We are pleased to announce the launch of the official website for GifTs (Glocal Innovator & Future Talent society). We are also excited to report that the Team F (“FIMBY”), which won the First Prize in the Karuizawa Community Revitalization Project’s 2nd season, held in March 2024, has continued its activities beyond the 2nd season.
On July 12-13, 2024, members of the FIMBY and GifTs management team visited Hotch-Lodge, a facility offering clinical and community care services, to implement a solution planned during the 2nd season. In addition to FIMBY’s initiative, we are making steady progress in executing other plans designed in the 2nd season.
GifTs Official Website Launch
We are excited to announce the launch of the official GifTs website, where you can explore an overview of our activities and past projects.
<GifTs Official Website>
URL：https://sites.google.com/view/gifts-english
Karuizawa Community Revitalization Project
Karuizawa Community Revitalization Project brings together students and working professionals to address challenges in Karuizawa across three key areas: agriculture, inbound tourism, and healthcare. Teams present their proposals at a final pitch event, where they are evaluated by both the audience and a panel of expert judges.
The project launched in 2023, and the 3rd season is set in 2025.
About 2nd season
The 2nd season saw six diverse teams tackle issues in inbound tourism, agriculture, and healthcare. Each team comprised members of various ages and backgrounds, bringing a wealth of perspectives to the table.
We collaborated with Karuizawa Prince Hotel West to develop strategies for inbound tourism, with Karuizawa Gardenfarm to address agricultural challenges at their strawberry farm, and with Hotch-Lodge to explore solutions for local healthcare issues.
Proposed Plans presented in the 2nd season
At the final pitch event, three teams (Teams B, C, and D) proposed solutions for inbound tourism, one team (Team A) focused on agriculture, and two teams (Teams E and F) proposed healthcare solutions.
<Proposed Solution Plans>
Even after the conclusion of the 2nd season, we are continuing to implement the proposed plans.
Team F（Healthcare）
“Contemplating Life and Death in Karuizawa”
Team F, also known as FIMBY, explored perspectives on life and death by sharing personal experiences and reflections among team members. They observed that death is rarely a topic of everyday conversation. The team developed the hypothesis that contemplating death is equivalent to reflecting on the act of living in the present, and that we need dedicated time to do so. Ultimately, they proposed a camp themed “Contemplating Life and Death in Karuizawa”, where people could face and discuss death.
Following the 2nd season, the team began preparing to implement the plan. They consulted with Ms. Satoko Fujioka, co-chairperson of Hotch-Lodge, and a welfare environment designer, suggesting visiting Hotch-Lodge would be a good first step in bringing the plan to life.
Visit to Hotch-Lodge in July 2024
On July 12-13, we visited Hotch-Lodge for a two-day, one-night stay. The group consisted of four participants: Mirei Sakaki (3rd year, Chuo University) and Satoshi Yamaguchi (1st year master's student, Tokyo University of Science) from FIMBY, and with second-season participants Hidetoshi Tsujioka and Nanaha Ito (3rd year, Chuo University).
<Visiting members >
Bonfire and Reflections on Life and Death
Upon arrival at Hotch-Lodge, we gathered for a bonfire. With the support of Ms. Satoko Fujioka, six participants including both students and working professionals who were interested in FIMBY’s activities joined the bonfire. Despite the rainy weather initially making it challenging to light the fire, we worked together, buildinging a sense of camaraderie that allowed conversation to flow naturally, even though we had just met for the first time. Gathered around the bonfire, we engaged in a deep conversation, sharing our perspectives on life and death, as well as discussing our personal situations and worries.
<Dialogue around a bonfire>
[Saturday Study Room]
On July 13th, we took part in the monthly “Saturday Study Room” held at Hotch-Lodge in the morning. We assisted with cooking rice over a bonfire, farming, and making desserts. Satoshi Yamaguchi reflected, “During the Saturday Study Room, we made pizza with local residents who had gathered at Hotch-Lodge. I was amazed at how naturally we began talking while working together despite having just met. I feel that this is something unique to Hotch-Lodge. Local residents often visit casually, and new connections are formed. It is the only place that fosters such a strong sense of community. As the saying goes, ''a place with both a clinic and a big kitchen,' suggests, Hotch-Lodge not only provides medical services but also serves as a hub for building relationships. This visit allowed me to fully experience this unique community atmosphere.”
(Saturday Study Room: Helping with Farming and a Bonfire with Karuizawa Residents!)
Future Prospects of FIMBY
FIMBY is planning to implement new initiatives based on the experience gained from their recent visit. They aim to roll out the updated plan in mid-November 2024, continuing their collaboration with the Karuizawa community.
Team C (Inbound Tourism)
“Harmonious Living with Lovely Neighbour Birds in Karuizawa”
Team C, known as KIDs, participated in a nature tour organized by Picchio during their field research in the second season of Karuizawa project. Through this experience, they discovered that Karuizawa is a town where people, nature, and wildlife live harmoniously. Inspired by this discovery, they proposed a plan to enhance visitors’ connection with Karuizawa’s rich nature by installing titmouse nest boxes near their cottage.
(Team C and Picchio, group photo during the nature tour)
Future Prospects of KIDs
At the final presentation, KIDs received strong support from local stakeholders in Karuizawa. Notably, Mr. Yokochi, the president of Karuizawa Garden Farm, expressed significant interest in their proposal. As a result, KIDs are now planning a new collaboration with the Karuizawa Garden Farm to install titmouse nest boxes on the farm.
Other Plans（Agriculture and Inbound Tourism）
In addition to the efforts by FIMBY and KIDs, Team A (theme: YOLO with Strawberry and Nice People) and Team B (theme: Attracting Muslim Tourists with Halal Certification) are also progressing with implementation of their respective plans.
Here's an update on their initiatives:
Karuizawa Garden Farm x Hotch-Lodge
Team A proposed a plan to address the challenges faced by the strawberry farm through nutrition education and cooking classes in collaboration with Hotch-Lodge. During the Karuizawa visit in July, they worked to establish this collaboration, connecting President Yokochi of the strawberry farm with Hotch-Lodge to discuss specific plans for future development.
<Discussing future plans at Hotch-Lodge>
Plans for Prince Hotel
Team B proposed an inbound strategy for Prince Hotel to attract Muslim tourists by introducing Halal-certified offerings. Following this proposal, Karuizawa Prince Hotel is now preparing to incorporate Halal-certified menus in its restaurants.
Final message
Throughout the second season, we gained valuable insights and maintained our engagement with the Karuizawa community, even after the completion of the project.
If you are interested in GifTs, please visit our official website. For any inquiries, feel free to contact us:
karuizawa.internship@gmail.com
Editors: Satoshi Yamaguchi (Lead Editor), Amy Crawley (Support Editor), Mirai Sakaki (Japanese Editor)
Contact Information
Healthcare Innovation Association
（Opens an external site）
Contact
一般社団法人ヘルスケアイノベーション協会 info@hc-innovation-association.org
