On February 10, 2026, Ryuto Hirata, Foreign Affairs Officer, took the stage as a finalist in the "Next Generation Presentation Summit," held as part of the MOFA-hosted event "Dialogue with Students: My Proposal," and delivered a presentation.
This event is an annual student-participatory forum aimed at deepening the understanding of Japanese foreign policy and international affairs among university and graduate students who will lead the next generation of Japan, and giving them exposure to the work of the MOFA and diplomats.
As one of the six finalists selected in the first round, Hirata presented a proposal titled "Visualization Diplomacy for 'Human Security'."
In his proposal, Hirata pointed out the current situation where Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the global health field is often disconnected from the daily lives of the Japanese public and lacks sufficient understanding. He cited the lack of transparency regarding the basis for calculating contribution amounts and the specific outcomes after the aid as contributing factors. Hirata proposed visualizing the philosophy along the following two aspects to fundamentally enhance transparency and accountability:
- Visualization of Numbers: Public disclosure of evaluation reports before and after the contribution, and verification by an independent committee (measurement of DALYs and economic effects).
- Visualization of Stories: Spreading the "perspective of the children" in the supported areas and the "Japanese technology and philosophy" involved in the aid as stories.
He advocated for a new form of diplomacy that integrates data and narratives from the field.
In the Q&A session following the presentation, a lively discussion was held with the judges, who are experts and intellectuals in diplomacy, regarding concrete measures for socially implementing the proposal, including the following points:
- Storytelling using Social Media
In response to the question, "How should stories be created in the modern era where recipients' thoughts are formed in a matter of seconds?", Hirata responded, "While impactful images are effective as a first step towards recognition, designing a pathway to deeper understanding is a future challenge," and offered his personal view on balancing the immediacy and accuracy of information.
- Bottlenecks in Information Disclosure
In the discussion of whether the issue is that information is not disclosed or that it is not being conveyed, he cited his own experience, pointing out that "youth advocates often lack access to data they need to develop policy proposals or participate in policy discussions."
- The Need for "Conveying Aid" rather than "Hidden Aid"
Against a common view in the field of "aid should remain low-profile to avoid criticism," he emphasized, "That will not lead to national pride or public motivation, and carries the long-term risk of inviting opposition. To ensure the sustainability of diplomacy, it is necessary to intentionally keep conveying the information."
- Benefits for Japan and the Role of Education
As a means of conveying the significance of the aid, he touched upon the connection to Japan's national interests, stating, "Health is the foundation of a nation, and business development rests upon it. Promoting UHC (Universal Health Coverage) also means cultivating Japan's business partners." Furthermore, the discussion extended to the importance of fostering long-term public understanding through school education, rather than relying on one-off communication efforts.
Our organization will continue its activities to consider the future of Japan's international cooperation from a next-generation perspective and disseminate it to society.
