On Saturday, February 17, 2024, the Senri Rotary Club organized the “Rotary Day for District 2660 of Rotary International” at the Senri Hankyu Hotel. The event, titled “Inochi Forum: Reflecting on Life Across Generations,” was attended by more than 160 Rotarians.

This event was organized as part of the activities of the Youth Team in the Citizen Circle, featuring a panel discussion with two senior Rotarians and three students from Osaka University.

The Rotarians were Mr. Norio Kojo, an Honorary Professor at Osaka University, and Mr. Toshihiro Tanaka, a Trustee and Vice President of Osaka University. The students included Ms. Yui Hayasaki, a second-year student in the Foreign Languages Department (Flagship), Mr. Kaoru Yoshikawa, a third-year student in the Engineering Department (a-tune), and Mr. Yuki Miyamura, a first-year doctoral student in the Graduate School of Human Sciences (MeW Project).

The facilitator was Mr. Takuo Dome, Assistant to the President of Osaka University, with Ms. Mayu Ogawa, a freelance announcer and Osaka University graduate, serving as the moderator.

First, in response to Mr. Dome’s question, “As a senior in life, what would you like to convey to the younger students?” Mr. Tanaka replied, “The three students who are presenting today have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, so I hope they will pass on their experiences to their juniors and the next generation.”

Next, Mr. Dome asked the students, “As juniors in life, what would you like to express to your seniors, or what would you like to learn from them?” Initially, due to nervousness, it was difficult to get candid responses from the students.

As the dialogue progressed and they became more relaxed, Mr. Dome posed another question, “What do you think adults completely misunderstand about your generation?” In response, Ms. Hayasaki said, “We have grown up in an environment with the internet and smartphones from a young age. With the pandemic, the use of social media like TikTok and services like ChatGPT expanded even more. However, we often face criticism online about our appearances or personalities, which can be shocking and influence our personal values. I think that many adults, including parents and teachers, do not understand how these virtual worlds are impacting us and the challenges we face within them.”

Continuing the discussion, Mr. Yoshikawa said, “My three years in high school coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and I was barely able to attend school, but a cultural festival that we managed to hold with limited attendance remains a memorable experience for me. Nowadays, adults refer to us as Generation Z, but I feel somewhat uncomfortable with that label. Even in conversations with current freshmen, there are many things I can’t keep up with and I question whether it’s accurate to lump us all together as Generation Z. Last summer, I traveled to Europe and realized that my preconceived notions about the countries and regions were just stereotypes and quite different from reality. Therefore, I would prefer not to be generalized as ‘Gen Z’ but rather to be seen as an individual.”

Mr. Miyamura responded, “This might be a bit off-topic, but I want to create new systems for the future society. For instance, while toilet paper is commonly found in any restroom, menstrual products are not. I want to challenge such norms and contribute to building a menstruation friendly society.”

Mr. Kojo, one of the Rotarians, responded, “I understand what you students want to convey and achieve. Please proceed in making these things possible.”

Mr. Dome concluded, “It seems that we have gained valuable insights and new questions for the future from the students. I hope we can find an opportunity to discuss these questions at the Inochi Forum.”

This challenging “Inochi Forum” bridged generations and led to a meaningful dialogue about the future society. The Citizen Circle Youth Team will continue to engage in dialogues on various topics in future Inochi Forums.