Student × Corporate Festival to Change Regional Futures: "DREAM JAPAN PROJECT 2024" Award-Winning Idea Presentation and Awards Ceremony Held

Dentsu Inc. Sodejin (Social Design Engine)※ hosted the "DREAM JAPAN PROJECT 2024," a public project addressing regional challenges in Japan. The presentation of winning ideas and awards ceremony took place on Monday, November 11, 2024, at Dentsu Inc. Hall. Approximately 30 students and representatives from the 18 participating companies gathered for the event. It featured passionate presentations and lively exchanges between students and between companies and students, concluding in great success.

This project was launched to foster students' free-thinking ideas and collaborate with companies to build a vibrant, future-oriented Japan. For students, it aims to provide experiences useful for comprehensive admissions (formerly AO admissions), job hunting, and entrepreneurship, free from constraints of academic background or financial status. For companies, it provides a platform to encounter dynamic students and their innovative ideas.

The project featured two courses: the "Corporate Challenge Course," where students developed ideas to solve regional issues based on orientations provided by participating companies, aiming to commercialize these ideas with corporate support; and the "Free Venture Planning Course," which matched submitted ideas with venture capital (VC) firms and startups to provide support. Over a three-month application period, 105 proposals were received from students nationwide.

The presentations featured the top idea selected by each of the nine companies participating in the "Corporate Challenge Course," along with three ideas chosen from the "Free Venture Project Course." The nine ideas from the Corporate Challenge Course were refined based on advice from the respective companies after selection before being presented. Awards were then given to the top three ideas in each course and one "Sodejin Award" winner.

A scene from the Corporate Challenge Course presentations. Following the presentations, representatives from each company provided feedback and presented awards.

[Corporate Challenge Solution Course: Top Ideas from Each Company and Award Recipients]
Magnetic Award
Challenge: Ideas for sunglasses or sun visors that could energize local communities and the nation
1st Place: Mr. Fumiya Fukui
Idea: "Sunglasses made from waste materials generated by each prefecture's specialty products"
2nd Place: Takashi Haruhara, 3rd Place: Kosuke Akashi

Inoue Kiln Award
Challenge: An unexpected product utilizing the traditional techniques of this pottery, which develops a patina and deepens in character with use, revealing its true value only through long-term use
1st Place: Mr. Kousuke Akashi
Idea: "The Sound of Nihonmatsu Banko Ware: Smartphone Stand and Speaker"
2nd Place: Mr. Yuto Wakabayashi, 3rd Place: Mr. Takanobu Ichikawa

Kano Textiles Award
Theme: Oshima Tsumugi products that make the fabric feel accessible, suitable as gifts for special occasions or loved ones
1st Place: Mr. Yuto Wakabayashi
Idea: "Camping Gear Made from Oshima Tsumugi"
2nd Place: Aoi Morita, 3rd Place: Yuto Wakabayashi

Sekisui House Award
Theme: "Things, Experiences, or Services that Excite Children" that can only be created in the area where you live (or are interested in)
1st Place: Yuto Wakabayashi
Idea: "Create a barter economy using 'treasures' found in each region's nature"
2nd Place: Tomoya Murakami, 3rd Place: Shunji Igarashi, Tied for 3rd Place: Aoi Morita

TOYOTA CONIQ Pro, Inc. Award
Challenge: Business ideas for Toyota dealerships (approximately 5,000 nationwide) to become the most beloved and indispensable "town favorite" in their communities
1st Place: Yuto Wakabayashi
Idea: "Transform Toyota dealerships into regional roadside stations."
2nd Place: Tomoya Murakami, 3rd Place: Mari Kogure

NTT DOCOMO Award
Challenge: Service ideas that use technology to create a "new communication culture" in your hometown or regions across Japan
1st Place: Yuto Wakabayashi
Idea: "Predictive text and automatic translation services enabling communication in regional dialects"
2nd Place: Takashi Haruhara, 3rd Place: Fumiya Fukui

