September and October were great season for sports, with many of our graduates participating in other organizations’ sports events.

First, in September, we sent out our annual “care package” to those who requested it, in preparation for the fall season of appetite. Once again, we were able to deliver a box full of international snacks, ready-to-eat curry packages, and more.

2 Mirai no Mori graduates and one LIT participated in “Cycling for Charity”‘s Karuizawa Ride held on October 7~9, and were able to experience over 100 km of cycling per day. The graduate, who is in their fourth year of college, wanted to challenge himself in his last year of college, and it was impressive to see him participating in all of the the cycling practice sessions and actively interacting with other adult participants. The other graduate, who love bicycles, was very knowledgeable about bicycles and parts, and were very helpful in fixing a flat tire during the ride, which was very impressive. It was a very valuable experience for them to interact with a diverse group of adults who are active in society and to experience the sights of beautiful countryside and sense of accomplishment that only bicycling can provide.

At the Cricket 2023 Embassy Cup held on October 28, two graduates who wanted to participate were invited to represent Mirai no Mori. In the international atmosphere, it was a wonderful time for them to broaden their horizons by experiencing a sport they were not familiar with, cricket. Since they had come all the way to Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, we also held the “Tochigi Trip Project,” organized by graduates themselves. They were asked to think about what they wanted to do and where they wanted to stay, and to plan and execute the trip as a project, from making reservations at hotels to making payments, including the preparation of a budget.

“It was interesting to experience a little bit of cricket for the first time. I was asked by the Japan Cricket Association to try selling raffle tickets, but many people did not know about Mirai no Mori, and I was hesitant to act for a long time because of the difficulty. However, when I stopped thinking about it and just took action, I was surprised to find that there were more people who bought the tickets, and I felt that it was a very good experience. It was also a good memory for me because I learned some great sales tips from the people who actually had stores at the event. I hope to make the most of this experience for future opportunities.”

“Even though there were many situations where we had to make changes to the trip plan, I realized that it is possible to have fun while changing plans. There were some things I wasn’t used to, such as managing the budget and navigating the way, but with good teamwork, it turned out to be a very satisfying trip with lots of new learnings.”

We will continue to work to be a “place” and “resource” for the graduates by providing them with various opportunities and connections.