JAPAN PRIZE 2016 Prize Winners

The Best Work in the Pre-school Category
< The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Prize >
The Professionals: My Philosophy
Entering Organization Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)
DigiBook Inc.
Country/Region Japan
Media Application Software
(Kåre V. Poulsen)
Sometimes ‘simple is beautiful.’ The winning project impressed the jury on numerous levels. It asks two simple and important questions: Who am I and What am I good at? and invites Japanese children to make a video with their responses. The creators listened closely to the needs of young Japanese students before they carried out a strong, universal and even philosophical theme. The Professionals: My philosophy may not be the most technically advanced experience but is a powerful mobile app that allows Japanese boys and girls to share their own story and what they think makes them unique. The jury loved the way the creators managed to get users engaged, empower each other and have a voice. The application software supports a very popular TV show, but at the same time the app found its own place as a tool for self-discovery. The app generates answers that can contribute to individual growth while mapping out the aspirations, hopes and dreams of young people in Japan today.
(Issei Homma)
One of the major challenges faced by the TV series The Professionals: My Philosophy was found in audience feedbacks: “I cannot relate those people to myself.” Nowadays it is becoming more difficult for young people to have dreams due to expanding irregular employment and other unfavorable social conditions. “Those professionals featured in the show are great, but I can never be like them.” We felt such sentiment among the youth. So, we developed this app to let users feel much closer to those maestros, who are considered to be “way out of their league,” as they play heroes of their own shows on the app. We wanted them to become confident enough to believe they can also be professionals, by entering their strong points into the app. The app has been used at various educational institutions, ranging from junior-high schools to universities, for diverse age groups. The videos posted by the students are all fascinating. Some of them may appear in our TV show as a real professional in the future. That is the dream of our production team.

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