Mitsubishi Chemical Award
Challenge: Ideas to solve regional issues you perceive using "functional materials × something"
1st Place: Yuto Wakabayashi
Idea: "Utilizing Phase Change Materials to Streamline Snow Removal on Road Surfaces in Heavy Snowfall Areas"
2nd Place: Mai Tokushige, Aimi Iota, Shinnosuke Ito; 3rd Place: Keita Omia

Fujifilm Imaging Systems Award
Challenge: A plan to support local camera shops using real "photo prints"
1st Place: Mr. Fumiya Fukui
Idea: "Subscription-Based Family Photo Service for Camera Shops"
2nd Place: Rinka Okuno, 3rd Place: Mai Kawanaka

Kao Award
Challenge: Ideas to bring happiness to yourself, your family, your local community, and people in areas you care about using "detergent" for laundry
1st Place: Mr. Akiyuki Muramatsu
Idea: "Laundry at Daycare!"
2nd Place: Ms. Ha Moriguchi, 3rd Place: Mr. Yuki Doi

A scene from the presentations in the Free Entrepreneurship Planning Course. Following the presentations, participating companies serving as judges provided feedback and awards.

【Free Entrepreneurship Course: 1st Place Idea and Award Winners】
Challenge: Identify an issue in your local area or a region of Japan you care about, and propose a business idea to solve it.
1st Place: Yui Takahashi
Idea: "Ship Recycling and International Aid"
2nd Place: Mai Tokushige, Aimi Isoda, Shinnosuke Ito 3rd Place: Takuma Sudo, Yuki Nishii, Tsubasa Okamoto, Yu Hamanozono

【Dentsu Inc. Sodejin Award】*Selected from all submitted ideas
Aoi Ishikawa
Idea: "Renovating Vacant Houses in Depopulated Areas to Create Lodging for Camping and Music Club Activities"

In the comments for each award, many expressed admiration for ideas that possessed a perspective on challenges beyond the typical student level while also being brimming with fresh viewpoints unique to students. Participating students shared comments such as: "Everyone's excellent presentations and the feedback from the corporate representatives were extremely educational," and "It was wonderful to feel the wisdom and kindness of adults."

At the closing, Yuta Shimono (Representative of Muni), Chair of the Free Entrepreneurship Planning Course judging committee, stated that simply applying was already remarkable, urging participants not to stop here but to take what they learned back and connect it to something tangible.

Organizer Dentsu Inc. Sodejin stated that this inaugural project does not end with this event but marks a further start toward realizing dreams. Discussions to bring ideas to fruition are already underway in various places. Furthermore, encouraged by this year's success, plans are in motion for next year's event.

"DREAM JAPAN PROJECT 2024"
Organizer: Dentsu Inc. Sodejin (Social Design Engine)
Cooperation: 47CLUB Inc.
Sponsors:
① "Corporate Challenge Course"... Sekisui House, TOYOTA CONIQ Pro, Inc., NTT DOCOMO, Magtic (Fukui Prefecture functional eyewear), Inoue Kiln (Fukushima Prefecture ceramic tableware), Kanou Textiles (Kagoshima Prefecture Oshima Tsumugi Western-style clothing), Mitsubishi Chemical, Kao, Fujifilm Imaging Systems
② "Free Entrepreneurship Planning Course"…Muni, Creww, KUSABI, East Ventures, ANOBAKA, Scrum Ventures, Quantum Leap Ventures, Gazelle Capital

Details for "DREAM JAPAN PROJECT 2024" can be found here:
https://note.com/dreamjjapan615/
 

※Dentsu Sodegin (Social Design Engine): An internal virtual team at Dentsu Inc. born from the desire of individuals working within the company to make society better. Since its inception, it has pioneered new themes, insights, communication, and systems for social design. https://www.dentsu.co.jp/labo/socialdesignengine/index.html