【4th National High School Policy Koshien】Dates and Venues for 10 Regional Preliminary Rounds Decided

Japan Junior Chamber, Inc. (President: Taisho Kato, Location: VORT Hanzomon 7F, 2-12-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) is pleased to announce the dates and venues for the 10 regional preliminary rounds of the "4th National High School Policy Koshien," which it organizes. While there were only three regions (East Japan, West Japan, and Kyushu/Okinawa) until last year, the regional preliminary rounds have been expanded to 10 regions this year, making it easier for more high school students from across the country to participate.

This year's policy proposals are sought in two categories: ① Set Theme Division: Policies to realize desired employment and work styles! Policies that enable young people to enter society with confidence, and ② Free Theme Division: My top priority if I were Prime Minister (either category can be chosen, or dual entry into both categories is possible). Applications for participation will be accepted until 23:59 on Sunday, May 31st. We look forward to applications from high school students nationwide.

National 10 Regional Preliminary Rounds (Dates and Venues)

Hokkaido Region [Hokkaido] Date: Friday, July 31st Venue: Former Hokkaido Government Office Building (Red Brick Office)

Tohoku Region [Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima] Date: Friday, July 31st Venue: Sendai City Council Chamber

Kanto Region [Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Yamanashi, Kanagawa] Date: Friday, July 31st Venue: Shoken Gakuen Maebashi Hall (Maebashi Civic Cultural Hall)

Tokai Region [Shizuoka, Aichi, Gifu, Mie] Date: Tuesday, July 28th Venue: Gifu Prefectural Assembly Hall

Hokuriku-Shinetsu Region [Fukui, Ishikawa, Toyama, Niigata, Nagano] Date: Friday, July 31st Venue: Toyama Prefectural Assembly Hall

Kinki Region [Shiga, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama] Date: Wednesday, July 29th Venue: Kobe City Council Chamber

Chugoku Region [Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane, Tottori] Date: Sunday, August 2nd Venue: Yamaguchi Prefectural Government Archives (Former Prefectural Assembly Hall)

Shikoku Region [Kagawa, Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime] Date: Friday, July 31st Venue: Tokushima Prefectural Office Auditorium

Kyushu Region [Fukuoka, Oita, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima] Date: Wednesday, July 29th Venue: Kumamoto City Council Chamber

Okinawa Region [Okinawa] Date: Friday, July 31st Venue: Naha City Council Chamber

*Each regional preliminary round can accommodate 20 teams (10 teams per division) that have passed the document screening, totaling 200 teams across the 10 regions.

What is Policy Koshien? It is a nationwide policy contest where high school students, who will lead the next generation, take the main role in formulating and proposing concrete policies to create Japan's future. Organized by Japan JC since 2023, its aim is to improve young people's civic awareness. Last year, over 350 teams from across the country entered, and 16 teams that advanced to the final competition gave speeches at the National Diet Building, with the winning team successfully proposing policies directly to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. This year, 700 teams, approximately 2,100 participants, are expected to enter. We aim to promote the policy-making abilities of next-generation leaders and their proactive participation in solving social issues, thereby creating a sustainable society where the voices of young people are reflected in policy decisions.

"Policy Koshien" Website https://seisakukoushien.jaycee.or.jp/