On September 19 and 20, 219 members from Habitat Japan’s Campus Chapters across the country gathered in Nara Prefecture for JCC Festa 2026, the annual national student training event. The event was held at Daiwa House Group MIRAI KACHI KYOSO Center “Kotokurie”
This year marked the first time JCC Festa was held in the Kansai region. Under the theme “Let’s Open the Door: Taking a New Step Toward the Future,” participants spent two days exploring housing and social issues, connecting with fellow students from across Japan, and broadening their perspectives through learning and discussion.
The event was planned and organized by a team of fourth-year university students who had previously been active in Habitat’s Campus Chapters. Over the course of three months, they worked together to develop a program that would encourage students to learn from one another and take the next step in their personal and social engagement.
Throughout the event, students strengthened their connections through a quiz rally and a variety of interactive learning and networking activities. They also had the opportunity to learn about disaster response initiatives from representatives of Daiwa House Group. Through presentations on community support efforts following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, students gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between housing, disasters, and local communities.
Students also took part in group discussions and presentations on topics such as “Housing and Educational Inequality” and “Housing and Poverty.” By exploring housing-related challenges in Japan and in countries across Asia where Habitat operates, students shared ideas, exchanged perspectives, and reflected on possible solutions to social issues.
Mr. Kuwano, a third-year student at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, who joined the event from Kyushu area, shared positive feedback following the event, including comments such as, “I gained a deeper understanding of the background of housing-related social issues and started thinking about what I can do to make a difference,” and “Talking with students from different universities and regions gave me new perspectives and insights.”
Mr. Miyazaki, a fourth-year student at University of Tsukuba, who led the student operations team for this event, reflected on the experience, saying:
“It was really rewarding to hear participants say things like “I had fun’ and ‘I became more interested in Habitat’s works.’ I hope this event will inspire everyone involved, including the student organizers, to discover new interests and take action.”
We hope that the learning, connections, and inspiration fostered through JCC Festa will lead to new initiatives and actions in participants’ universities and local communities, becoming a meaningful step toward building a better future. Habitat for Humanity Japan remains committed to encouraging and supporting students as they continue to learn, grow, and take on new challenges.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Daiwa House Group for generously providing the venue and meals, and to representatives from Sangetsu Corporation and UPS for joining us and supporting the event.