Do you know about the initiative called “Listening and Writing,” where high school students conduct interviews with life seniors living in the community?
The Bichu “Listening and Writing” Executive Committee is calling on high schools in Okayama Prefecture to provide high school students with the experience of listening and writing.
The “Listening and Writing” forum for artisans living in the town is a place for high school and university students to present their listening and writing works. On the day of the event, we connected remotely with the Hokkaido University of Education Kushiro Campus Community Culture Research Group for the presentations.
Starting in 2024, I will participate in the “Yakage Listening and Writing Group,” where I will engage in activities to listen to and preserve the history, culture, lifestyle, and customs from local people.
As someone involved in listening and writing, I was interested and participated.
What is “Listening and Writing” for Artisans Living in the Town?
“Listening and Writing” for artisans living in the town is an activity where high school students visit life seniors living in the community, listen to their stories, learn wisdom, skills, and ways of living, and understand different values, with the aim of connecting the wisdom of our predecessors.
It is defined as follows.
The work is composed solely of the spoken words of the speaker. However, in reality, it is created from the conversation between the speaker and the listener.
While local history and ethnographic research are accumulations of facts and historical truths, “Listening and Writing” fills in the gaps between those lines.
Through the profession and thoughts of that person, it brings to life the life of a human being who lived there.Source: “Listening and Writing” 2016 Shiraishi-jima
Overview of the 16th “Listening and Writing” Forum for Artisans Living in the Town
The characteristic of “Listening and Writing” for artisans living in the town is that a theme is set every year. This year (2025), the theme was “Important Things to Pass On.”
The culmination of that year's “Listening and Writing” is the “Listening and Writing” forum.
The 16th forum was held on December 14, 2025 (Sunday) starting at 10:40 AM at Kibi Workshop “Yui” in the Shiso venue, and at 1:00 PM at Soja City Chuppi Hall.
The Forum's Atmosphere
Here is an overview of the day's events.
Morning Session
In the morning, we held a workshop to reflect on the listening and writing works each participant had created.
The reflection workshop proceeded as follows:
- Write down what you received from the storyteller you listened to on A4 paper
- After finishing writing, break into groups to share your thoughts and what you learned about the listening and writing with others
Next, there was a presentation of listening and writing works from the Hokkaido University of Education Kushiro Campus Community Culture Research Group.
Additionally, this time, students from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Kojoike High School requested curry for lunch to support the activities of “Minna no Ouchi Haru House Mizushima Children's Cafeteria Misora♪.”
Mr. Inoue traveled from Mizushima in Kurashiki City to Soja City to provide the curry.
While having lunch, we presented the results of the listening and writing we conducted with Mr. Inoue.
After lunch, we carpooled and headed to Soja City Chuppi Hall.
Afternoon Session
In the afternoon, there were presentations of listening and writing works by elementary school students and high school students.
In this article, I will introduce the listening and writing works presented by high school students using slide materials.
Listening and Writing with Mr. Yuji Sano
The student from Okayama Prefectural Soja High School conducted the listening and writing with Mr. Yuji Sano.
Mr. Sano was on the ground as a staff member of the Social Welfare Council when the heavy rain disaster occurred in July 2018. From this experience, he has been working on community disaster prevention activities and building disaster prevention communities.
He encourages high school students to listen to various people's stories and observe others to create their dreams. He hopes they will engage in things that interest them.
A high school student who presented said, “I want to engage in social contributions and school activities to the best of my ability, develop a mindset to act for others, and refine myself.”
Listening and Writing with Mr. Juiichi Shibusawa
The student from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Kojoike High School conducted the listening and writing with Mr. Juiichi Shibusawa.
Mr. Shibusawa serves as the chairman of the NPO Coexistence Forest Network.
He advises high school students to “not be bothered by meeting people” and “to remember to be interested in the person you are talking to.”
The high school student who presented felt the “difficulty of having conversations” and the “importance of non-verbal communication, such as expressions, which are not conveyed through words” during the listening and writing process.
Listening and Writing with Mr. Takayuki Yamakawa
The student from Okayama Prefectural Tamano Konan High School conducted the listening and writing with Mr. Takayuki Yamakawa.
Mr. Yamakawa runs a local publishing company called Kibijin Publishing.
He says, “I want high school students to read physical books thoroughly.” He believes that relying solely on the internet makes it difficult to understand the context and background of information, so he wants them to value what they learn in the process of reaching information.
The high school student who presented said, “It was difficult to change the topic while listening to the content during the conversation.”
Conclusion
I was pleased that high school students were able to truly feel the joy and difficulty of listening and writing. Additionally, what stood out to me was the many listening and writing works that conveyed the “importance of meeting people.”
The listening and writing works created by high school and university students will be compiled into a booklet called “Bichu ‘Listening and Writing.’”
The booklet is available from the Bichu Listening and Writing Executive Committee. If you are interested, why not inquire about it?
Data from the 16th “Listening and Writing” Forum for Artisans Living in the Town
| Name | 16th “Listening and Writing” Forum for Artisans Living in the Town |
|---|---|
| Date | December 14, 2025 9:20 AM - 3:10 PM |
| Location | Kibi Workshop “Yui” Shiso Venue |
| Participation Fee (Tax Included) | Free |
| Website | “Bichu” Listening and Writing Instagram |
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