funagata Town Board of Education

  Ryan Hagglund

  In 1998, Ryan Hagglund began his career as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Mamurogawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, where he worked for three years. During that time, he established a sister school in Oregon and organized various activities, including taking students on training trips. He then taught at a high school in Yamagata City for five years before serving as an ALT in Funagata Town from 2007 to 2010 and as a lecturer at Yamagata University from 2008 to 2017. He is currently the representative of MY English School.

• 
  Panelist

  Funagata Town Community Development Division

  Yuki Saito

  Chief of Community Support Section, Town Development Division in Funagata Town, Yuki Saito is in his second year of being in charge of immigration, settlement, and youth support. He is also a member of the Funagata Town Hunting Club.

• 
  Panelist

  Spike (Comedy Act)

  Shiho Matsuura , Haruna Ogawa

  Shiho Matsuura:
  From Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. Her hobbies include Tahitian dance, collecting eyewear and related goods (she owns more than 50 pairs of fashion eyeglasses), and watching SMAP (she is a proud fan club member of 15 years). Her special skills include karaoke, Tahitian dance, kendo (3rd dan), voiceover narration, and being a sympathetic crier.

  Haruna Ogawa:
  From Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. Her hobbies include listening to music, watching movies, taking walks, going on trips, and playing with cats. Her special skill is popping balloons with her teeth while smiling.

  Both are members of the 14th graduating class of NSC Tokyo Academy (2008).

Facilitator Ken Miura Branding Producer at Brand new day Inc.

Born in Yamagata in 1993, Ken Miura graduated from Nihon University Yamagata Senior High School before studying abroad at the University of Washington in the United States. After initially consulting for sole proprietors, he shifted to working in brand strategy development for corporations. Currently, he focuses on helping small and medium-sized enterprises craft their missions and visions to uncover and articulate their unique values. His services encompass a broad range of areas, including websites, advertisements, new business development, and recruitment, all aimed at delivering a comprehensive brand strategy that fosters a strong internal company philosophy and reflects the core values of the companies he works with.

Host Aya Matsuura

Born and raised in a family of Shinto shrine priests, Matsuura served as a shrine maiden during her student years. Following a university recommendation, she began working as a local television reporter, TV commercial actress, and event MC while still in school. After graduating, she joined FM Yamagata on a one-year contract, where she took on roles as both the personality and producer for local government programs. The following year, she transitioned to a freelance announcer career. Based in Yamagata, she actively engages in a variety of roles, including radio presenting, event MCing, narration, modeling, and reporting for TV and online videos. Her work has extended beyond Yamagata to regions such as Miyagi and Fukushima. She has also ventured into voice acting and web drama appearances. Her current show on FM Yamagata, "RAMP.," achieved first place in a listener popularity poll in February 2023. Additionally, her enthusiasm for sports has led her to provide commentary for kart racing and serve as an MC at professional sports events, including volleyball, basketball, and soccer matches.