【Kakogawa Junior Chamber】High School Students Challenge Local Issues: "Policy Koshien in Kakogawa" to be Held
The Kakogawa Junior Chamber will host "Policy Koshien in Kakogawa" on August 8, 2026, where high school students will tackle local issues and present policy proposals. The event aims to enhance civic awareness and encourage active social participation among young people, addressing their declining interest in politics and local society.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 17:00
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The Kakogawa Junior Chamber (Chairman: Wataru Shibamoto, Location: 5th Floor, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Building, 800 Mizonoguchi, Kakogawa-cho, Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture) will host "Policy Koshien in Kakogawa," a project aimed at improving civic awareness among high school students who will lead the future of the region.
In recent years, a decline in interest in politics and local society among young people has been identified as an issue, with a noted decrease in the sense of political efficacy—the feeling that one's actions can influence society. Through this project, we aim to create an opportunity for high school students to independently identify local issues, formulate, and present policies, thereby fostering a sense that "my will can change the future of the region."
This competition is also positioned as an opportunity to connect the learning and insights gained from "Simulation 2040 ~Thinking about the Future of the Region with a Card Game~," held on Saturday, May 16, to more practical policy proposals. However, participation in "Policy Koshien in Kakogawa" is not conditional on participating in "Simulation 2040"; high school students from Kakogawa City, Inami Town, and Harima Town can apply individually or in groups. For high school students who participated in "Simulation 2040," it will be a next challenge to deepen their learning, and for those who did not participate, it will be a practical opportunity to express their own ideas on local issues as policies.
The competition's policy theme is "What I want to achieve when I become a mayor/town mayor," aiming for high school students to feel politics and society more closely and to foster an awareness of their own involvement in solving social issues. Furthermore, by presenting in the actual decision-making venue of the Kakogawa City Council Chamber, we aim to provide a more realistic political experience and foster interest and ownership in local society.
Through this project, we aim to provide an opportunity for not only participants but also a wide range of local residents to engage with policy proposals from a youth perspective, thereby creating an impetus for the entire community to think about the future.
● Project Background
In Japan, the voting rate among teenagers and people in their twenties is low, and the youth voting rate remains sluggish. Therefore, it is necessary to create a society where young people can have hope for the future by creating an environment where they can spontaneously act as sovereign citizens of the country, thinking about the future of Japan from current issues in their daily lives. This is why Policy Koshien is being held.
This project aims to foster civic responsibility and awareness not merely through the acquisition of knowledge, but through a series of processes: discovering social issues, formulating solutions, and presenting them.
Additionally, for high school students who have had the experience of thinking about their region and policies in "Simulation 2040" beforehand, this will be a place where they can make proposals in their own words based on that learning. On the other hand, this competition is not limited to those participants; any high school student from the target region can apply. Regardless of prior experience, it creates an opportunity for high school students to take local issues as their own and connect them to proposals.
■ Project Overview
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Entry Period: April 1 (Wednesday) - June 30 (Thursday), 2026
Location: Kakogawa City Council Chamber (2000 Kitazaike, Kakogawa-cho, Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture)
Content: Policy formulation and presentation on local issues by high school students
↓ Click here for event outline materials
d160385-106-fa2b8451d87e5050efcef50404780058.pdf
■ Contact for this matter
Kakogawa Junior Chamber
Next Generation Development Committee Chairman: Saki Yonezawa
MAIL: master@kakogawa-jc.org
■ What is the Junior Chamber (Kinki Regional Council)?
Our Junior Chamber (abbreviation "JC") was founded in 1949 (Showa 24) by young people who shared the aspiration that "the reconstruction of a new Japan is the work of youth," amidst the deep scars of war remaining in both cities and people's hearts.
Since then, the Junior Chamber has upheld the philosophy of "realizing a bright and prosperous society" and has engaged in various activities and movements. It is composed of members who voluntarily join regardless of race, nationality, gender, occupation, and religion. The Japanese Junior Chamber bases its activities on "individual training," "service to society," and "friendship with the world," promoting mutual enlightenment and exchange among members, fostering public spirit, and contributing to social development in cooperation with local communities, actively addressing social issues. The fields of activity experienced through various practical trainings in the Junior Chamber are wide-ranging, and many individuals, including graduates who have reached the age of 40, are active not only as local leaders but also as contributors to the political and business worlds.
