
The took place in
Kirarahama, Yamaguchi in western
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
from 28 July to 8 August 2015.
The event was attended by 33,628 Scouts and leaders (including 7,979 International Service Team (IST) members who served as volunteer staff). The theme was ''和 Wa: A Spirit of Unity''. The
kanji
are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
和
Wa is the oldest attested name of Japan and ethnonym of the Japanese people. From Chinese and Korean scribes used the Chinese character to refer to the various inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago, although it might have been just used t ...
, meaning
harmony
In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...
,
unity
Unity is the state of being as one (either literally or figuratively). It may also refer to:
Buildings
* Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building
* Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper
* Unity Buildings, Liverpoo ...
or togetherness, was part of the theme.
''
Wa'' is also an early name for Japan.
Site
The Jamboree site is a flat land with an area of 2.8 km north to south by 1 km east to west. There is a natural park on the site, where wildlife living on Kirarahama is preserved. Millions of wild birds visit Kirarahama every year. In addition, the site is equipped with water supply and sewage systems, as well as a sports dome and a swimming pool that were used for programs. Especially for the 23rd WSJ, two supermarkets, a hospital and an arena were temporarily erected. Access to the site is easy by airplanes and
Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. It was initially built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond lon ...
bullet trains.
The site is located 30 minutes from
Shin-Yamaguchi Station
is a passenger railway station located in the city of Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
Lines
Shin-Yamaguchi Station is served by the Sanyō Shinkansen and is 474.4 kilometers ...
on the
JR Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. It was initially built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond lon ...
line, which is capable of carrying a large number of passengers. Four international airports serve within a 2-hour radius of the site, out of which
Fukuoka International Airport and
Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport (), commonly known as Kankū (; ), is the primary international airport in the Keihanshin, Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is located on ...
are located west and east of the site.
Several inspections have been carried out on the Jamboree site by the
Japanese government
The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty- ...
and other foreign governments and organizations. The site is approximately 1200 km away from
Fukushima, the area affected by the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which r ...
, so the inspections have concluded that the country is safe for hosting the Jamboree. Members from the
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest and, after the Order of World Scouts (formed in 1911), is the second-oldest international organization in the Scout Movement, having been established in 1922. It has 176 members. ...
also concluded that the site location is safe.
Operation Kirara
At each
World Scout Jamboree
The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting Jamboree (Scouting), jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17. At the jamboree, many scouts sw ...
, a solidarity project is undertaken to support the attendance of Scouts from around the world who might not be able to attend the Jamboree for financial reasons. This Jamborees project was called Operation Kirara. Operation Kirara was the largest solidarity operation ever undertaken for any World Scout Jamboree. Support was provided to enable 480 Scouts from 90 countries to attend the Jamboree. Scouts were supported from every Scout region of World Scouting. The financial support covered the cost of transportation, visas, camp equipment as well as the cost of the Scouts stay before and after the Jamboree. Special support was given from the Japanese government and the
Scout Association of Japan
The is the major Scouting organization of Japan. Starting with boys only, the organization was known as Boy Scouts of Japan from 1922 to 1971, and as Boy Scouts of Nippon from 1971 to 1995, when it became coeducational in all sections, leading ...
who helped make the project possible.
Ceremonies
The opening ceremony was held in the evening of 29 July 2015, and was broadcast live online at www.scout.org.
It included a flag ceremony of all attending contingents, a speech from the governor of
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...
,
Tsugumasa Muraoka and a speech from the Chairperson of the
World Scout Committee
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest and, after the Order of World Scouts (formed in 1911), is the second-oldest international organization in the Scout Movement, having been established in 1922. It has 176 members. ...
,
João Armando Gonçalves
João Armando Pereira Gonçalves, ComIH of Figueira da Foz, Portugal (born 19 September 1963) is the former chairperson of the World Scout Committee, the main executive body of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. He was a member of t ...
. Entertainment shows included a small find-the-differences game played on the screens, and a traditional taiko drum performance by the "da da da band".
The closing ceremony was held in the evening of 7 August 2015, and was broadcast live online at www.scout.org.
Activities
Activities include Nature, Culture, Science, Faith and Beliefs, Global Development Village, Water, Peace, and Community.
Water
For the all day off-site module, water activities such as sailing,
wind surfing
Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...
, snorkeling, rafting and fishing were carried out at the pool and on the nearby coast.
A half day on-site module was also available, with beachside activities such as volleyball, soccer, sand biking, tug-of-war, and water gun fights being carried out at the beach.
Community
A full day module, participants could compare their own community to another community. This programme included practical implementation of the "Reaching Out" strategy in the local community. Participants were also able to experience the
real Japan by working with local people.
Peace
An all day off-site module that took participants to the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is a museum located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima, Japan, dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II.
The museum was established in August 1955 with the ...
about two hours' drive away, where the participants could understand and feel the history of what happened on
August 6, 1945.
There was also a small gathering to hear the memoirs and poems by the
survivors of Hiroshima, followed by an invitation for participants to come onstage and share their thoughts on peace.
