As a part of the NYK Mirai Project,* NYK sponsored a booth at the spring 2018 “Manabi no Fes” (Festival of Learning) on April 3 at the Japan Science Foundation’s museum in central Tokyo.

This event was organized by the Mainichi Shimbun, one of Japan’s major newspapers, to provide children with the opportunity to learn about jobs at companies that might not be familiar to the children. Thirty-two companies and organizations exhibited at the event, which was attended by about 1,500 children and parents chosen by lot.

This was the third “Manabi no Fes” for NYK, and this time the company conducted classes about oceangoing ships and seafarers’ onboard duties, administered quizzes about the ships, gave the children the opportunity to navigate a containership via a ship-handling simulator, and helped the children to disassemble an engine.

Many children enjoyed the simulator challenge of piloting a ship through Tokyo Bay and the strait of Kurushima, both of which are known to be areas of Japan that experience heavy vessel traffic. At the engineer corner, children used tools to take apart an engine. And parents asked questions about the process of becoming a sea sailor.

A photo area was set up and cosponsored by the All Japan Seamen's Union and the International Mariners Management Association of Japan, and many children enjoyed interacting with the J-Crew Project’s mascots and being photographed wearing uniforms, including the captain’s.

The company looks forward to continuing the NYK Mirai Project to encourage interest in seafaring among children.

* NYK Mirai Project
This project consists of a series of activities that nurture greater awareness of maritime affairs and the seafaring life among Japan’s youth so that they can develop interest in the maritime industry and consider careers at shipping companies. The project was launched at the end of 2014.

Spring 2018 “Manabi no Fes” Website (Japanese): http://mainichimediacafe.jp/manabi-fes/

At the ship-handling simulator

At the engineer corner