Collaboratively Developed "Regional Exploratory School Trip Program" with Renofa Yamaguchi FC Wins J-League Sharen! Awards 2026 "Media Award"

TOKYO EDUCATION LAB Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Takayuki Kanai), in collaboration with Renofa Yamaguchi Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture; President: Hirofumi Watanabe), which operates the J-League club "Renofa Yamaguchi FC" engaged in J-League social collaboration "Sharen!" activities, announced that their jointly developed "Regional Exploratory School Trip Program" won the "Media Award" at the "Sharen! Awards 2026" hosted by the J-League on May 18, 2026. At the J-League "Sharen! Awards 2026" ceremony (from left: Renofa Yamaguchi Executive Director Uchiyama, President Watanabe, Komaba Gakuen High School teacher Okubo, TOKYO EDUCATION LAB President Kanai). J-League's social collaboration "Sharen!" is an initiative where the J-League and J-clubs collaborate with local people, companies, organizations, municipalities, and schools on social issues and common themes (education, diversity, community development, health, intergenerational exchange, etc.). Renofa Yamaguchi FC's club vision is "to create new value together with the community," and it engages in community-rooted initiatives. This vision led to the co-creation with TOKYO EDUCATION LAB. Aiming to "rediscover the charm and future of the region with the younger generation from both inside and outside the region," the program was developed through co-creation with municipalities and partner companies in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the club's hometown. The program has been adopted by Komaba Gakuen High School (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo) and is being implemented for two years starting from the 2024 academic year (in Yamaguchi City in 2024, Suo-Oshima Town in 2025, and Mine City, a UNESCO Global Geopark, in 2026), and is currently ongoing. The "Sharen! Awards 2026" Media Award, which Renofa Yamaguchi FC won for the first time, highly evaluated the program from the perspective of visualizing social issues and creating new value. This is the first time Renofa Yamaguchi FC has won a Sharen Award. About J-League "Sharen Awards 2026": https://www.jleague.jp/sharen/awards2026/ Regarding the Sharen! Awards 2026 winning initiative: https://www.jleague.jp/sharen/awards2026/club/yamaguchi.html TOKYO EDUCATION LAB will continue to actively engage in inquiry-based learning school trips as part of school education. We will provide programs that maximize students' potential and expand their career options. Comments from both companies on receiving this award: I am very pleased that Renofa Yamaguchi FC, with whom we jointly developed this program, has received such a prestigious award. Among the students who experienced this program, there have been many positive surprises, such as revisiting Yamaguchi with their families and considering applying to universities in the area, creating a new related population for a region they would not normally have contact with through the opportunity for inquiry-based learning within the school. We will continue to update the programs we have built up, creating meaningful opportunities for both students and the region together with Renofa Yamaguchi FC, cooperating hometown municipalities, and partner companies. As a "club that walks with the community," Renofa Yamaguchi FC has been engaged in social collaboration activities throughout Yamaguchi Prefecture since signing the "All Yamaguchi J-League Local Revitalization and Community Development Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement" with Yamaguchi Prefecture and all 19 municipalities in the prefecture in 2017. Through this initiative, we aim to transform the region from a "place to visit" to a "place to get involved," creating a strong related population throughout Yamaguchi Prefecture. Encouraged by this award, we will continue to utilize the resources of a professional sports club to promote local revitalization and community development in cooperation with the region and companies. ■About Renofa Yamaguchi FC A professional soccer club (J-League J2 League) with its hometown in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Originally founded in 1949 as the Yamaguchi Prefecture Teachers' Team, Renofa Yamaguchi FC was established in 2006 based on that club. It has participated in the J-League since 2015. ■About TOKYO EDUCATION LAB Inc. With the vision of "providing opportunities for inquiry-based learning to the children who will create the future," we develop businesses that offer various learning opportunities and programs for teenagers who will lead Japan and the world. As our main business, we operate the following three LABs: (1) "SDGs LAB" to learn about SDGs and make them personal through problem-solving. (2) "Entrepreneurship LAB" to support student entrepreneurs. (3) "Inquiry LAB" to produce school trips into inquiry-based learning. See company details: https://tokyo-education-lab.co.jp/#about For press inquiries: https://tokyo-education-lab.co.jp/#contact Inquiry LAB for producing school trips into inquiry-based learning. See company details: https://tokyo-education-lab.co.jp/#about For press inquiries: https://tokyo-education-lab.co.jp/#contact TOKYO EDUCATION LAB, PR representative: Kobayashi, 090-7848-2398. Address: WTC annex 12F, 2-3-8 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0013. MAIL: info@tokyo-education-lab.co.jp