Our Story
The Oita Miracle: Where Global Minds Gather
One day, founders Sumire Hirotsuru and Mari Hirotsuru had a radical idea when Sumire got accepted to Harvard from a public school located in her hometown: what if we invited Harvard University students to spend their summer teaching youth in Oita, a quiet, beautiful hot-spring city in southern Japan?
On paper, it seemed like an impossible ask. These university scholars had endless, lucrative corporate internships and prestigious opportunities waiting for them in major global capitals. Yet, when the invitations went out, our inboxes were flooded with brilliant applicants.
Why did they choose Oita? Because that first summer proved a profound, universal truth: People gather where they are truly appreciated and valued. For over a decade, Summer in JAPAN (SIJ) has thrived on this mutual appreciation. We bring the brightest minds in the world to Japan not simply to act as traditional teachers, but to engage in authentic, barrier-free mentorship. In our classrooms, the traditional hierarchy melts away. Harvard scholars step out of their intense academic bubbles, and young students step out of the confines of standardized testing. They meet in the middle as equals.
The “Oita Miracle” is the realization that this mentorship is a two-way street. The youth discover their voices and build unbreakable confidence, while the global mentors leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a deep, enduring love for Japanese culture. It is a transformative, once-in-a-lifetime collision of minds that changes both the students and the mentors forever.
Our Impact
Bridging Local Potential with Global Excellence
SIJ connects the world and brings diverse talents and expertise to Japan. We bridge the distances, making sure that the exchange of ideas, cultures and learning is continuous and seamless.
SIJ develops and implements workshop curricula that have a meaningful impact on younger generations’ future and their communities. Since the inaugural year 2013, we have been a platform where the youth can grow as future leaders for the good of society and personal fulfillment.
Action-Driven Curricula
We develop and implement workshop curricula designed not for the world of yesterday, but for the complex society of tomorrow. Whether it is coding dynamic solutions in our Tech Hackathon, pitching civic revitalization strategies in our Public Speaking symposium, or building creative synergy in the Performing Arts, our programs force students out of their comfort zones. We pivot youth from being passive consumers of information into active creators of real-world solutions.
A Legacy of Future Leaders
Since our inaugural year in 2013, SIJ has grown from a local summer camp into a premier global platform. With over 8,300 lives impacted, our alumni have gone on to study at top universities abroad, innovate within their local communities, and tackle global challenges head-on.Ultimately, our impact is measured by a dual promise: equipping the youth with the critical skills needed for the good of society, while ensuring they never lose the joy of personal fulfillment. We are architecting a generation that is not only ready to survive the future, but ready to invent it.
