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HKU students join 2023 Young Leaders Tour of Japan

14 May 2023

Visit to the the Choshi port. Earlier, Mr Shirai, General Manager of Mitsubishi Corporation Choshi Branch (back row, 2nd from the right), gave a lecture on the offshore wind power project and regional revitalization project. Students learnt the importance of cooperation between businesses and local community.

At the Katagami Wind Farm, the project coordinator explains the overview of the Katagami Wind Farm project. Behind the student is the blade of wind turbine.

An Award Ceremony was held with guests including Mr Iida, President of Mitsubishi Corporation Hong Kong Limited and Mr Nishino, Director of Public Relations & Cultural Affairs pf Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong. Under the guidance of Ms. Takako Yoshikawa (back row, right), Lecturer of the Department of Japanese Studies, and Dr. Maki Wan (back row, left), Deputy General Manager of Planning and Business Development for Mitsubishi Corporation Hong Kong Limited, 8 HKU students (Front row) participated in the field trip.

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An experiential learning opportunity led by the Department of Japanese Studies of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) sent eight students to travel to Japan’s Akita Prefecture and Choshi City in March 2023, to learn about efforts for the coexistence between human and nature and environmental protection in the country.

After being suspended for three years due to COVID-19, the project is resumed, and from 2023 onwards, the programme will focus on environmental conservation in Japan. The seven-day Young Leaders Tour of Japan was led by Ms. Takako Yoshikawa with the aim of nurturing global leadership talent and encouraging students to think of the importance of coexisting with nature and environmental protection. The tour was implemented with solid support from Mitsubishi Corporation, which has been supporting the tour since 2017.

The Young Leaders Tour involved visits to Akita Katagami wind farm, one of the largest onshore wind farms in Akita, with 22 units of wind turbines that supply clean energy to power 40,000 households. As well as the Akita Comprehensive Environmental Center to learn about their garbage collection policy and how the melting furnace helps to reduce the waste volume, detoxify and recycle the waste. Students also visited the Choshi port, one of Japan's most prosperous fishing ports in Chiba prefecture, to explore how the offshore wind power project would build a clean energy economy and contribute to the sustainable development of the fishing industry and Choshi City. In addition, students attended lectures given by the general managers of the new branches of Mitsubishi Corporation in Akita and Choshi to learn about its involvement in environmental sustainability and education projects, and how they promote regional revitalization through EX (Energy Transformations) and DX (Digital Transformations) initiatives. The tour concluded with students visiting Mitsubishi Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, to deliver a speech reflecting on what they had learned during the tour.

After the tour, students shared their learning experiences in a special photo exhibition throughout April at HKU. In addition, students visited secondary schools in Hong Kong to share the knowledge and experience they had gained during the tour with the local community. The presentations they delivered were highly regarded by the students and teachers at the schools.

Through the tour and all the activities, students took their first step as young leaders who will lead the next generation.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Michelle Lee, Department of Japanese Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts, Tel: (852) 3917 4209 / email: mchlee@hku.hk.

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