People in the News

Executive Director, NPO CariNavi
Yukari Hirao

March 2003

Developing an Alternative Newspaper by and for the People

Yukari Hiraoi
NPO CariNavi
http://www.carinavi.org

Offering Role Models to Young People

Young people rarely have the opportunity to interact with adults, and it is difficult for them to find attractive role models for how they might live their lives in the future. A program now being implemented, though, allows high school and university students and other young people to interview adults who have dreams and goals and are active in a variety of areas. Through the experience of encountering various adults, these young people are able to build their own relationships with society and directly interact with adults who are passionate about what they do and are making their way in the real world. The interviews with these adults, who are called "navigators," are posted on the Internet, and the stories of their lives are introduced to the younger generation under the heading "A dictionary of working people." Through activities like this, the nonprofit organization CariNavi, headed by Yukari Hirao, provides opportunities for young people to think seriously about how to live their lives to the fullest.

Helping Young People Fulfill Their Potential
More than 150 young people have taken part in the CariNavi program so far. The participants not only conduct interviews and write articles, but every week they get together for a "report meeting" where they practice making presentations about the interviews and about their own thoughts. Young people in Japan are rarely expected to voice their opinions at school, and many of them are unable to say even whether they like something or not. At the report meetings the participants practice expressing themselves freely and honestly, including voicing any doubts that they may have.

These young people interview adults not just in the Tokyo area but also occasionally in other regions or even overseas. Around 250 navigators have taken part so far, most of whom are not famous but are successful adults with dreams and pride in the work they do. Hirao herself has expressed surprise that there are so many adults living such admirable lives.

CariNavi was originally designed to be a program for young people in high school or in their first or second year of college, but participants have also included many third-year university students, who will soon begin looking for post-graduation employment. A growing number of high schools are taking an interest in CariNavi and are making use of its website in career counseling activities. "Rather than education that places priority on test results, the important thing is to have each young person become aware of the things that he or she can excel at," Hirao says. "What adults need to do is not to tell kids what they can and can't do, but to provide advice to them about how they might make their dreams come true."

The program runs for only six months. CariNavi is neither a settling place nor a gathering place for young people but is only there for them to pass through, Hirao says. "The real start is when they have finished the program. Making one's wishes come true way in society is never easy, and we hope these young people will realize their aspirations and eventually come back as navigators themselves."

Broadening Young People's Outlook
Last year unemployment among people between the ages of 15 and 24 reached an all-time high of 9.9%. In addition to a declining number of job openings, there is the growing problem of a mismatch between the types of jobs that young people want to do and the kinds that companies are providing. Hirao says, "We're not simply telling students that they should do whatever they please. It's more about getting them to think seriously about how they can draw out their abilities to the fullest. They won't be able to get by nowadays if they don't use all of their energy."

If they are told to decide on their future direction, though, most young people will say that while they know they cannot continue along as they have been, they do not know what to do. "That's why it's important for the participants to broaden their outlook by interviewing not just adults who are active in areas that they are interested in but also those in jobs that they would not have thought of. When they see the different ways these adults live their lives, they come to recognize that they are fine just the way they are."

Hirao was born in 1974. She went to the United States many times as a child, where she was often asked what she wanted to do. In Japan, by contrast, she would be admonished when she said what she wanted to do, which made her feel uncomfortable. She joined a major information-technology company after receiving her master's degree from Keio University in 1999, but she did not feel needed and thought that the job did not suit her. Hirao thought, "It's my life, so I will make my own decisions, and I won't blame anyone else or make excuses." She left the company just five months after joining, and after a short stint at an IT startup, she began her present job in June 2000.

Hirao would like to convey to the world through the eyes of young people that there are a great number of adults in Japan setting shining examples. In June 2003 a book introducing 60 of the navigators that CariNavi has interviewed to date will be issued by Nikkei Business Publications. Several other books are also in the works.

Contact information:
NPO CariNavi
Phone: (03)3478-7140
E-mail:info@carinavi.org