Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, has been selected as an SDGs Future City.

　In this WOW Program, participants went to Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, for a training camp for two days and one night from Monday, July 31 to Tuesday, August 1, to learn how Takashima City is dealing with the SDGs through traditional handkerchief dyeing and farming, as well as kayaking experience to interact with nature. 

　Twenty-seven junior high school students participated in this training camp.

　On the first day, they dyed handkerchiefs using sumi-nagashi ink, which is a traditional Japanese technique of dyeing handkerchiefs. They were delighted to see that their handkerchiefs were the only one of their own in the world. In the farming experience, they experienced the difficulty of farm work and the fun of harvesting. In addition, they also experienced the richness of nature by touching frogs and insects that inhabit the fields.

　On the second day, we first reviewed the activities of the first day in relation to the SDGs. The students expressed their surprise at their discoveries, saying things like, "I didn't know that this kind of thing was connected to the SDGs," and "Let's start with small things. Later, during the kayaking experience, all the students were able to enjoy themselves while listening to a lecture on the activities being conducted to protect the nature of Lake Biwa.

　Although it was extremely hot on both days, everyone enjoyed all the programs in a lively and energetic manner.

　We are planning to hold more training camps like this in the future, so please stay tuned!