Human Resources Development
From 2019 academic year
Social Innovation Juku
The second Social Innovation Juku was held in 2019. The focus was on mindfulness (self-management) and design out of the elements required of the ideal human resource.
It was held over a period of five months, and the lecturers were Soichiro Inagaki and Tamaki Nakamura, who engaged in self-improvement in the United States.
The aim of the juku was the same as the previous year, namely “to gather information from a bird’s eye view to produce value for creating a new future and implement it in business.”
During the five-month juku, students learned to doubt their own thinking, which tends to be inside a box, and consider various viewpoints that lead to innovation, engaged in discussion, and worked on creating something different. This year’s students again came from all over the prefecture, and some were second-time participants. The network of graduates has expanded, including voluntary follow-up meetings.
It was held over a period of five months, and the lecturers were Soichiro Inagaki and Tamaki Nakamura, who engaged in self-improvement in the United States.
The aim of the juku was the same as the previous year, namely “to gather information from a bird’s eye view to produce value for creating a new future and implement it in business.”
During the five-month juku, students learned to doubt their own thinking, which tends to be inside a box, and consider various viewpoints that lead to innovation, engaged in discussion, and worked on creating something different. This year’s students again came from all over the prefecture, and some were second-time participants. The network of graduates has expanded, including voluntary follow-up meetings.
| Head of Juku | Akiba, Chief Curator |
| Lecturers | Soichi Inagaki (Co-Founder and Partner, Transform LLC.) Tamaki Nakamura (Director, epiQ Co., Ltd.) |
| Schedule | September 27, 2019 - January 24, 2020 (total of five times) |
Student comments
- The group work was also effective for team building, and I’ve gained some irreplaceable colleagues.
- I want to try a design approach in my own life, and not just in business.
- As more people gain a deeper understanding of mindfulness, I believe it will make for a more enriching local community.
- I got a lot of stimulation. I was able to broaden my horizons by learning about things you don't learn just by working at a company.
- By learning self-management, I developed the habit of being in the moment and observing my own situation through practice.
- While learning the approach of thematizing problems and incorporating them into specific services, I engaged in trial and error.
Professional Entrepreneurship Juku
An entrepreneurship juku for health and welfare professionals was held jointly with JHNA, and Professor Miyazaki of the University of Nagano participated. This year’s focus was on entrepreneurship, while last year’s was on achieving clarity. The all-day entrepreneurship course was held three times for the juku, and enthusiastic professionals from inside and outside Nagano came to participate. It was a content-rich three months for the participants, most of whom had participated the previous year (achieving clarity) as well but which also included those who received recommendations from the Nagano Research Society. They worked on envisioning what starting a business would look like in their respective fields and using that for business model planning, taking real first steps toward that end.
Specific collaborative undertakings with presenters at Shinshu Social Innovation Forum 2019, which took place during the period of the juku, also came out of the efforts. There will very likely be some entrepreneurs from among the graduates in 2020.
An ecosystem is being cultivated for professionals aspiring to become entrepreneurs.
Specific collaborative undertakings with presenters at Shinshu Social Innovation Forum 2019, which took place during the period of the juku, also came out of the efforts. There will very likely be some entrepreneurs from among the graduates in 2020.
An ecosystem is being cultivated for professionals aspiring to become entrepreneurs.
Organizer’s comments
In the entrepreneurship juku, I learned about creating business models, fundraising, and more.
Professionals have strong ideas but are unfamiliar with money. I’m incredibly grateful for the existence of CSI, which helps in that regard.
It’s interesting that people who get going all say the same thing:
“Once you take the first step, various things connect, and what you need just seems to come together.”
It’s reassuring to have colleagues for mutual support and to share your enthusiasm with. Starting in 2020, we're going to meet monthly to share information.
Yoko Mitsui, Nagano Research Society, JHNA
Professionals have strong ideas but are unfamiliar with money. I’m incredibly grateful for the existence of CSI, which helps in that regard.
It’s interesting that people who get going all say the same thing:
“Once you take the first step, various things connect, and what you need just seems to come together.”
It’s reassuring to have colleagues for mutual support and to share your enthusiasm with. Starting in 2020, we're going to meet monthly to share information.
