[Event Report] Encountering a Lifestyle Beyond 'Test Scores'. Around 100 Attendees at 'Shinro Fes 2026', Where High School Students, Diverse University Students, and Professionals Share Honest Conversations!

Sotonoba University, which proposes a 'new way of learning' using local regions across Japan as its campus (Operated by Asunooto Co., Ltd.; Representative Director: Ryosuke Nobuoka; Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), held a hands-on event called 'Shinro Fes 2026' (Career Path Festival 2026) over two days on April 18 and 19, 2026, at SHIMOKITA COLLEGE in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. Evolving into an executive committee format this year, 11 educational organizations, companies, and universities, including Sotonoba University, participated to provide diverse content.

About 100 high school students, parents, and educators gathered, carrying anxieties and concerns about their future paths, with thoughts such as 'I don't want to decide my career based solely on test scores' and 'I still haven't found what I really want to do.' At the venue, the 'lifestyles' of various seniors who are not bound by existing frameworks were presented, encompassing not only university enrollment but also studying abroad and taking gap years. Rather than just listening one-sidedly, the two-day event provided an opportunity for each participant to gain hints for the 'future they desire' through honest dialogues with seniors and self-exploration workshops.

70% of Participants: 'Future and Career Options Expanded', 'Deepened Understanding of Myself'

Through this event, over 70% of the participants responded that their 'future and career options expanded' or they 'deepened their understanding of themselves.' Precisely because this event allowed them to mingle with people who have experienced diverse paths—encounters unlikely within the limited communities of school, cram school, or home—many high school students discovered new options they hadn't considered before. Hearing life-sized stories of experiences shifted their vague anxieties about the future to a positive feeling of 'maybe I can choose this too.'

Participant Voices:

'It was stimulating to talk with someone walking a path in life that was never an option for me. It made me think that I might have various options too.'

'I felt fulfilled talking with people from various backgrounds whom I wouldn't normally meet. I wanted to talk more.'

'I was worried about my career path, but I feel a little more at ease now.'

'I was able to discover new sides and good qualities about myself that even I didn't know.'

'It became a valuable time to think deeply and face what I really want to do.'

'Meeting a self I hadn't realized': Self-Exploration Workshops

At the venue, SHIMOKITA COLLEGE, participating organizations rolled out unique self-exploration workshops in a cozy atmosphere. Workshops that particularly drew attention included sessions utilizing an original AI to verbalize one's strengths, and sessions using LEGO® bricks to deepen self-exploration. By engaging with unconventional methods, it became a time to articulate their desired futures.

Furthermore, in Sotonoba University's original 'Regional Study Abroad Simulation Game,' participants experienced a simulated four years of changing bases every year. Facing a map of Japan, choosing regions they want to live in, and accumulating their own unique experiences over a simulated four years provided an opportunity to find what they currently need, such as 'realizing that I want to be passionate about something.'

Not Teaching the Answers, but 'Worrying Together'. Illustrating Career Diversity with Diverse Seniors

Evolving into an executive committee format this year, not only Sotonoba University but also university students with diverse backgrounds from over 20 schools participated in various ways. The highlight was 'Ask the Seniors! What were you doing at 18?', a dialogue program with current university students and working professionals with diverse careers. Sitting in small circles, high school students not only confided their current worries and anxieties and listened to the seniors' success stories but also touched upon the real worries and trial-and-error processes the seniors had experienced.

Career options were introduced as encompassing 100 different paths for 100 different people, going beyond just entering university to include studying overseas or in regional areas, and intentionally pausing for a 'gap year' or 'leave of absence.' For the high school students, it was a place to speak with people who had taken paths they hadn't previously considered, providing a trigger to broaden their options and the courage to take a step forward.

Looking at 'Learning' and 'Society' in an Era of Rapid Change with Parents and Educators

In the special talk area, a guest talk session was held to delve into 'the future of learning' from multiple angles. Guests included Mr. Akira Ishikawa, who has supported the launch of over 1,000 new businesses at Recruit; Mr. Kozo Takei, a pioneer of decentralized autonomous management; Mr. Kenshu Kamura, who introduced Teal organizations to Japan; and Mr. Hideo Miura, an expert in boundary-spanning leadership. The speakers and participants engaged in dialogue centered around themes like 'What learning is necessary in the AI era?', 'What changes when you step outside the school?', and 'From competition to co-creation: the forefront of social transformation.'

What should schools be like in a volatile, uncertain era, and what is the true 'power' we want to acquire? While highlighting Sotonoba University's challenging new examples of learning, it was a profound discussion involving multiple generations.