Depending on when you are reading this, good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, everyone.
My name is Lapananrat Pantawat (Ryu), a 3rd year student currently studying abroad in New Zealand who somehow fell in love with startups.
I say “somehow” because if you were to tell me a few years ago that I would voluntarily stand on a stage and pitch my startup in front of countless people, I probably would have called you crazy.

I am an introvert. Just the thought of standing in front of countless faces makes me nervous, and even today, that feeling never truly goes away.
So, how did I end up doing startups?
To answer that, we have to go back to before I came to ICT.

Before ICT, I had never considered pursuing a career in startups, nor did I have the slightest idea what startups were about. Like many other high school students, I was much more interested in video games and spending time in bed.
That changed after I came to ICT.

Through engineering projects, business programs, competitions, and the support of my teachers and mentors, I gradually discovered something I had never expected. I genuinely enjoyed solving problems and turning strange ideas into something that could potentially help people and, more or less, make me rich. I simply couldn’t get startups out of my head, and honestly, I love it.

Over time, I discovered three principles that continue to guide me today.

The first is simple:

Every idea is an opportunity.

I learned that a good idea does not always appear at the right time. You could be eating, showering, studying, or even sleeping when it comes to your mind. (Mine mostly comes when I’m trying to sleep.) Most of my ideas don’t quite seem like good ideas at first. As a matter of fact, most of them are completely ridiculous. But never once have I dismissed them immediately. Instead, I started asking myself, “What if?”
That question eventually led me to participate in startup competitions and, eventually, to the Kosen Summit.
Before attending the Summit, I only had a handful of pitching experiences, probably two or three at most. Every pitch I gave taught me something different, but they all had one thing in common: they forced me outside my comfort zone.
And then came the Kosen Startup Summit.

The moment I reached the venue, I told myself, “I finally did it.” After spending half a year working on this project, I felt that all the time and effort I had put into it had been worth it, especially since almost everything I experienced there was new to me.

On the first day of the competition, every participant had the opportunity to hang their posters and present their ideas to whoever visited their booth. That evening, there was also a networking event where participants were encouraged to get to know each other and introduce themselves to their competitors. I was really lucky to meet so many people who shared the same passion as me. However, due to my limited Japanese skills, I wasn’t really able to converse with anyone.

The second day was when the real deal took place. This was the day I pitched an idea called Playground. The team scheduled to present before me suddenly ran into a technical issue, forcing me to present ahead of them. It might have sounded like a small change, but it completely caught me off guard. I was thrown out of rhythm, and for the next three minutes, I found myself stumbling over my words.
It was one of the worst experiences of my life.
Honestly, I was disappointed and devastated. I had spent countless hours preparing for this competition. I had met so many new people who shared the same passion as me at the networking event. Yet, everything crumbled on stage. But I never stopped there.

And that leads me to my second principle:

Embrace failure.

I have failed countless times in my life. I have failed exams, struggled to make friends, and even failed to deliver a good pitch.
But one of the biggest lessons I have learned through startups is that failure itself is not necessarily the problem.
The problem is failing to learn from it.
I have always reminded myself that failure is acceptable as long as I learn from it and refuse to make the same mistake twice.
Every time something went wrong, I had a choice. I could either let the experience discourage me, or I could use it to improve. I chose the latter.

That mindset changed the way I approached competitions. Sure, I was still aiming for first prize or a place on the podium, but the other thing I never left out of sight was the experience I could learn from.

My third principle is perhaps the simplest:

Always ask for feedback.

No matter how well you think you have done, there is always something you can improve.
Some of the most valuable lessons I have received did not come from winning competitions. They came from people who watched my presentations, pointed out my weaknesses, challenged my assumptions, and bluntly told me what I could have done better.
At first, hearing criticism can be difficult.
It’s like poking a hot needle into the most sensitive part of your ego.
But without criticism, you wouldn’t know what your weaknesses are or what you need to improve. You would continue living under the illusion that your idea was the best and carry that false confidence onto the stage.
Looking back at how I ended up here, I realize that I did not suddenly become a confident extrovert.
I am still an introvert at heart.
I still get nervous before presentations. I still have moments where I question whether my ideas are good enough. And I still have a lot to learn about entrepreneurship.
But I have become much more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

ICT gave me an environment where having crazy but still healthy ideas was encouraged rather than immediately criticized. My teachers and mentors gave me opportunities to experiment. Competitions gave me opportunities to fail. And events like the Kosen Summit gave me opportunities to meet people who share the same passion.
For that, I am incredibly grateful.

I don’t know exactly what lies beyond this journey of mine. Perhaps some of the ideas I have today will fail. Perhaps some will become something much bigger than I expect.

But I know that I want to keep trying.