Yoko Mitsui, Nagano Research Society, JHNA
Student comments
After the entrepreneurship juku (achieving clarity and entrepreneurship), my own uncertainties have been cleared up. Rather than working toward a work-life balance, I want to take a “Work as Life” approach. At the juku, I learned to seize opportunities if they arise and to identify what opportunity means to me so that I will be prepared. I’m putting that into practice daily now. It was sometimes difficult to face myself during the juku. By pushing through and continuing to face myself and the problems I wanted to solve together with my classmates, I was able to get a handle on where I’m currently headed and whether that is what I really want for my future. At this stage, I haven’t chosen entrepreneurship as my path, but I’m enjoying working and leading a fulfilling life. The biggest result of the entrepreneurship juku is that life has become more fun. (Female, certified psychologist)
Local vitalization cooperator skills training
The Nagano Prefectural Planning and Promotion Department organized local vitalization cooperator skills training.
Chief Curator Akiba served as lecturer in 2018 and again in 2019.
Nagano Prefecture has the second highest number of local vitalization cooperators in all of Japan. Thirty-six people from 19 municipalities participated in the training.
The lecture was about entrepreneurship as a means of addressing how to live in one’s own way, making one’s own decisions and living in a self-directed manner in a time when people are living to 100, based on the current situation in Nagano, Japan, and the world. The scene of the participants concentrating on the work was impressive.
Chief Curator Akiba served as lecturer in 2018 and again in 2019.
Nagano Prefecture has the second highest number of local vitalization cooperators in all of Japan. Thirty-six people from 19 municipalities participated in the training.
The lecture was about entrepreneurship as a means of addressing how to live in one’s own way, making one’s own decisions and living in a self-directed manner in a time when people are living to 100, based on the current situation in Nagano, Japan, and the world. The scene of the participants concentrating on the work was impressive.
Participant comments
- It was a very stimulating talk that thoroughly addressed the current situation in Japan and the world. It was different from all the other entrepreneurship support talks I’ve heard.
- This was an excellent opportunity for me to think about how to reconsider the realities faced by local vitalization cooperators.
Hokushin Local Vitalization Cooperator Entrepreneurship Juku
A local vitalization cooperator entrepreneurship juku was held as a new project of the Hokushin Regional Promotion Bureau.
It was organized for local vitalization cooperators active in the Hokushin area. The aim was to develop the ability to question oneself and say with confidence what one wants to do. The lecture and workshop by Chief Curator Akiba helped develop a thorough mindset for making one’s interests and strengths their life’s work to bring about the desired future self.
It was organized for local vitalization cooperators active in the Hokushin area. The aim was to develop the ability to question oneself and say with confidence what one wants to do. The lecture and workshop by Chief Curator Akiba helped develop a thorough mindset for making one’s interests and strengths their life’s work to bring about the desired future self.
| Organizer | Hokushin Regional Promotion Bureau |
Student comments
It was just a short three classes, but by participating in the entrepreneurship juku, I was able to get a condensed lesson on how to give shape to my thoughts. Now I just have to do some little trials and polish up my business plan in preparation for when the time is right to start my business so that it can be managed in a sustainable way. I’m going to move forward in the aim of making more people and the world happy.
KISO Women’s and Young People’s Entrepreneurship Juku
Chief Curator Akiba served as lecturer at the KISO Women’s and Young People’s Entrepreneurship Juku held from September to November (total of three times). A total of 13 people, including aspiring entrepreneurs and those just wanting to live in a self-directed manner, participated.
Organizer’s comments
Seeing the students participating enthusiastically gave me the strong impression that they love Kiso and want to make it better. We also received lots of forward-looking feedback on the post-lecture questionnaire, including “It gave me more motivation,” “I found what direction I want to take in life,” and “It lit a fire in my being.” As the organizer, this was very good to hear, and I look forward to working with passionate people like this to invigorate Kiso.
Hirotoshi Gomi; Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division; Kiso Regional Promotion Bureau; Nagano Prefecture
Hirotoshi Gomi; Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division; Kiso Regional Promotion Bureau; Nagano Prefecture
Student comments
Everyone had questions in their heads like, “How do you start a business?” “Is what I’m doing now different from entrepreneurship?” and “I want to do something, but where do I start?” After thoroughly looking inside ourselves for three months and thinking about the value that our businesses will provide to the world, we gained confidence that we can become what we want to be. The juku provided a guidepost for living life in a self-directed manner. (Kazunori Kamata and Noriko Inoue)
Training to support personnel going out into the community
CSI participated in a coordinating role in the training to support personnel going out into the community organized by Nagano Prefecture and cosponsored by the Training Center for Municipal Personnel held on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. This year’s theme was the impact of cross-organizational activities of public service personnel. Work was done on creating opportunities for municipal personnel to go out into their communities based on the theme of pro bono work or volunteer activities utilizing their professional skills or expert knowledge for social or public purposes.