■ Experiencing Cross-Cultural Understanding Through Soccer × Design
GESHER, Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yohei Harada; hereinafter “GESHER”) co-hosted an experiential education event titled “Expanding the World Through Soccer and Design – A Future Leader Development Project Fostering Cross-Cultural Understanding, Teamwork, and Creativity” in collaboration with Specified Nonprofit Organization 116-activity (Arakawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Takumi Kudo; hereinafter “116-activity”).
The event brought together approximately 100 elementary and junior high school students and 50 parents from youth soccer clubs FC LIGAR ADERANTE and FC LIGAR AZALEIA. Through a hands-on program integrating soccer and design, the initiative aimed to cultivate cross-cultural understanding, teamwork, and creativity among participants.
■ Background of the Initiative
In January 2025, GESHER entered into an official partnership agreement with 116-activity, a community-based organization in Arakawa, Tokyo.
Since 2009, 116-activity has been dedicated to nurturing independence and creativity among youth through sports and community programs. In 2024, club representative Takumi Kudo relaunched the club, carrying forward the vision of his late brother, former Japan National Team forward Masato Kudo. Today, approximately 100 boys and girls are enrolled under an educational philosophy centered on independence and initiative.
GESHER operates under the mission of “building bridges between Japan and the world,” practicing diversity-driven management across its global business initiatives. This event was conceived based on the strong alignment between the two organizations’ philosophies and commitment to youth development.
The initiative also reflects GESHER’s corporate brand concept “TSUMIKI,” which emphasizes creating a foundation for co-creation beyond nationality and cultural differences.
■ Key Speakers and Facilitators
The event featured GESHER team members from Japan, the United States, and Vietnam, who shared multicultural perspectives through direct interaction with the children:
- Yohei Harada, CEO of GESHER: Spoke on “Team Building and Cultural Understanding in Soccer and Management,” connecting lessons from sports and business leadership.
- Koji Arie, Head of CorporateMarketing: Led the overall planning and facilitation from a cross-cultural education perspective.
- Adrian Luna, Senior Designer from the United States: Guided students by combining his experience in both design and soccer.
- Phuong Dzung Nguyen, Marketing Manager from Vietnam: Participated as a design commentator, bringing expertise in multicultural Asian design perspectives.
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■ Event Overview
This event was designed to reframe soccer not merely as a competitive sport, but as a “microcosm of society” where individuals with diverse values collaborate toward a common goal.
The program began by posing key questions: “What makes a strong team?” and “What values matter most to us?” The children engaged in group discussions, articulating their team’s strengths and beliefs in their own words. Through the process of “Think → Put into Words → Shape → Communicate,” the program was structured to foster dialogue skills and self-expression.
The event opened with a keynote speech by GESHER CEO Yohei Harada.
Under the theme “Team Building and Cultural Understanding in Soccer and Management,” he spoke from the perspective of leading multinational teams in business, emphasizing the importance of respecting diversity and building trust through dialogue. Employees from Japan, the United States, and Vietnam also took the stage, and through direct interaction with these multicultural team members, the children deepened their understanding.
Afterward, the children divided into groups and discussed the following themes:
- The strengths of their team
- The values they cherish
- How to communicate those values to the world
They translated the outcomes of their discussions into clear messages and incorporated their ideas into original T-shirt designs.
Each team delivered a presentation, received professional feedback from designers, and a Best Award was selected. The winning design was produced as a T-shirt and distributed to all participants.
■ About Specified Nonprofit Organization 116-activity
116-activity is a community-based NPO headquartered in Tokyo, operating youth soccer clubs and a multipurpose studio. Since 2009, it has continued community-rooted activities with the mission of fostering independence and creativity in children.
In 2024, Representative Takumi Kudo relaunched the club, carrying forward the vision of his late brother, former Japan National Team forward Masato Kudo. The brothers’ shared dream—to create an environment where children can continue playing soccer and to develop future strikers, has taken shape, and today approximately 100 boys and girls are enrolled.
Organization Name: Specified Nonprofit Organization 116-activity
Address: 6-56-8-1F Minami-Senju, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representative: Takumi Kudo
ADERANTE HP: https://ligar-aderante.amebaownd.com/
AZALEIA HP: https://azaleia.jimdosite.com
■ About GESHER, Inc.
GESHER operates a Global Engagement Business that comprehensively supports M&A, investments, alliances, and global marketing initiatives between Japanese companies and overseas enterprises, serving as a bridge between Japan and the world.
With particular strengths in innovation-driven sectors, startup collaboration, and advanced technology fields, GESHER has promoted more than 100 global projects to date. The company continues to act as a partner connecting Japanese companies with innovative enterprises worldwide, providing end-to-end support from exploration and negotiation to implementation and long-term operation.
Company Name: GESHER, Inc.
Head Office: 5-1-5 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
CEO: Yohei Harada
Corporate Website: https://gesher.co.jp/
Contact Information
GESHER, Inc.
Corporate Marketing Division
Email: corp-mktg@gesher.co.jp