What I noticed while conducting workshops with young people overseas. (Part 2)

Following the first part, members of the student group "Bizjapan" and Wakamon researcher Okura explore the differences between overseas and Japanese students through discussion. The topic even evolves into the differences between the two young men's personalities...?
The second part, packed with the real voices of "Wakamon," begins now.

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Universities overseas where entrepreneurship education is advanced.

Okura: The workshop Bizjapan held this time focused on "Entrepreneurship." Were there differences between how international students perceive entrepreneurship and how you see it?

B: We thought introducing Japanese startups to international students and facilitating exchanges between Japanese and international students interested in entrepreneurship would provide valuable learning. But it seems that wasn't quite enough for them.

A: For example, Peking University has a course dedicated to studying entrepreneurship, so perhaps they wanted a learning environment that went a step further.

Ōkura: When I was a college student in the US, I saw a comparison of career aspirations rankings between Japanese and American students. It was shocking how things ranked low in Japan were high in the US – they were almost exact opposites. The data was from back then, but I think Japan's top choice was a corporate executive at a large company, while in the US, it was definitely CEO (entrepreneurship). Even though we use the same term "entrepreneurship," it seems the perception varies by country. Why did two people with no study abroad experience decide to become core members of Bizjapan? Was it because, while harboring a latent desire to go overseas, you wanted an experience where external stimuli could come in?

B: Sure, I thought the combination of "entrepreneurship × global" sounded interesting, but honestly, I didn't have particularly strong feelings about either entrepreneurship or global issues. I joined as a core member because I figured if we were going to run events, being at the top would definitely be a better experience.

I'm not great at turning zero into one, but I'm good at taking one and getting it closer to 100.

Ōkura: The mindset B-kun just described feels quite common among young people in Japan these days. It's not about having a clear "I absolutely want to do this" within themselves. Instead, they find a large organization or group to join, and participating in that creates their will. They excel more at pushing 1 to its limit than at creating 0 from 1. I think many Japanese people have always had this trait, but today's youth are especially skilled at "curation" because they've stockpiled so much knowledge and information. On the other hand, that deep, internal "want" doesn't always surface immediately. Earlier, both of you mentioned wanting to study abroad, yet haven't done it yet. Isn't that because studying abroad is something you can't really act on without that strong "want"?

B: Hmm... Thinking about it that way, maybe I'm drawn to entrepreneurship because it's something I lack myself... In that sense, maybe students abroad are more likely to have that inner "want" or "will."

A: During this workshop, I met various venture companies and was really drawn to the stories of people who "got together with friends to create a new product." I don't know if I have that will within me, but I thought work focused on realizing that will sounded more interesting.

Okura: Just gaining those insights about your "work philosophy" makes this workshop worthwhile for both of you.

A: I truly think so. While advancing this project, we interacted with many companies and received frequent feedback from professionals. Honestly, it was really discouraging since I hadn't experienced that much before. But I believe gaining such opportunities while still a student will definitely be useful going forward.

Ōkura: Young people these days rarely get scolded by strangers or hit walls. Some skip the rebellious phase altogether, so when they finally face a wall after entering society, they break. Overseas, you might not get yelled at, but there's always winning and losing in daily life and debates, which can be frustrating. Proms are like that too (laughs). You can't afford to just "go along with the crowd."

A: Exactly. For me, everything is a battle. This workshop, studying abroad, even this discussion (laughs). Meeting those international students made me feel like I "lost." That's why I decided to study abroad—because I hated losing (laughs).

Ōkura: What a fierce competitive spirit (laugh)! We'll have to face off against international students again someday.

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In the discussion, we discovered not only differences between young people overseas and in Japan, but also distinct approaches to tackling things: A-kun, who passionately pursues his own will regardless of organizational goals, and B-kun, who excels at bringing organizational goals closer to 100%. I think we were able to share, in their own words, the recent trends among young people we sense daily within our team.

It's clear both participants felt greatly inspired by this workshop. Amidst claims that "young people aren't interested in overseas opportunities" or "they don't face major obstacles," Wakamon will continue supporting student groups actively seeking such experiences!

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