#Japan #Kyoto #High School Students #National Policy Koshien #Japanese Youth Council

The Third National High School Policy Koshien: A Catalyst for Youth Engagement

The Third National High School Policy Koshien is scheduled for July 27, 2025, at the historic Kyoto Prefectural Assembly Hall. This competition, organized by the Japan Junior Chamber (日本JC), aims to engage high school students across the nation in developing policies that tackle pressing social issues. The theme for the competition will focus on two main categories: creating a sustainable digital policy for the future of Japan, and addressing local social challenges as if the students were Prime Ministers themselves.

The idea behind the National High School Policy Koshien is to foster political awareness among youth and encourage active participation in democracy. As the voting age has been lowered to 18, it has become increasingly essential for educational institutions to prepare students to understand their rights and responsibilities as voters. Through this initiative, the Japan Junior Chamber hopes to cultivate a sense of ownership and responsibility in the young generation regarding political matters.

This year’s competition will invite entries from both a designated theme category—"Creating a Sustainable Digital Policy for the Future of Japan"—and an open theme category—"You Are the Prime Minister! Address Local Social Issues for a Brighter Future!". From the western Japanese region, 20 high school teams will compete in the preliminary round for a chance to advance to the finals.

Event Overview

• - Organizer: Japan Junior Chamber (日本JC)
• - Date: July 27, 2025
• - Time: 9:45 AM - 3:05 PM

- Morning Session (Designated Theme): 9:45 AM - 12:40 PM (Registration starts at 9:00 AM)
- Afternoon Session (Open Theme): 1:15 PM - 4:20 PM (Registration starts at 12:30 PM)

• - Venue: Kyoto Prefectural Assembly Old Hall
• - Agenda: Opening declaration, rule explanation, introduction of judges, policy presentations (5 minutes per team), Q&A (5 minutes per team), results announcement, feedback, and closing remarks.

Six teams will qualify for the final event—three from each category—based on criteria such as the clarity of their analysis, logical structure, and engagement potential. Judging will be conducted by members of the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly and Japan Junior Chamber officials, who will critically assess each team's presentations.

Participating Teams and Policies

Some of the notable teams are:
1. Gifu Prefectural Gifu High School: Their policy focuses on creating a platform for sharing agricultural machinery to enhance efficiency and secure new participants in farming.
2. Kyoto Municipal Horikawa High School: They propose the “Mirai Hub” concept to connect the voices of youth with future opportunities.
3. Osaka Tsukuba Kaisei High School: They present a hybrid schooling system that breaks down barriers between students attending in-person and those participating remotely.
4. Okayama Sanyo Gakuen High School: Their initiative revolves around a digital agricultural revolution aimed at empowering future farmers.
5. Ehime Prefectural Imabari Higashi Secondary School: They will advocate for direct democracy through ICT, pushing for the implementation of an effective governance model.

Upcoming Schedule

The finals will take place on August 25, 2025, at the National Diet Building. The evaluation will be based on both live presentations and an online voting system designed to allow nationwide participation, promoting transparency and engagement.

The online voting period will begin on September 1, 2025, and conclude on September 20, 2025. Teams with the highest votes will be awarded the Grand Prize during the closing ceremony.

For inquiries regarding the event, interested parties may contact:

• - E-mail: [email protected]

More information about the National High School Policy Koshien can be found on the official website: National High School Policy Koshien