The Junior Chamber International Japan Kinki Regional Council, a public interest incorporated association, operates in 2 prefectures and 4 prefectures within the Kinki region, functioning as a liaison and coordination body to ensure the smooth operation of local Junior Chambers, while also developing various movements within the Kinki region.
In recent years, a decline in interest in politics and local society among young people has been identified as an issue, with a noted decrease in the sense of political efficacy—the feeling that one's actions can influence society. Through this project, we aim to create an opportunity for high school students to independently identify local issues, formulate, and present policies, thereby fostering a sense that "my will can change the future of the region."
This competition is also positioned as an opportunity to connect the learning and insights gained from "Simulation 2040 ~Thinking about the Future of the Region with a Card Game~," held on Saturday, May 16, to more practical policy proposals. However, participation in "Policy Koshien in Kakogawa" is not conditional on participating in "Simulation 2040"; high school students from Kakogawa City, Inami Town, and Harima Town can apply individually or in groups. For high school students who participated in "Simulation 2040," it will be a next challenge to deepen their learning, and for those who did not participate, it will be a practical opportunity to express their own ideas on local issues as policies.
The competition's policy theme is "What I want to achieve when I become a mayor/town mayor," aiming for high school students to feel politics and society more closely and to foster an awareness of their own involvement in solving social issues. Furthermore, by presenting in the actual decision-making venue of the Kakogawa City Council Chamber, we aim to provide a more realistic political experience and foster interest and ownership in local society.
Through this project, we aim to provide an opportunity for not only participants but also a wide range of local residents to engage with policy proposals from a youth perspective, thereby creating an impetus for the entire community to think about the future.
● Project Background
In Japan, the voting rate among teenagers and people in their twenties is low, and the youth voting rate remains sluggish. Therefore, it is necessary to create a society where young people can have hope for the future by creating an environment where they can spontaneously act as sovereign citizens of the country, thinking about the future of Japan from current issues in their daily lives. This is why Policy Koshien is being held.
This project aims to foster civic responsibility and awareness not merely through the acquisition of knowledge, but through a series of processes: discovering social issues, formulating solutions, and presenting them.
Additionally, for high school students who have had the experience of thinking about their region and policies in "Simulation 2040" beforehand, this will be a place where they can make proposals in their own words based on that learning. On the other hand, this competition is not limited to those participants; any high school student from the target region can apply. Regardless of prior experience, it creates an opportunity for high school students to take local issues as their own and connect them to proposals.
■ Project Overview
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Entry Period: April 1 (Wednesday) - June 30 (Thursday), 2026
Location: Kakogawa City Council Chamber (2000 Kitazaike, Kakogawa-cho, Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture)
Content: Policy formulation and presentation on local issues by high school students
↓ Click here for event outline materials
d160385-106-fa2b8451d87e5050efcef50404780058.pdf
■ Contact for this matter
Kakogawa Junior Chamber
Next Generation Development Committee Chairman: Saki Yonezawa
MAIL: master@kakogawa-jc.org
■ What is the Junior Chamber (Kinki Regional Council)?
Our Junior Chamber (abbreviation "JC") was founded in 1949 (Showa 24) by young people who shared the aspiration that "the reconstruction of a new Japan is the work of youth," amidst the deep scars of war remaining in both cities and people's hearts.
Since then, the Junior Chamber has upheld the philosophy of "realizing a bright and prosperous society" and has engaged in various activities and movements. It is composed of members who voluntarily join regardless of race, nationality, gender, occupation, and religion. The Japanese Junior Chamber bases its activities on "individual training," "service to society," and "friendship with the world," promoting mutual enlightenment and exchange among members, fostering public spirit, and contributing to social development in cooperation with local communities, actively addressing social issues. The fields of activity experienced through various practical trainings in the Junior Chamber are wide-ranging, and many individuals, including graduates who have reached the age of 40, are active not only as local leaders but also as contributors to the political and business worlds.
The Junior Chamber International Japan Kinki Regional Council, a public interest incorporated association, operates in 2 prefectures and 4 prefectures within the Kinki region, functioning as a liaison and coordination body to ensure the smooth operation of local Junior Chambers, while also developing various movements within the Kinki region.