Confidence means feeling and believing in yourself and your abilities. It is a powerful force that can completely change one’s life. Aisha will be showing how despite the obstacles and challenges of tomorrow, confidence will serve as the key to progressing and walking towards tomorrow. Aisha is half-Japanese and half-Ghanaian. As a biracial woman and as Miss Universe Japan 2020, she is very passionate about spreading the importance of understanding each other with an organization called JASPORA. 

Looking at the theme Walking Towards Tomorrow, we see the keywords ‘Walking’ and ‘Tomorrow’. What does this mean? How do we understand Tomorrow? How does this fit into our lives? Carole will be explaining all of these thought-provoking questions with the help of a well-known story and a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Carole is an ex-dancer, an animal rescuer, a Star Wars geek, an unapologetic pedagogue, a feminist and an equity advocate. 

Younger generations are increasingly concerned about social problems and want to take responsibility to ensure better futures for themselves and others. This can drive youth towards activism, which is excellent, but the sheer idea of trying to solve complex social problems can quickly become overwhelming, often leading to inaction. Jaime will illustrate how even minimal involvement is crucial and can be a driving force behind greater societal change.

What will tomorrow look like in Japan? Can we be certain walking towards times of unpredictability? Growing up in this country, how will things have to change? Japan’s culture and mentality are rather conservative. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, it is a barrier to societal growth. By highlighting the Japanese mentality and the phenomenon of 迷惑 (being bothersome to others), Kanak will show how Japan can move towards progress as a society. As an avid language learner who has had the chance to live in many different countries, she will also use her unique past to touch on how languages are the gateway to understanding cultures.

We are all invisible in some way. People can't see our thoughts, feelings, wishes, intentions and fears, even though some of this might show in our body language. We've had an enormous increase in the spread of social media where people can show themselves, and yet there's been a decline in empathy. Ken will explain how an awareness of our invisible inner lives can benefit us as we head towards tomorrow.

When talking about taking action again social issues, it is common to think of activists who are on media and TV with a strong opinion, talking, and being in the spotlight. Especially with the rise of Instagram being a form of activism, everyone's actions are being monitored and judged, speaking up and taking action about what you care about and what you believe in might come with risks, fears, and doubts. In reality, activists who are not in the spotlight have a big role in tackling social issues and have an equally important role to those who are able to be in the public eye. As a representative of Girl Up Tokyo, Mayu will share about tackling social issues as a youth by using individuality and creativity and the importance of taking the first step of tackling social issues that do not directly affect us.