Session ⁄ Event

Event Report

A bridge for an Inclusive Society

For the Opening Event of the YAMAGATA Youth Summit 2024, a diverse cast of guests traveled from near and far to share with us their experiences both at home, and on the global stage. Through performances, speeches, and panel discussions, we collectively thought about what it means to live in a multicultural society, and what steps we need to take in order to realize an inclusive community here in Yamagata.

The annual YAMAGATA Youth Summit was held for the third time this year, with the aim of enhancing Yamagata's presence overseas and making Yamagata Prefecture an attractive place to live, particularly for young people and foreigners. The opening event was held on September 22nd at the Yamagata City Bunshokan with the program conducted entirely in English. The hope of this bold decision was that the discussions, dreams, and messages of Yamagata could be subsequently broadcast to the world. The opening event kicked off with a bang, featuring a dynamic projection mapping x contemporary kabuki performance by Hashigo Nakamura, a kabuki actor from Tsuruoka City.

Nakamura's fusion of modern projection mapping and traditional kabuki conveyed his take on social issues with many memorable moments, such as when he drank up the many natural disasters sealed in sake. When he made a grand gesture towards the audience, the crowd called out, "Narikomaya!" inviting everyone to acknowledge his presence on stage.

The panel discussion featured five highly talented individuals who are on the front lines of industry and social movements, such as in the fields of technology, showbiz, and tourism, respectively. While all of the panelists come from diverse professional backgrounds, they also represent a rainbow of family structures and personal identities, such as being single mothers or identifying as non-binary. Everyone shared their own personal experiences and gave their thoughts on navigating the world as we strive to realize a truly inclusive society.

During the Q&A session at the end of the panel discussion, one audience member asked, "You advised us to have confidence, but what if we don't have any confidence?" In response, the panelists shared their views and talked about how they overcame challenges in their own life. They praised the member and stated that by just raising their hand to ask that question, they were already showing a great deal of courage.

Hashigo Nakamura performed a creative kabuki performance that was intertwined with digital art to convey social problems that plagued us all, such as frequent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yamagata Prefectural Governor Mieko Yoshimura also made an appearance and gave a welcome speech in English. Her message was "We have positioned this fiscal year as the first year of tabunka kyosei and are focusing our efforts on bringing about an inclusive society and the development of prefectural government."

Tomoya Matsui, chairperson of Yamagata University's 52nd Mock Trial Executive Committee. "Through mock trial, we hope to expand interest in social and legal issues and contribute to the realization of the SDGs."

Yasuhiro Nakajima is a chairperson of the YAMAGATA Summer Fireworks Festival Special Committee. "Let's use the Junior Chamber International organization to expand various opportunities to the world. If we become one as a team, we can contribute to diversity."

The panel discussion was held in English with five speakers who are leading innovation and changes across various fields of business and social movements.

Akemi Tsunakawa is a leading developer of a multilingual AI system and an expert who participates in international conferences. "Everyone understands the importance of diversity, but they don't have the experience. I thought that if all of you created your own company and hired people from all over the world, you could experience it too."

Kyoko Otawa started her own business at the age of 26, providing productivity enhancing technology to the manufacturing industry. She shared how she communicates with her British husband and how she became proficient in English without having studied abroad. She said, "It is important to meet and talk with various people. You learn about each other and get a new sense of things."

Julie Baud is a tourism advisor from France who identifies as non-binary. Julie posed the question, "How would you react as a parent if your child began to explore their own sexuality or gender identity? Everyone is someone else's child, and I hope you will treat people from different cultures and backgrounds with love, just as if they were your own child."

TV personality Thomas Yuji Gordon moved to Japan when he was 5 years old due to his parents' divorce. He shared an episode in which his grandfather, a former Kamikaze pilot, began learning English because he loved his grandchildren so much. Gordon's grand statement was that "The key to everything is love." As he and his wife raise their four children together, they share the idea that parenting is a team effort.

The esteemed Alice French served as the facilitator again this year. Originally from the UK, French has worked for Yamagata Prefecture and is currently a reporter for various media outlets. French made the powerful statement: "Accepting Differences. Understand them. That is our strength."

