Inside the Minato City Innovation Lab!

Share Your Ideas. Help Shape the Future of Minato City.

The Minato City Innovation Lab is a new initiative launched in FY2026. Junior high and high school students take on the role of “researchers,” exploring issues facing Minato City that interest them, conducting research, and developing policy proposals.

Minato City website

1 Setting the Themes

Themes were selected based on feedback received by Minato City and the City’s key policy priorities.

• Promoting an inclusive community for Japanese and foreigners
• Improving financial literacy among young people (junior high and high school students)
• Building a community where sports can help overcome language barriers
• Encouraging Minato City residents to reduce waste
• Improving public information to better reach junior high and high school students in Minato City

2 Research

Through research and interviews, the students explored the issues currently facing Minato City and learned about the needs and concerns of the people affected.

3 Meeting with Minato City Assembly Members

Through discussions with Minato City Assembly members, the students learned how residents’ opinions are reflected in public policies and about the work of assembly members.

4 Problem Definition

The students organized and analyzed the needs and concerns of the people affected to clearly identify the problems that needed to be addressed.
Analysis: The students identified people’s needs and concerns and organized their findings using sticky notes.
Problem Definition: The students defined each problem in the form of a question: “What can we do to ...?”

5 Developing Solutions

Based on the problems they had identified, the students came up with a variety of ideas. They then refined their ideas with the officials of the relevant Minato City departments, taking feasibility into consideration.

6 Prototyping and Testing

The students gathered feedback on their ideas from the people they were designed to help and used it to make further improvements.

7 Policy Proposals

The student researchers gave presentations on their policy proposals to the mayor in the Minato City Assembly Chamber.

Proposals from the Student Researchers

“A Simple ‘Thank You’ Card”
Create cards introducing useful Japanese phrases for foreign visitors.

“Providing Information with Pictograms”
Use pictograms to provide information to foreign residents.

“Watch Out for Scam Emails!”
Conduct training by sending young “Watch Out for Scam Emails!” people links to simulated scam websites.

“Junior High and High School Students Provide Support in English at Sports Events”
Create an environment where foreign children can interact with Japanese people through sports, with support from junior high and high school students.

“A Guide to Reducing Waste, Created by Junior High and High School Students”
Junior high and high school students take the lead in researching recyclable items and proper waste sorting, and raise awareness through videos and announcements on Minato City community bus (Chii Bus) services and at event booths.

“Junior High and High School Students Produce Minato City!?! ”
Junior high and high school students serve as advisors and share information about Minato City with their peers on social media.

Comments from the Student Researchers

Taking part in this project made me realize how much impact local government can have.

It was great to meet so many other students who are also interested in Minato City issues.

I was glad to have the opportunity to think about a variety of policies as a representative of Minato City. I hope the ideas I came up with will benefit Minato City residents.

I realized how important it is to express our opinions and make our voices heard about Minato City policies. As a high school student, I want to think about how I can get involved in politics.

I discovered interesting ideas and new perspectives that I never would have come up with on my own. Presenting my ideas in front of a large audience was also a valuable experience.