I want to keep looking at ordinary problems from a different perspective and asking, “What if there was a better way?” And most importantly, I want to keep putting myself in situations that scare me.

So, for those of you who have read this far, thank you.
And to the students reading this, I hope that this journal can encourage you to try something new and step out of your comfort zone.
You don’t have to be confident. (Neither was I.)
You don’t have to have the perfect idea. (Most of mine weren’t.)
You don’t even have to know exactly what you want to do. (Speaking from experience.)
Just try something.
Fail at it.
Ask for feedback.
And try again.
Because if an introvert like me can somehow end up standing on a stage talking about startups, perhaps you can surprise yourself too.

So, how did an introvert named Ryu end up doing startups?

I think you know the answer.

Lapananrat Pantawat (Ryu)

This is Philip Cadzow, the ICT Physical Education teacher with a report of climbing Mt. Hakusan on the 2nd of October with some 1st and 2nd year ICT students from Hakusanroku Campus.

On Friday October 2nd, 2026, at 5:00 a.m., 21 students and 6 teachers crowded onto a bus and slept the hour-long journey until they were deposited at the start point of the hike; Bettodeai station – an altitude of 1,260m.

Mt. Hakusan is known as one of the three holy mountains of Japan along with Mt. Tateyama and Mt. Fuji, and many residents of Ishikawa annually climb Mt. Hakusan to watch the sunrise. Students and faculty from Hakusanroku Campus also attempt to climb Mt. Hakusan each year, but not for the sunrise and usually making the climb up and down in one day. The last two years we have attempted to climb but have had to cancel due to bad weather, which means that the 3rd years who are now in New Zealand were never able to climb Mt. Hakusan, and it was the final chance for the current 2nd year students.

Waking up from the bus ride and ready to start their climb from Bettodeai station to one of Mt. Hakusan’s 3 peaks called Gozengamine – an altitude of 2,702m and an elevation change of roughly 1,500m, were 10 1st year students and 11 2nd year students. These students were the ones who had completed a 5km run the week prior to check for fitness and had a thorough gear check to make sure they were prepared for sudden weather changes. The other students of their year group were going on an easier hike in a different part of the Hakusan Geopark called Sampoiwadake.
The weather was cool with a clear blue sky, and the hike started very well as everyone made it to the first hut 20 minutes faster than planned, but unfortunately at this point one student had to be taken back down the mountain and back to school as they began to feel unwell. We then divided into 2 groups to make passing people on the narrow track easier. Originally, it was thought that they would be named the fast group and the slow group, but as the first group reached the second hut and messaged the slow group to know that they had arrived, the slow group also arrived at the second hut!
There are many different climbing routes up Mt. Hakusan and the most common of these is the Saboshindou path – named as Sabo (prevent erosion) shindou (new route). However, this route was closed off after the second hut and both groups were forced to take a longer route called Echo line – this route is about 2 km longer than Saboshindou but it’s not as steep and goes past the ridgeline that carries onto the next mountain over called Mt. Bessan. The view that day from the Echo line ridge was of a clear blue sky, shining green foliage from what looked to be small alpine bamboo that kept the mountainside gently swaying in the breeze, even in the beginnings of autumn, and a sharp ridgeline across to Mt. Bessan; leading the eye further away and into the distance of the surrounding hills all shaded in blue shadow. 
Mt. Hakusan’s peak was visible from the Echo line ridge and the group made fast progress up to the Murodo (big mountain hut) to have a break for lunch. The wind gusted but didn’t howl, it wasn’t so cold as to numb the hands, but it stripped heat away from the body and after 10 minutes a person’s nose would start to go a little numb. The most important layer of clothes in this environment is anything that can block the wind from stripping away a person’s body heat. After the lunchbreak many of the students could be seen appreciating the seriousness of the constant cold wind and it lent a certain seriousness to the mountain hike. Although some students who were more prepared than others had a better time of it. Kotarou, who prepared well for the trip, was seen taking a nap while others shivered. 
Luckily by the time students had eaten lunch and made it to the Gozengamine peak of Mt. Hakusan, the wind had dropped and it wasn’t so cold. Students smiled and made comments on how beautiful the view was. Other students hid behind a sunny rock and made a very good impression of sleeping. Everyone was made to take a silent minute to appreciate the surrounding view. Honda-san, who took the sick student down the mountain from the first hut and made sure that they were transported safely back to campus by another teacher, managed to catch back up to us and make it to the top just as we started to descend. 
The route hiking down was the same Echo line that we took to climb up, and so it wasn’t as steep as the other years’ route, but it was longer. The ridgeline down blocked the wind, and the afternoon sun was hot. Students had shaking legs from exhaustion and the constant downhill but most of the complaints were from the teachers who hadn’t exercised enough in preparation. 
Making it to the bus didn’t cause as much celebration as it did cries of relief and people sagging to the ground, and once all students had loaded on to the bus, after 5 minutes there was absolute silence. All students had fallen asleep upright, sitting on the bus.
I think this year’s trip up Mt. Hakusan was one of the best we’ve had. While we normally hike the Saboshindou route, I think from this year on we will be taking the Echo line – the view was just as good but without the sharp incline. I just hope that the weather can cooperate with us again next year.

