The 1st Kyoto Congress Open Symposium held on September 8, 2019.

The 1st Kyoto Congress Open Symposium was held at the Kyoto International Conference Center on September 8, 2019 and was attended by more than 500 people, including high school students and university students.

This symposium focused on the Kyoto Congress Youth Forum which will be held prior to the Kyoto Congress, and there were panel discussions and keynote speeches on the theme of the Youth Forum. At the opening of the symposium, Mr. Yamashita Takashi, then Minister of Justice delivered the organizer’s remarks. The Minister’s remarks were followed by remarks from Mr. Nishiwaki Takatoshi, Governor of Kyoto Prefecture, and Mr. Kadokawa Daisaku, Mayor of Kyoto City.

Remarks by Mr. Yamashita Takashi, then Minister of Justice

Remarks by Mr. Nishiwaki Takatoshi, Governor of Kyoto Prefecture (left) and Mr. Kadokawa Daisaku, Mayor of Kyoto City (right)
Organizer's remarks by Mr. Takashi Yamashita, then Minister of Justice (video)

Keynote Speech

In the keynote speech, entitled “The Significance of the Kyoto Congress Youth Forum,” Ms. Kamikawa Yoko, Member of the House of Representatives, Chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Research Commission on the Judiciary System, and President of the Parliamentary Association for Making the 2020 Kyoto Congress Successful, used the example of youth efforts related to the rule of law and the prevention of recidivism, such as mock trials and BBS activities, to emphasize the importance of the participation of younger generations in these efforts and underlined the importance of young people’s interest in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice.

In addition, Mr. Golgo Matsumoto of the comedy duo TIM, who has been actively giving his volunteer “Life Class” lecture since 2011 at juvenile training schools, gave a presentation entitled “Golgo Matsumoto's ‘Life Class’ ～ What I Want to Convey! ~ Things You Can Do to Realize ~ ‘A Society in Which No One is Left Behind!” touching on the origin of the Chinese characters for “Love,” “Harmony,” and “Life” and talking enthusiastically about the importance of a cohesive society that respects diversity.

Key-note Speech by Representative Kamikawa Yoko (left) and presentation by Mr. Golgo Matsumoto (right)
Keynote Speech by Representative Kamikawa Yoko (video)

Panel Discussion

Under the theme of “Overview of the Kyoto Congress Youth Forum's Three Themes,” a panel discussion was held by the following experts: Ms. Otani Mikiko (Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and Director of the Japan Committee for UNICEF), Mr. Kawasaki Tomomi (Professor, Faculty of Law, Doshisha University), Mr. Nosaka Yoshio (Chairman of the Committee for Legal Education of Citizens, Japan Federation of Bar Associations and Professor, Kanazawa University Law School), Mr. Nobata Takeshi (Teacher, Kyoto Prefectural TODOH Senior High School), Ms. McIlroy Nanae (Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), and Ms. Yokochi Tamaki (Director, Kyoto Probation Office), as well as the following youth representatives: Ms. Taguri Erina (BBS Member), and Ms. Shiota Karin (scheduled to participate in the Kyoto Congress Youth Forum). Each panelist shared their views and experience, both in Japan and overseas, that are relevant to the agenda items, and had a lively exchange of opinions on the significance of discussing criminal justice and crime prevention from the perspective of young people.

The Panel Discussion

Experts’ remarks and youth representatives’ remarks
Youth who participated in the symposium offered various comments, such as “It was quite interesting,” “I felt that there is a lot we can do to prevent and deter crime,” and “I want to be a bridge to future generations by thinking about what we can do from multiple perspectives.”
 
The Kyoto Congress Open Symposium's 2nd session is scheduled to be held on Saturday, December 7, 2019, on the theme of the “Current Status and Future Prospects of Efforts to Prevent Recidivism and Support Rehabilitation ,” and the 3rd session is scheduled to be held on Sunday, March 1, 2020, on the theme of “Realizing a Safe and Secure Society (Tentative Title).” We look forward to your participation in these future sessions.

The Youth Symposium