[Free Event on July 18] Students Create Their Own Companies for a Day: Practical Entrepreneurship Education 'Junior Entrepreneurship Challenge' Held at Shibusawa MIX

SAIL Inc., operator of the cram school 'SAIL' and practical entrepreneurship lab 'LIGHTHOUSE', will host a practical entrepreneurship education event called the 'Junior Entrepreneurship Challenge' on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The event, targeting 4th-grade elementary to 3rd-grade junior high school students, will be held at 'Shibusawa MIX', an innovation hub in Saitama Shintoshin. Co-hosted by Saitama University and IJIE-Nexus, and supported by Saitama Shinkin Bank, the event is now accepting applications.

This half-day program empowers children to turn their ideas into reality, challenging themselves with 'company creation, product development, business planning, and presentations' alongside their peers. They will even experience a mock 'loan interview', presenting their business plans directly to representatives from Saitama Shinkin Bank. It is a day designed to ignite the spark of 'I can do it' and lead them to their next challenge.

The background of this initiative is that in an era of rapid change, the ability to think, try, and communicate independently is more necessary than the ability to memorize answers. However, Japan has been internationally recognized as having low levels of 'entrepreneurial mindset' development in children. SAIL implements this program to provide a space where children can connect with real society and cultivate 'the power to challenge without fear of failure, the ability to collaborate with others, and the capacity to think and act independently.'

Features of the Event:
- Experience the 'entrepreneurial cycle' in half a day: From company creation to product development, business planning, and presentations in one seamless flow.
- Authentic 'loan interviews' with a bank: Children will pitch their business plans in their own words to representatives from Saitama Shinkin Bank.
- Mentorship by diverse adults: Deepening learning through connections with real society.
- Based on the 'SelfWing Method' with over 20 years of proven results: Designed using methods from SelfWing Co., Ltd., a pioneer in entrepreneurship education.
- Shibusawa Eiichi-related hub x Industry-academia-government-finance collaboration: Conducted at 'Shibusawa MIX', a co-creation hub inspired by Eiichi Shibusawa, who was involved in establishing about 500 companies. Universities, financial institutions, and private sectors will collaborate on this initiative.

Timetable (13:00-17:30 / Reception 12:45)
13:00 Company creation and role assignment
13:30 Product ideation and business plan creation
15:30 Loan interview with financial institution
16:30 Presentation and results announcement (Parents welcome to observe)

Event Details
Name: Junior Entrepreneurship Challenge
Date & Time: Saturday, July 18, 2026, 13:00-17:30 (Reception 12:45)
Venue: Shibusawa MIX (5th Floor, ekism Saitama Shintoshin, 4-262-18 Kishikicho, Omiya-ku, Saitama City)
Target Audience: 4th-grade elementary to 3rd-grade junior high school students
Participation Fee: Free (Requires prior registration, first-come first-served)
Capacity: 20 participants (Team entries allowed, max 5 members per team)

Co-hosts: Saitama University / IJIE-Nexus
Cooperation: Saitama Shinkin Bank
Program Supervision: SelfWing Co., Ltd. (SelfWing Method)
Organizer: SAIL Inc.

Looking ahead, SAIL plans to connect the 'I want to try' mindset sparked by this event to continuous learning at their intensive summer entrepreneurship course, 'LIGHTHOUSE Summer Quest', and the practical entrepreneurship lab, 'LIGHTHOUSE'. Leveraging industry-academia-government-finance collaborations, SAIL aims to expand opportunities for children to take on challenges, starting from Saitama to the rest of the country.