1st year student Ady created a video! 

Philip Cadzow

Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the office. On Saturday, June 20th, 2026, Sports Festival for1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grade students was held at Kanazawa Campus.

The event featured four activities: volleyball, dodgeball, an obstacle race, and tug-of-war. Students were divided into six mixed teams composed of members from different grade levels, and each team competed in all events in a rotation format. Throughout the day, 1st and 2nd year students were seen encouraging and communicating with their 4th and 5th senior students. They do not usually do this since the 1st and 2nd year students study at the Hakusanroku Campus while the 4th and 5th year students study at the Kanazawa Campus. This created a strong sense of unity across the venue. All competitions were highly engaging and intense, filled with the excitement of serious matches and loud cheers from participants and spectators alike. While students experienced both victories and defeats, what stood out most was how they praised and supported one another. 

After the competitions finished, one MVP was selected from each team and awarded a selection of snacks. In addition, all participating teams received snacks as participation prizes.

This Sports Festival provided a valuable opportunity for students to step away from their daily academic routines and experience the joy of teamwork and a sense of achievement. Through the mixed-grade team activities, students from both campuses were able to deepen their connections, making the day a lively and memorable one.

Opening Ceremony

Volleyball

Dodgeball

Obstacle Relay

Tug of War

Closing Ceremony and Awards presentation

Yuri Makada

Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku office. From Saturday, June 6th to Wednesday, June 17th, 2026, six high school students from Columbia, Missouri, USA visited the Hakusanroku Campus. They stayed at the Hakusanroku Campus dormitory and experienced school life together with 1st and 2nd year ICT students.

During their stay, the students from Columbia took part in various programs, including hands-on manufacturing activities and classes alongside ICT students. They also went on a sightseeing excursion in Kanazawa and took part in a homestay program in Hakusan City organized by the local government.
In addition, on Saturday, June 6th, an event titled “Sister City Exchange Program with Columbia, USA – Let’s Interact with American High School Students!” was held at the Hakusanroku Campus. It was organized by the Hakusan International Exchange Association. Elementary and junior high school students from Hakusan City, as well as ICT students, took part. After the visiting American students gave a presentation about Columbia, event participants enjoyed interacting with them in English through quizzes, games, and a campus tour.

For the ICT and American students, even within this relatively short two-week period, living together in the dormitory provided valuable opportunities to learn and build friendships. This made it an irreplaceable and meaningful experience.

American students arrive at the Hakusanroku Campus

Kanazawa sightseeing

Hands-on manufacturing activities and classes alongside ICT students

Sister City Exchange Program with Columbia, USA – Let’s Interact with American High School Students!

Farewell party

Yuri Makada

Hello. I’m Meguru Ito, the chairperson of the Platinum Festival Executive Committee. I would like to write about the Platinum Festival (Hakkinsai School Festival) held on Sunday, February 22nd, 2026. The content of the festival has also been featured before in Topics, so please take a look there as well.

This year, we welcomed a record high 114 visitors. We had a wonderfully diverse group of attendees, including the families of current students, local elementary and junior high school students, and alumni. It was encouraging to see the recognition of the Platinum Festival steadily growing. I hope to continue developing the event into something even more appealing so that more people can enjoy it in the coming years.

One of the biggest highlights this year was the large number of new projects introduced compared with previous years. For the first time, we held a baked sweet potato sale using Kosen Beni Haruka, as well as a game corner where visitors could try out student made games. Both projects were very well received, based on visitor surveys and student feedback, and they generated a lot of excitement. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the students who worked hard to plan these activities, and to the faculty members who supported them.
In addition, the festival’s traditional main attraction, the on-campus robot contest and the piano performances, where students showcased the results of their practice, were also very successful. On the other hand, it was unfortunate that there were no band performance this year. I hope they will return next year.

Due to the end-of-term examinations being pushed back by one week this year, the preparation period between the exams and the festival was shorter than usual. February’s extracurricular period was also packed with other activities besides the festival, and the students worked on preparations despite being extremely busy. This experience made me realize the importance of establishing a more efficient preparation process going forward.

There were also some last-minute issues, such as members of the executive committee falling ill right before the event, which kept us busy up until the start. However, we were able to bring the festival to a successful close. I hope the students on the committee will carry both the successes and the lessons learned from this experience into their student life next year.

Meguru Ito