The 81st National UNESCO Movement Conference in Kanazawa

The 81st National UNESCO Movement Conference in Kanazawa
Theme: “Everyday Life” – Toward the Creative Reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula

Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Venue: Hougaku Hall, Ishikawa Ongakudo, Kanazawa

I participated in the 2025 National UNESCO Movement Conference was held in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture.  Approximately 300 people attended the event, including 15 members from the Tokyo Metropolitan Liaison Council of UNESCO Associations.  The event opened with a jazz performance by elementary and junior high school students, followed by programs centered on  panel discussions.

　The theme of the panel discussion was “Everyday Life: Toward the Creative Reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula.”  Representatives from six municipalities in the Oku-Noto region actively exchanged views on how to achieve not only the restoration of everyday life but also a more creative and sustainable form of recovery. The organizers explained that the panelists, ranging in age from their thirties to fifties, had all experienced living outside Ishikawa Prefecture for university studies or employment, and that they came back to their local communities to participate in the discussions.  

　At the networking reception, the opening entertainment featured performances by a high school brass band and a university dance club. While some participants commented that the conference seemed to contain fewer traditional UNESCO-related elements than usual, the organizers explained that the performances was planned with the intention of bringing hope and courage to the local community through the power of music.  The organizers also expressed their wish that participants would share this message with their respective UNESCO associations members.

(Written by SATO Ritsuko, Standing Director, and translated by TANAHASHI S., the PR & Internet Committee)