Hands On Tokyo Youth Impact Project

Since 2022, Hands On Tokyo has organized the Youth Summit, an idea contest that brings young people together and inspires them to take action on social issues in their communities. This year, we welcomed 36 teams, with seven projects selected for the final, which will take place on September 27. After five months of preparation, the finalists will compete for the winning prize and funding to help turn their ideas into action.

However, the most exciting achievement this year has been the creation of the Youth Summit Committee, made up of 23 high school and university students from across Tokyo. Inspired by the belief that young people can be powerful agents of change, these students have taken ownership of the Summit from the beginning. They have helped plan and run the kickoff event, workshops, and preliminary round, taking on responsibilities that required teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and leadership. While they faced many challenges along the way, we have seen their confidence and abilities grow with every event. The upcoming final will be run entirely by young people, including the MCs, panelists, facilitators, and volunteers, truly bringing this year’s motto, “By the Youth, For the Youth,” to life.

Beyond the Youth Summit, we have continued to create opportunities for young people to participate in and lead new volunteer activities. Youth members contributed to Hands On Tokyo’s 20th Anniversary project, where they had the opportunity to work with a professional coach, and participated in a career day for children with visual impairments. Through these experiences, young volunteers shared that volunteering gave them opportunities to discover new perspectives, learn about the world around them, and better understand themselves — experiences that are also helping them think about their own future careers.

Young people have also taken the initiative to create new activities during the summer, including “Fun with English,” an activity for children with severe disabilities living in hospice care, and gardening and planting activities with children with disabilities. These youth-led initiatives demonstrate that young people are not simply participants in our programs — they are increasingly becoming the people who create, organize, and lead them.

Looking ahead, we have welcomed new youth members and selected new youth leaders who are already planning ambitious initiatives for the coming year. Among them are several fundraising events to purchase mamachari bicycles for children’s homes, helping support transportation to and from school, as well as another youth-led project currently under discussion.

We are incredibly proud of how our youth program has grown and evolved. With the continued support of our donors, we can provide young people with the opportunities, resources, and encouragement they need to turn their ideas into action. Your support does more than fund activities, it helps create a generation of young people who believe they can make a difference.