On 6 August 2015, two participants from each national contingent took part in a ceremony in
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...
to mark the 70th anniversary of the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, during World War II. The aerial bombings killed between 150,000 and 246,000 people, most of whom were civili ...
.
Global Development Village
Global Development Village (GDV) was an on-site module programme, which attempted to raise awareness of global issues such as peace, the environment, development, human rights and health among participants. As the 23WSJ was held in Japan, GDV focuses on
disaster mitigation
Mitigation is the reduction of something harmful that has occurred or the reduction of its harmful effects. It may refer to measures taken to reduce the harmful effects of hazards that remain ''in potentia'', or to manage harmful incidents that ...
and
world peace
World peace is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about.
Various relig ...
. The
World Scout Organization requested active involvement of UN agencies, NGOs and
NPOs. The GDV programme was also part of the Join-in-Jamboree programme.
Nature
A full day module programme, it was an attempt to foster better understanding of the surrounding nature, bringing appreciation to the environment. It was held in nearby Yamaguchi City where the Kirarahama cave is.
Culture
"Crossroads of Culture" (CRC) was an activity to promote the exchange of cultures, and learning respect for the cultures amongst participants. The event also had a programme aimed at deepening the cultural understanding of Japan from
traditional culture to
pop culture
Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
among the participants.
Science
An on-site programme that aimed at deepening the understanding of advances in science and technology, and the benefits and problems associated with science. This programme provided a venue for learning about the development of
fuel cell
A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen fuel, hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most bat ...
s and other energy sources for the future,
ecological problems, robotics and automotive technologies.
Media
The event made use of a number of internal media outlets. There were dedicated video and social media teams and a daily Jamboree Newspaper, titled ''和 Wa''.
Young Correspondent/Young Spokesperson project
In addition to dedicated IST members, there were around 200 young correspondents from around the camp working with the media center of the jamboree.
They may have chosen to communicate with the press of their own country, to write about the jamboree on their own online blogs or social media using the hashtag #WSJ2015, or write daily themed articles for the jamboree newspaper.
Football
The 23rd World Scout Jamboree hosted its first Scout World Cup which was held in a knockout tournament format. The final was played between Scouts from Brazil and the Merseyside & the Isle of Man Unit from the United Kingdom. The Merseyside unit won 4–1. The first victory since 1966.
Logo
"The Jamboree logo is in the form of a knot (traditional Japanese ''
mizuhiki
is an ancient Japanese artform of knot-tying, most commonly used to decorate envelopes, called , which are given as gifts during holidays like Japanese New Year (and are then called ) or for special occasions such as births and weddings () or ...
'').
The three colors represent the Jamboree concepts: "Energy, Innovation and Harmony".
The ''mizuhiki'' knot is presented at times of celebration.
The kanji character "和"
Aalso forms art of the logo."
It is said that the motion of the knot represents the bond between people, to create the bond between the Scouts gathered from all over the world. On the lower right side of the logo, the kanji character "和"
Aillustrates the meaning of the ''mizuhiki''.
Collaborations
The World Scout Jamboree worked with
Canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western canon, th ...
, a main sponsor. Four live action cameras were set around the camp, and Canon had a stall in the science activity module. The company also lent out 10 EOS kissx8i
DSLR
A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a solid-state image sensor and digitally records the images from the sensor.
The reflex des ...
cameras (currently not on the market) to the young correspondent program.
Subcamps
Each Jamboree hub contained four subcamps, each consisting of 2,000 scouts with their own programme of activities. The subcamps were named after notable mountains in Japan.
Within the subcamps each unit consisted of 4 patrols; a patrol consisting of 9 youth and 1 adult. The three hubs were:
* Northern Hub
**
Akagi
**
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered ...
**
Chokai
**
Daisetsu
The is a volcanic group of peaks arranged around the wide caldera in Hokkaidō, Japan. In the Ainu language it is known as ''Nutapukaushipe'' (which means "the mountain above the river"),
* Western Hub
**
Ishizuchi
**
Jakuchi
**
Kujū
**
Miyanoura
is a port town and the second major settlement of the island of Yakushima, in Japan. It is part of the municipality (with town status) of Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture.
History
Originally part of the municipality of Yaku, on October 1, 2007 ...
* Eastern Hub
**
Ena
Ena or ENA may refer to:
Education
* École nationale d'administration, French Grande école, for civil service
* Education Networks of America, Internet service provider
Government and politics
* English National Association, a former poli ...
**
Fuji
**
Goryu
**
Hotaka
The adult-only Hub for IST members and other adults not affiliated with a Sub-camp or participant unit had its own programme of activities :
* Southern Hub
**
Zaō
Participation
See also
*
Scout Association of Japan
The is the major Scouting organization of Japan. Starting with boys only, the organization was known as Boy Scouts of Japan from 1922 to 1971, and as Boy Scouts of Nippon from 1971 to 1995, when it became coeducational in all sections, leading ...
*
Scouting in Japan
The Scout and Guide movement in Japan is served by
* Girl Scouts of Japan, member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
* Scout Association of Japan, member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
* Baden-Powell Scouts A ...
References
External links
23rd World Scout Jamboree Website
{{Scouting
#2015
#
July 2015 in Japan
August 2015 in Japan