On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, a special guest lecture was held as part of the "IM Integrated Studies" course for second-year students in the IM Course at Ritsumeikan Uji Senior High School.

In the IM Course, all students participate in a year-long overseas study program between their first and second year of high school. Upon returning, they take a weekly class called "IM Integrated Studies" to reflect on their experiences abroad and think about their future paths.

This semester’s theme is “Expand Your Horizons”, encouraging students to set personal aspirations through new encounters and experiences. As part of this initiative, the class invites IM alumni and professionals from various fields as guest speakers to help students gain insight into their futures.

For the first session, we welcomed Mr. Shunji Nakasu, founder of Africa Dogs, a business inspired by his experiences in Togo, Africa, where he launched a project involving African textiles.

In his lecture, Mr. Nakasu shared the lessons he learned from living in a culture so different from Japan, and the journey that led him to start his business. He emphasized the importance of “listening to your inner voice” and “the meaning of taking on challenges,” delivering a powerful message that resonated with the students.

After the lecture, many students expressed how deeply moved they were.

These were just a few of the reflections shared, indicating that the talk served as a strong motivator for students to take their next steps in thinking about their future paths.

This lecture marked a symbolic start to a new phase of learning in IM Integrated Studies. The course will continue to invite inspiring guests from various fields to help students broaden their horizons and cultivate their future aspirations.