Proceeds from the sale of original T-shirts are used to pay for the club's expedition.

Okushiri High School has five departments: the baseball club, table tennis club, volleyball club, brass band club, and volunteer bureau. However, for the baseball club, for example, just going to a practice game off the island costs about 20,000 yen extra in overhead compared to high schools in urban or suburban areas.

It was 2017 when three students heard that the club's travel expenses were so high that they were having a hard time making ends meet, and they decided to take action to solve this problem. With the cooperation of Ikushunshiri Design, a general incorporated association that works to create a better future for Okushiri Town, they raised support for expedition expenses through crowdfunding. The returns were original T-shirts designed by the students. As a result, more than 1.5 million yen was raised, exceeding the target amount. This became the starting point of OID.

Crowdfunding

The following year, 2018, OID was officially launched as a department. In its first year, OID earned revenue by selling original T-shirts at town events, designed labels for the 5th anniversary of the birth of the town's specialty sake, Okushiri, and created wall art for the town's construction enclosure, among other activities in collaboration with businesses to promote awareness of OID's efforts.

While earning money for the expedition, OID's activities are also widely publicized.

The club currently has seven members, four sophomores and three freshmen, and consists of three sections: the Design Section, which designs T-shirts, tote bags, and other items; the Presentation Section, which communicates OID's activities; and the Documentation Section, which handles accounting at events.

Original tote bags featuring the symbols of the baseball, table tennis, and brass band clubs, as well as the sea of Okushiri

Koharu Takezako, a second-year student in the Design Section, told us, "The purpose of OID is to support club activities, so I come up with various ideas for the designs of T-shirts and tote bags, such as incorporating the symbols of each club and the nature of Okushiri.

Rino Yoshida, Manager of the Presentation Section and Department Manager, said, "In 2021, we presented OID's activities at the "Rural Power Koshien," a competition for high school students from all over Japan to submit ideas for regional revitalization, and won an award for excellence. I have also recently made a presentation at the "Our Village is Beautiful - Hokkaido" campaign, which promotes activities to enhance the attractiveness of rural fishing communities. Participating in competitions like this is a great stimulus for me to learn about activities that make the most of the unique characteristics of various regions outside Okushiri," he says.

Two students making a presentation at the "Rural Power Koshien" competition held online.

In addition to these activities, the Presentation Section is also responsible for explaining OID's activities to visitors to Okushiri High School. Most of the club members say they get nervous at first, but gradually they become confident speakers, and everyone seems to grow a lot over the three years.

Until junior high school, I wasn't very good at public speaking, and I used to get nervous and my voice would get quiet. But as I experienced giving presentations over and over again, I became able to speak with a sense of urgency and convey my message to the people in front of me.

Presenting OID activities to visitors

The first-year students who have just joined OID are beginning to learn about the activities of OID under the guidance of their kind seniors. Nanami Sakagami, a member of the Documentation Section, said, "I have just joined OID and have been nominated to be the chairperson of the upcoming symposium. I am happy because I feel like I have been able to overcome some of the things I was not good at," she said with a bright smile.

Even as high school students, they can have experiences that will lead to their future.

By the way, why did the club members decide to join OID?

I knew about OID before I entered the school, and I was first interested in OID because it is the only club in Okushiri High School. I thought that since we handle money, I would be able to gain experience that would lead to my future in high school," said Chinatsu Hoshi, a sophomore.

Like Hoshi, Nene Fujikawa, a first-year student, heard about OID after entering the school and said, "There is no other high school like it, and I could gain experience in selling goods and making presentations, and I might even be able to use a computer, which I am not good at. I joined the club because I hoped it would be useful in the future. The fact that it can lead to practical benefits while having fun is still appealing.

Five years after the crowdfunding campaign in 2017, OID's existence is well known not only in Okushiri but also in Hokkaido and throughout Japan, and the number of supporters continues to increase.

This winter, Okushiri Winery, which grows grapes and makes wine, asked us to create a logo for their company, and we designed four different logos. They will actually use the four logos throughout this year and finally decide on the official logo. This made me very happy," says Mr. Hoshi, who was in charge of the design. It was like working with a professional designer.

The four logos of Okushiri Winery designed by Mr. Hoshi

With the cooperation of Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. which has been paying attention to OID's activities since its establishment, the Okushiri Marche will be held in the MUJI Siesta Hakodate store every year starting in 2019. The event has been covered by many media and has attracted many customers.

Last year we had a lot of customers who came to our store after seeing our advertisement in advance, and we were happy that Okushiri Marche attracted so much attention. We were also really touched by the warm encouragement we received, such as "Good luck in supporting the expedition expenses," and "Thank you for coming to Hakodate," says Takesako.

In addition to OID's original goods, products using sea urchin from Okushiri and sweets and bread made by the island's only café were sold during the two-day event, many of which were sold out before the event was over.

Customers at the Okushiri Marche

We want people to know the charm of Okushiri through our activities.

Mr. Hiroshi Ogasawara, a teacher in his third year at Okushiri High School, serves as advisor. The club members usually work individually, but they are all united in their efforts to achieve the big goal of "making something good. We teachers are behind the scenes, supporting the students and working together with them to create something interesting.

The teachers and everyone on the island warmly support the students' activities and daily life on Okushiri Island.

The landlord and aunt who live with me and Mr. Takezako are really kind," he said. The food is delicious, and in season, they serve us sea urchin bowls," Hoshi said! When I was walking in the rain, some people offered me a ride in their car or gave me sweets. I feel the strength of the bonds that are typical of remote islands. Mr. Fujikawa says he loves wearing clothes given to him on his way home from school by a local resident who said, "Here, I'll give you this.

Not only the people, but also the nature of Okushiri is attractive, and since all OID members are international students on the island, they seem to be even more impressed by this rich environment.

Mr. Hoshi sometimes throws away his bag after school and runs to the ocean to watch the sunset. Mr. Sakagami, too, says that the sunrise from across the ocean and the star-filled sky seen in the middle of the night are "so beautiful. It is a special scenery that can only be seen in Okushiri.

The more attached they become to the island, the more they want everyone to know about its good points, and the OID members are continuing their activities as a "club for the sake of club activities," while continuing to promote their beloved Okushiri Island throughout the country as a billboard for the town.