Summer Conference 2026 "Coloring the Summer with You" to be Held on July 18 (Sat.) and July 19 (Sun.) at Pacifico Yokohama!

The Japan Junior Chamber, Inc. (President: Taisho Kato, Location: 7F VORT Hanzomon, 2-12-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as "Japan JC") will hold the "Summer Conference 2026" for two days from July 18 (Sat.) to July 19 (Sun.), 2026, at Pacifico Yokohama. Approximately 10,000 young business leaders from across the country will gather in Yokohama to disseminate the results of Japan JC's 2026 initiatives nationwide.

This year's conference is held with the aim of having each participant from across the country become the protagonist, bringing together the results of activities promoted in their respective regions, and creating new connections and vitality. The mission of the Summer Conference is to disseminate Japan JC's philosophy, initiatives, and achievements to society and to create a platform that encourages empathy and action from many people. To this end, we have carefully identified issues from all over Japan, organized common and unique challenges, and planned a variety of essential and exciting programs to solve them. To create a happy society, we need the ability to envision a sustainable future that connects to the next generation. By providing each participant with opportunities for learning, insight, and challenge, and by spreading these experiences to activities in their respective regions, we will move closer to better initiatives for the following year and, ultimately, to the realization of a happy society.

Furthermore, individuals who are not members of the Junior Chamber are welcome to participate in all forums and seminars. We look forward to your visit. *Advance registration (fee required) is necessary for admission.

"Summer Conference 2026" Overview

Organizer: The Japan Junior Chamber, Inc.

Co-organizer: Yokohama Junior Chamber, Inc.

Dates: July 18 (Sat.), 19 (Sun.)

Venue: Pacifico Yokohama (National Grand Hall, Conference Center Main Hall)

General Admission Fee: ¥10,000 (Registration Fee)

*High school students and younger are not required to register and can generally enter freely.

*Graduate students, university students, junior college students, and vocational school students are free of charge but must apply.

*The "Summer Con Fes" held concurrently is free for everyone to enter.

"Summer Conference 2026" Special Website:

https://www.jaycee.or.jp/summerconference/

*For details on forums and seminars, please check the special website.

About the Summer Conference

What is the Summer Conference?

Since its first iteration as the "Political Issues Seminar" in 1966 (Showa 41), it has been held under various names and at different locations, including the "National Issues Conference" and "Young Business Leaders Conference." In 1994, it was renamed "Summer Conference," its current name, and has continued to be held every summer as Japan JC's largest platform for disseminating its initiatives. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Summer Conference being held in Yokohama.

"Coloring the Summer with You"

Regarding the theme for the 2026 Summer Conference

The summer when the Summer Conference is held is a time when Japan JC summarizes its activities for the year and preparations for new initiatives begin in earnest, making it the busiest and most fulfilling season for members. In the 2026 theme "Coloring the Summer with You," the "with you" expresses the desire for each member nationwide to shine as the protagonist. "Coloring" conveys the sentiment that just as Japan JC has collaborated and worked with many people in various regions to build its initiatives, we will color the Summer Conference together with members from all over Japan. "Hot Summer" expresses the desire for the passion and challenges born in regions across the country to gather in Yokohama and further heighten the energy for the next phase of initiatives.

Programs for General Participants and Media Representatives

National Forum "Happiness Hack Society Development Studies"

July 18, 2026 (Sat.) 12:25 PM - 1:40 PM

Pacifico Yokohama National Grand Hall

In this forum, we will welcome TV personality Hiromi, who will share, based on his own experiences, how enjoying daily life itself fosters happiness, and how that happiness leads to vitality in communities and society, starting from the family, the most frontline community. We will also share the potential for actions that create happiness in our immediate daily lives, such as in families and communities, to cascade throughout society, by introducing practical examples from Japan JC's "Happiness Hack Project" implemented nationwide. This forum aims to provide participants with an opportunity to become the next practitioners and communicators, spreading happiness to those around them.

Lecturer: Talent Hiromi

National Forum "Security Studies: Changing Japan's Collapsing Future Through Food"

July 18, 2026 (Sat.) 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Pacifico Yokohama National Grand Hall

This forum will feature a talk session on the theme of food and national security with panelists including Mr. Norikazu Suzuki, the current Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Ms. Yuko Ogura, a TV personality who focuses on cooking and food education and resonates with parents. Based on the achievements of Japan JC's "Security Starting from Home" parent-child experience program promoted this year, we will consider concerns about supply disruptions due to geopolitical risks and how choosing domestic products at home can contribute to maintaining the domestic production base. This forum will provide a close-up perspective on how choices made at the daily dining table are directly linked to national security.