Torakichi Izumi (CEO of Sen Planning Office, LLC) is an advisor for Yamagata Youth Summit. He is the only person in the world who has inherited the traditional Edo technique as a lacquer brush artist, and he also uses his experience to develop and produce new businesses related to culture and art.

The enthusiasm for the discussion continued long after the event was over, and questions were enthusiastically asked by the audience.

Opening Attraction

• 
  Kabuki Actor

  Hashigo Nakamura

  Kabuki Guild: Narikomaya　Line Number: Hachidaime (VIII) Stage Name: Shikan Nakamura
  Born in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, Nakamura comes from a long line of actors. He has performed at the Kabuki-za and other theaters in Japan and abroad, in a wide range of genres from classic kabuki to contemporary works.
  Nakamura is also involved in modern art and product design, making use of his traditional Japanese sensibilities.

  • Designated Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage for Kabuki
  • Yamagata Tourism and Tsuyahime Special Ambassador
  • Tsuruoka City Hometown Tourism Ambassador
  • PHOTO NEXT 2024 Official Ambassador, among many other roles

Panel Discussion

Panelist

• 
  Personality

  Thomas Yuji Gordon

  Born in Miami, Florida, USA, Yuji has been an exclusive model for the fashion magazine FINEBOYS since 2009. He later transitioned to television, working on TV dramas and variety shows. With a background in carpentry, Yuji used his skills and sense of design to showcase his talent through DIY projects and other creative fields, gaining popularity on TV. In February 2014, Yuji married, and in 2016, he became the youngest person ever to receive both the Best Father Award and the Ikumen of the Year Award in the same year. He currently has four children and enjoys the challenges of fatherhood immensely.

• 
  Representative Director, Bespoke Inc.

  Akemi Tsunakawa

  After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and working for a foreign investment bank, a strategy consulting firm, and an asset management company in financial product development, Tsunakawa established Bespoke Inc. in 2015. Her company developed an AI chatbot called "Bebot," a real-time communication platform for public institutions in Japan and abroad. She has produced many world-first AI projects, including the first "AI x International Airport" and "AI x Railway Station." As a leading chatbot developer, Tsunakawa has spoken at many international conferences, and in Japan, she serves as an expert member of the Digital Rincho (Digital Innovation Council) established by Prime Minister Kishida in 2021. As a member of the Innovation Ecosystem Expert Committee established by the Cabinet Office in 2022, she strives for a better future for everyone.

• 
  Sustainable Tourism Advisor

  Julie Baud

  Born in Bordeaux, France, Baud graduated from the University of Bordeaux in 2016 and also studied abroad at Kyoto University. After graduating, she decided to stay in Japan and has consistently worked as a consultant for inbound travelers. Prior to her current role, she managed event planning and operations at "Glocal Hostel, Cafe & Bar" in Nagoya for two years. Since July 2022, she has been a freelance consultant for inbound tourism, with the mission of sustainably connecting local people with the world.

• 
  President and Representative Director, Latona Corporation

  Kyoko Otawa

  After graduating from Tokyo Women's University, Otawa worked at Rakuten and then as a consultant at Accenture before founding Latona Corporation, which develops AI and IoT solutions with the aim of addressing labor shortages in industries such as manufacturing, retail, and logistics. She is a member of Tokyo APT Women, Google Women Founders in APAC, and the Council of the Association for the Promotion of Generative AI Applications. Outside of work, she loves cats more than anything else.

Facilitator

• 
  Reporter

  Alice French

  Originally from the United Kingdom, French studied abroad at Doshisha University in Kyoto from 2017 to 2018 before graduating from the University of Cambridge in 2019 with a major in Japanese Studies. She began her career as a Yamagata Prefecture Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) through the JET Programme in 2019 and transitioned to working as a reporter in Tokyo in October 2021. She covers Japanese politics, societal issues, and diplomacy for publications such as Nikkei Asia, Tokyo Weekender magazine, and the UK-based Financial Times. Her hobbies and interests include running, hiking, a cappella, and exploring feminism.