This spring, a new initiative will begin in our school collaboration project! 

Otari Village in Nagano Prefecture has launched a "Local Government Issues Solving Project" in collaboration with Musashino University (Nerima Ward, Tokyo) and Morisawa Corporation (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo)! 

Students plan ways to solve real-world problems faced by local governments 

The purpose of this project is to learn about the "real" issues that local governments face in their communities, and then have students come up with plans to address those issues from a fresh perspective.
The other day, a project information session was held at Musashino University for those interested in participating!

At the briefing session, an employee from Otari Village Office gave an introduction to the village and its current situation, and shared the issues that he wanted project members to consider. 

Not only come up with a plan and communicate it, but also come up with content that "communicates"

This time, the participating students will not just come up with a plan, but will also put their ideas into writing and give a presentation to the villagers!
Morisawa, which runs the Font Switch Project, supports the creation of materials that better communicate well-thought-out projects. 

We will hold a seminar for students on the persuasive power of a proposal through letters, something that only a company that creates fonts can understand.
All the participantsMORISAWA BIZ+We plan to have participants create presentations that are easy to understand using UD fonts (Universal Design Fonts), which are included in the book.

On-site inspections are planned in the future 

In the future, project members will visit Otari Village to conduct on-site inspections and speak with villagers and business owners in order to gain a more "real" understanding of the issues.
As time went on during the briefing, the students' eyes became more serious.

 Next time, we will bring you a report on the on-site inspection where student members get a taste of the real Otari Village.
Please take a look! 

Participating businesses in this project
・Otari Village, Nagano Prefecture
・Musashi University
・Morisawa Co., Ltd.

 For two days, from May 11th to 12th, the student members visited Otari Village in Nagano Prefecture and observed the current situation and efforts from various people in the village. 

The student members gathered in Otari Village, where they had learned about the previous orientation.  

Otari Village stretches 40 kilometers from north to south and is a vast, long stretch of land. By driving from north to south, we will listen to the stories of people who are active in the village and actually interview them to understand the "real" side of the village. 

Oami Farming and Mountaineering Experience Exchange Facility (Tsuchinoie)

Guided by facility manager Mr. Maeda, the children were given an explanation about the village and why he started "Tsuchinoie," and were able to gain a firsthand understanding of the great outdoors of Otari Village. 

▲Just a five-minute walk away, you'll find yourself surrounded by nature. "That's Mount Amakazari," says Maeda.

▲Bear fur. It has thick hair, but it's smooth to the touch!

▲With Mount Amakashira in the background

Otari Roadside Station

At the roadside station in Otari Village, we had an in-depth talk about the history and employment opportunities at the roadside station.

▲CEO Ikuta says it is an honor to be ranked 19th in the 2017 ranking of favorite roadside stations in this remote area. 

▲I listen to Ikuta's talk while taking notes seriously. 

▲Any questions can be resolved on the spot! 

▲Of course, we also enjoyed some delicious local cuisine at the roadside station!
 The student members told us about the various ways they use to increase customer satisfaction! 

Gyokusenji Temple (Nakatani-go)

Nakatsuchi is located in the center of the village, which stretches from north to south. We spoke to the people living in Nakatani-go at Gyokusenji Temple, which was rebuilt last year, about their efforts.

▲Gyokusenji Temple

▲The materials prepared by Shibata and Ota were filled with their feelings for Otari Village. 

 Otari Village boasts abundant nature, including two national parks and Mount Amakasari, one of Japan's 100 most famous mountains. However, we learned about the village's history, which includes a struggle against natural disasters (avalanches, landslides, and landslides). 

Otari Village Local Museum

The director gave us a lecture on the culture of Otari Village. The magnificent thatched roof of the local museum is a testament to the culture being passed down.
There are even fossilized dinosaur footprints! 

▲The tour is coming to an end. I once again get a real sense of what my hometown is! 

▲Looking back at the places we visited today while checking the map!  

Hotel Green Plaza Hakuba

Otari Village has several ski slopes and receives up to 4 meters of snow in winter.
We will visit Hotel Green Plaza Hakuba, which has a ski resort that becomes a huge hit in the winter. 

▲Okuzawa explains that the percentage of foreign visitors is increasing every year because they can ski in the forest. 

Day 2

After the group had a full experience of Otari Village yesterday, on the second day they stayed at their accommodation where they received a lecture on the village's activities from everyone involved. 

About Otari Village (Mr. Taguchi, Otari Village Specialty Promotion Office) 

▲About accommodation and sightseeing in Tsugaike Kogen (Mr. Inomata, Front Stage)

▲About Tsugaike Kogen Ski Resort (Yamagishi from Hakuba Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) 

▲Activities undertaken by Yamagishi

About Tsugaike Nature Park (Mr. Ikuta of Otari Promotion Corporation) 

▲Promoting tourism in Otari Village (Yamanaka from the Otari Village Tourism Association)

These two days were very productive, as we were able to hear from everyone who is working for the village about the charms of Otari Village, as well as the challenges and problems the village faces.

It was a fulfilling tour where the students were able to ask questions about anything they were unsure about on the same day and express their thoughts.

▲Even while traveling, the members were excitedly discussing what kind of plans they would make!

