Heiwado: Recruiting "Dreams and Ideas to Bring Smiles to Hikone" from High School Students – 10th Annual Student Dream Support Project for FY2026 Begins

Heiwado Co., Ltd., Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. (Shiga Factory), and Bridgestone Corporation (Hikone Factory) (hereinafter, the "Three Companies" or "HKB") are pleased to announce the commencement of idea recruitment for the fiscal year 2026 for the "Supporting Hikone's Passionate High School Students' Town Revitalization Dreams! – Supporting the Regional Activities of Passionate High School Students – (hereinafter, the "Student Dream Support Project"). The Student Dream Support Project, which began in fiscal year 2016 as one of HKB's "Hikone Smiles Full Project" initiatives, aims to "fill the town of Hikone with smiles." It solicits ideas from high school students attending school or residing in Hikone that contribute to utilizing regional resources and solving local issues. Excellent ideas are selected, and HKB supports their realization. Since 2021, a collaboration agreement has been signed with Shiga University, a national university corporation. By having university students participate in the project realization process, high school students' dreams are empowered into more concrete ideas that contribute to the revitalization of the entire city of Hikone. Furthermore, high schools within Hikone City, in particular, have continuously engaged in the Student Dream Support Project, resulting in a total of 2,045 applications over nine rounds from 2016 to 2025. The submitted ideas will undergo two rounds of screening: document review and presentation, with the grand prize winner expected to be announced around summer. Through the Student Dream Support Project, HKB will continue to support students, who are responsible for the future, in developing their ability to think and act independently, challenge themselves towards their dreams, and deepen their understanding of the region. 1. Eligibility All high school students attending school in Hikone City or residing in Hikone City. 2. Recruitment Themes ① Regional Issue Resolution ② Hikone Castle World Heritage Registration ③ Health 3. Application Method / Acceptance Please fill in the necessary information on the application form and ensure it reaches the secretariat by Monday, June 15, 2026. Dedicated website: https://hkb-yumejitugen.com 4. Schedule (Planned) ・FY2025 HKB "Student Dream Support Project" awards ceremony was held (November 22, 2025) https://www.heiwado.jp/assets/img/news/2025/pdf/1118_hkb_01.pdf ・Past 9 realization projects can be found here https://hkb-yumejitugen.com/report.html ・All information in this release is based on information at the time of release. ・The perspectives, illustrations, photos, logos, signs, maps, etc., used in this release are for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the actual. ・Please note that content and schedule may change without prior notice due to circumstances. End