Kensuke Harada × Makoto Ogi: Part 1 "Young people don't believe in a 'rosy future'"

The 'Youth Understanding Survey 2015', jointly conducted by DENTSU SOKEN INC. and Dentsu's Youth Research Department (Wakamon), revealed contradictory mindsets among young people. They expressed concerns like "I'm more worried about Japan's future than my own" and "We want to lead society, but we don't believe we can change it." What can adults do in response to these feelings young people have towards society? This time, focusing on "politics," Kensuke Harada, representative of the NPO " YouthCreate," which connects young people with politics, and Makoto Ogi of Wakamon held a dialogue.

 

Activities connecting young people and politics from a youth perspective

Ogi: Mr. Harada, I understand you've been actively involved in social initiatives since your student days, such as founding "ivote " (a student group aiming to increase voter turnout among those in their 20s). What sparked your interest in politics?

Harada: For me, politics just happened to be the gateway into society. When you enter university, you're bursting with motivation, right? (laughs) At that time, I wanted to get involved with society in some way, so I looked into politics because it touches every aspect of society. But I couldn't grasp it at all from books, so I interned at a Diet member's office for two years. What struck me there was this gap: politicians were desperately working on policies on the ground, yet young people's negative perceptions of politics never changed. Wanting to bridge that gap, I launched "ivote."

Ogi: That's incredible initiative. While the desire to contribute to society is common among young people today, there's also a tendency to be overly conscious of others' opinions—like the so-called "high-minded" label—making it hard to step outside their own communities. Were you ever concerned about how others might perceive you?

Harada: People often called me "that weirdo," but I didn't really care. If I couldn't get my friends excited about politics, it actually made me frustrated and motivated me even more (laughs). Back then, social media wasn't as widespread, so maybe that also let me act without worrying too much about others' opinions or judgments.

Ogi: Among young people's work values, I see more choosing careers with social contribution in mind or engaging in social activities while working. Why did you choose to start an NPO instead of working for government or private companies?

Harada: I felt there was still so much to be done in bridging young people and politics. While government departments exist for this, staff might get transferred. As a young person myself, I wanted to stand between youth and politics. To achieve that while I'm still young, launching YouthCreate was the most direct path.

 

Young people don't believe in a "rosy future"

Ogi: According to this survey, despite young people wanting to lead society, the reality is that youth voter turnout isn't increasing. When I thought about why this gap exists, I wondered if today's youth are hesitant to engage unless they see immediate returns or tangible results. It's hard to visualize the change one vote can bring, isn't it?

Harada: That makes sense. The PDCA cycle in politics moves slowly, making it hard to feel personally involved. What's different from decades ago is the smaller youth population. With fewer young people, some think their opinions won't be reflected anyway, even if they vote.

Ogi: For example, activities like picking up trash or community development offer easier rewards. You get words of thanks, and the results of your actions are visible.

Harada: I participate in litter cleanup campaigns too, and it really gives you that sense of doing something good (laughs). I don't mean to dismiss that at all. What's important is understanding that politics is inevitably involved in every social issue. There are cases where people are engaged in social contribution activities yet know nothing about the political landscape in that field, or try to handle things themselves without negotiating with the government.

But, for example, when you want to solve poverty overseas, there's the approach of collecting donations, and there's the approach of asking the government to increase budgets for developing countries. Both are important, but the latter has overwhelmingly greater impact when successful. I think we need to communicate that politics holds potential, including in that regard.

Ogi: A Cabinet Office survey shows that today's youth have high life satisfaction, yet they feel anxious about Japan's future. They have a sense that they need to take the lead, but they don't believe they can actually change society's systems.
This contradictory mindset is part of what makes young people hard to pin down. In your interactions with many young people, Mr. Harada, do you also sense this kind of mindset?

Harada: I think many people want Japan to change. However, many have given up, partly because the youth population is small. As a young person myself, I feel that unlike previous generations, we don't have a rosy future ahead. It's not pitch black, but more like a gray future – it's about how much we can make that gray approach white. That's why I feel a disconnect with approaches that promise, "Do this and your life will be rosy," or "This manifesto will make Japan rosy."

Ogi: That feeling seems to apply to communication too. We tend to doubt empty promises, and expressions that unilaterally push "this is good" don't resonate easily. The fact that political communication doesn't match young people's sensibilities is also one reason they keep their distance, right?
By the way, Harada-san, are you thinking about changing social systems?

Harada: I believe that should be the ultimate destination. Achieving voting rights at 18 wasn't a direct approach to that end, but it can be seen as one societal transformation. As a preliminary step, I think we need to increase opportunities for dialogue, like events connecting young Ministry of Finance officials with ordinary young people, to foster greater awareness. First and foremost, we must create more entry points connecting young people with politics.

 

※Part 2 is scheduled for release on Wednesday, July 15.

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