Lecturer: Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Norikazu Suzuki Lecturer: Talent Yuko Ogura

Regional Forum "Carbon Neutrality Studies: Changing Our Immediate Future"

July 18, 2026 (Sat.) 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Pacifico Yokohama National Grand Hall

This forum will discuss carbon neutrality from the perspectives of experts, celebrities, business leaders, and moderators. With a format similar to a school "class discussion," participants will express their opinions through real-time polls, making the issue of environment and economy a personal one. Finally, we will reconsider climate change countermeasures as a responsibility to the next generation and an investment in the future, and participants will consider actions they can take starting tomorrow. This forum aims to make participants realize that today's choices connect to the society of 2050 through messages from the future.

Lecturer: Professor, Future Vision Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Masayoshi Emori Lecturer: Freelance Announcer, Ami Shibata Lecturer: Talent Moe Yamaguchi

Organizational Forum "Communicate 'Why We Do It' and Move the Organization: Association Studies"

July 18, 2026 (Sat.) 10:20 AM - 11:20 AM

Pacifico Yokohama Main Hall (Conference Center)

This forum will reveal the process of Japan JC's challenge to update its organization in line with the times, using issues such as "following precedent" and "organizational fatigue" faced by associations nationwide as a starting point, and present a model for organizational optimization.

Using a school class-like production with Japan JC Advisor Takine Okubo as the "teacher," and through interactions with current presidents as "students," participants will learn how to convey "why we do it" to move an organization and the mindset for building an organization that is in line with the times. This forum aims to encourage participants, both internal and external, to take practical action to optimize their organizations.

Lecturer: Advisor, The Japan Junior Chamber, Inc., Takine Okubo

Regional Forum "Challenge Studies You Don't Know"

July 18, 2026 (Sat.) 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Pacifico Yokohama Main Hall (Conference Center)

This forum will structurally organize the value and challenges of challenges through dialogues with lecturers, starting with awardees discovered and nurtured through Japan JC's "TOYP" and "Value Design Contest".

We will clarify the criteria for judgment, such as who to partner with, what to prioritize, and when to act, and consider concrete action plans for commercialization, collaboration, and social implementation. Furthermore, by featuring actual challenge cases, this forum will provide participants with an opportunity to connect social issues with their own actions and consider their next steps.

Lecturer: Entrepreneur Hiroyuki Lecturer: Talent Hyakka Ryoran

International Forum "Glocal Transformation Studies: 'International Affairs?!'"

July 18, 2026 (Sat.) 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Pacifico Yokohama Main Hall (Conference Center)

This forum redefines international affairs not as a distant topic, but as a practical means to improve our own regions. Based on the experiences of Mr. Gunpu Suzuki and Ms. ERIKO, who have challenged themselves on the world stage, we will consider opportunities to take a step into overseas markets and the possibilities that an international perspective can bring to our regions. We will also share, through examples of Japan JC's "Japanese Culture Export Project" conducted overseas, how the culture and values rooted in Japan and its regions can also contribute to solving global issues. This forum aims to lower the psychological barrier to international engagement and support new steps to pioneer the future of our regions.

Lecturer: Model and Settled Traveler ERIKO Lecturer: Rickshaw Traveler Gunpu Suzuki

JC Brand Management Forum "New Standard Practice Studies"

July 19, 2026 (Sun.) 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Pacifico Yokohama National Grand Hall

In this forum, moderated by Mr. Jun Tamura, we will learn the essence of brand management through a dialogue between bonsai producer Mr. Teppei Kojima and Japan JC's external public relations advisor Mr. Yusuke Takeda.

Mr. Kojima will share his experience in reconstructing traditional Japanese culture into contemporary value, teaching us the concept of value creation: "Why is value continuously chosen?" "What should be protected, what should be changed, and what should be abandoned?" Mr. Takeda will share practical examples from JC initiatives and regional activities, explaining how organizations, projects, and public relations have been reviewed and put into practice based on the criterion of "who to reach and what to deliver."

Furthermore, Mr. Tamura will deepen the dialogue by exploring the experiences and ideas of both speakers from the perspective of "Why do people empathize and act?" and "What is truly necessary to deliver value?" This is a participatory forum where participants can consider how to apply these insights to their own organizations and take home hints for practical implementation.

Lecturer: Talent Jun Tamura Lecturer: Bonsai Producer Teppei Kojima Lecturer: External Public Relations Advisor, The Japan Junior Chamber, Inc., Yusuke Takeda

Inquiries

Inquiries and Media Application Contact During the Event

Summer Conference Special Committee, The Japan Junior Chamber, Inc.

Media Contact Person: Assistant Public Relations Director Takanori Tsukakoshi

E-mail: [email protected]

*Media coverage can also be applied for through the following media application form.

Media Application Form

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScI4JPgmmJNdFRgvOttWt2uSrW0btTileCg37gv8njZ0rFZtg/viewform?usp=header

Information will also be posted on the Summer Conference special page on the Japan JC website, as well as on Japan JC's official Facebook and Instagram.

Japan JC Official Website: https://www.jaycee.or.jp

Japan JC Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JCI.JAPAN

Japan JC Official Instagram: @jcijapan

Summer Conference 2026 Special Website