Next time, we will finally start planning and polishing our plans for Otari Village, so please look forward to the next time!

The student group members who went on a two-day, one-night field trip to Otari Village immediately began organizing their impressions of the visit after returning to Tokyo, while their memories were still fresh.

The topic was "What are the strengths and weaknesses of Otari Village that you noticed through your inspection?"
When visiting a place for the first time, each participant was asked to write down on a sheet their objective impressions as they listened to various stories from local people.

Based on the strengths and weaknesses that each person has written down, each team will pool their opinions on topics such as "How can we make the most of our strengths?" and "How can we overcome our weaknesses?" and then create a plan.

This time, the student members will once again present the plan they came up with to the villagers in Otari Village.
When giving a presentation, schedule management is also important.
There, the tutor, a member of TeamLab Sales, gave a lecture on the importance of schedule management when planning an event.

A rift immediately breaks out among the group!

In the second half, participants will split into teams and begin creating the framework for the project, including the concept and target selection.

We will work out the details of each team's plan by looking at the photos taken during the inspection, the materials we received, and the notes we took while listening to the talks.

The student members communicate with each other to finalize the plans, but depending on the team, there may be differences of opinion and they may not be able to move forward.

This shows their enthusiasm: "We want the villagers to be convinced of the plan we have in mind!" and "We want to solve the village's problems!"

Listen to external opinions as well as internal ones

At the end of the session, each team gave a presentation on the project they were planning to carry out.

It is important not to just focus on your own team's plans, but to listen to and share the plans of other teams as well.
"We will complete the project with all of these student members."
There, you will once again learn the importance of working and doing projects as a team.

Only about a month left until the announcement...!

There is about one month left until the presentation in Otari Village.
The student members will then delve deeper into the project and begin preparing materials to present to the villagers.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the ideas I had in my head will be translated into materials!

We will continue to report on this project, so please keep checking back!

Participating businesses in this project
・Otari Village, Nagano Prefecture
・Musashi University
・Morisawa Co., Ltd.

Last time, after their inspection, the student members shared their thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of Otari Village, and based on those opinions, discussed what kind of plan would be best to actually solve the problems the village is facing.
We have now reached the stage of actually putting the plan into presentation materials!

Morisawa Inc. staff will provide editing and advice on the presentation materials created by the student members, based on the concept of "contributing to society through writing."

From "communicating" to "communicating"

This time, the student members will make a presentation to the villagers in Otari Village to propose the plans they have come up with.
However, even if you have a good plan, your thoughts must be conveyed clearly to the villagers who are listening when you present it.

First, Morisawa's support staff gave a lecture to the student members on the actual role that letters and fonts play!

When creating materials, this seminar is full of important information that you won't want to miss a single word of!
The student members listened with serious expressions and took notes.

The important thing when creating materials is to "think from the other person's perspective"

After receiving an explanation about the role of letters and fonts, the participants received a lecture on how to create more readable presentation materials while correcting the presentation materials they were actually creating!

Just being a little more conscious of fonts can change the way the same content is conveyed.

Are the people you are explaining to the same generation as you? Or are they older?
"What is the most important thing you want to convey?" "What was the atmosphere at the venue on the day?" etc.
The student members received advice from Morisawa's support staff, who said, "It's important to prepare your materials while thinking about what will happen on the day of the presentation."

The second half begins with the aim of creating a better project!

There are only two weeks left until the student members' presentations!
After the seminar, each team's discussions became even more intense.

Please continue to keep an eye on the student members' activities and look forward to future developments in this project!

With less than two weeks until the announcement, the proposal is now in the final stages. This time, we not only have to come up with a plan, but also present it to the people of Otari Village.
Therefore, we decided to have each team quickly present what they had learned so far in a presentation format!

Although they regularly present their results in university classes and seminars, this was their first time presenting on a project like this. Despite feeling anxious about the sudden request, each team met to prepare and then took on the challenge of presenting.

Things you can only see by trying

The presentations finally began. Some teams gave their presentations through skit-like dialogue, others left the presentation to a representative and everyone else just supported them, and still others took turns giving their explanations.

Although it was rough around the edges, I could sense their earnest desire to somehow communicate their plan.

There were many things that became clear through the experience, and it seemed that the students themselves gained new insights from the presentation, from how to present to the content of their plans. They listened intently to the presentations of the other teams while thinking about the visuals and how to present them.

To make sure our feelings are conveyed

Based on the presentations, just like last time, staff from Morisawa Inc. provided advice on the student members' proposals based on the concept of "contributing to society through writing."

The student members were delighted to hear, "This proposal has improved so much since the first one we made!"

However, he said there is still more that can be done to "communicate" and this time he gave advice focusing on "color usage."

TeamLab sales staff also gave advice on how to structure the project and the order of materials, and even though their heads were overwhelmed with all the feedback, they desperately tried to think straight, determined to somehow communicate the project they had come up with.

Next time, the final one! Presentation in Otari Village

This project, which has been running since April, will come to an end with the next presentation in Otari Village!

We've finalized the plan, prepared the presentation, and now it's time to show the culmination of three months of work! The student members and support staff will work together to deliver a great plan!

Please stay tuned until the end to see what the student members and this project will bring to the future!