Using Original T-Shirt Sales to Fund Club Expeditions.

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

Hearing that the club expedition costs were becoming a burden, three students stood up to solve this problem in 2017. With the cooperation of Ikushunshiri Design, a general incorporated association working to create a better future for Okushiri Town, they launched a crowdfunding campaign to solicit support for expedition funds. The reward was an original T-shirt designed by the students. As a result, they raised over 1.5 million yen, exceeding their target amount. This became the origin of OID.

Crowdfunding

The following year, in 2018, OID was officially established as a club. In its first year, besides earning revenue by selling original T-shirts at town events, they also focused on activities to raise awareness of OID's initiatives. They designed the 5th-anniversary label for the town's specialty Japanese sake, “Okushiri,” and created wall art on construction site fences, collaborating with local businesses.

Earning Expedition Funds While Promoting OID's Activities.

Currently, the club has seven members: four second-year students and three first-year students. It is composed of three sections: the Design Section, which creates designs for T-shirts and tote bags; the Presentation Section, which publicizes OID's activities; and the Documentation Section, which handles accounting for events.

An original tote bag designed with symbols of clubs like baseball, table tennis, and brass band, along with the Okushiri sea

Koharu Takesako, a second-year student in the Design Section, shared her creative process: “Since OID's purpose is to support club activities, we come up with various ideas for the designs of T-shirts and tote bags, such as incorporating symbols of each club and the nature of Okushiri.”

Rino Yoshida, the club president and a member of the Presentation Section, says, “In 2021, we presented OID's activities at the 'Inakaryoku Koshien,' a competition for high school students nationwide to propose regional revitalization plans, and we won an Award for Excellence. Just the other day, we also gave a presentation at the 'Our Village is Beautiful - Hokkaido' movement, which showcases activities that enhance the appeal of rural and fishing villages. Participating in these competitions allows us to learn about initiatives that leverage the unique characteristics of various regions outside of Okushiri, which is very inspiring.”

The two students presenting online at the 'Inakaryoku Koshien'

In addition to this, the Presentation Section is also responsible for explaining OID's activities to visitors at Okushiri High School. Although most members are nervous at first, they gradually become more confident speakers, and everyone seems to grow significantly over their three years.

“Until junior high, I was not good at public speaking; I would get nervous and my voice would become quiet,” says Yoshida, reflecting on her growth. “But after experiencing many presentations, I learned to speak with the intention of really conveying my message to the people in front of me. People around me have started saying, ‘You seem more confident than before.’”

Presenting OID's activities to visitors

Even the new first-year students are gradually learning about the club's activities under the guidance of their kind seniors. Nanami Sakaue of the Documentation Section shared with a bright smile, “I volunteered to be the emcee for an upcoming symposium. I haven't been in OID for long, but I can feel my confidence growing as I interact with many people. I'm happy because I feel like I've been able to overcome something I wasn't good at.”

Gaining Experience for the Future While Still in High School.

So, why did the members decide to join OID?

“I knew about OID before enrolling, and I was first interested because it's a club unique to Okushiri High School. Since it involves handling money, I thought I could gain experience that would be useful for my future while still in high school,” says Chinatsu Hoshi, a second-year student.

Nene Fujikawa, a first-year student, heard about OID after enrolling. Like Hoshi, she said, “It's not something you find at other high schools, and I could gain experience in sales and presentations, and maybe even get better at using computers, which I'm not good at. I joined hoping it would be useful for my future.” The combination of fun and practical benefits is certainly appealing.

Five years have passed since the 2017 crowdfunding campaign. OID has become known not only within Okushiri Town but also throughout Hokkaido and even nationwide, and the number of supporters continues to grow.

“This winter, Okushiri Winery, which handles everything from grape cultivation to winemaking, asked us to create a logo for their company, and we designed four options,” says Hoshi, who was in charge of the design. “They will actually use the four logos throughout this year and then decide on the official one. This was a very exciting opportunity.” It sounds just like the work of a professional designer.

The four logo designs for 'Okushiri Winery' created by Hoshi

Furthermore, with the cooperation of Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. (MUJI), which had taken notice of OID's activities since its inception, they have been holding the “Okushiri Marche” at the MUJI Siesta Hakodate store every year since 2019. The event has been featured in various media outlets and attracts many customers.

“Last year, many customers came because they had seen the advertisements beforehand, and I was so happy that the Okushiri Marche was getting attention. We were also really moved by the warm words of encouragement, like ‘Keep up the great work to support your expedition funds,’ and ‘Thank you for coming to Hakodate,’” says Takesako.

On the day of the event, they sell OID's original merchandise, as well as products made with Okushiri sea urchin and sweets and bread from the island's only cafe. The two-day event was a great success, with many items selling out before it ended.

Serving customers at the Okushiri Marche

Sharing the Charm of Okushiri Through Their Activities.

The club's advisor is Mr. Hiroshi Ogasawara, who is in his third year of teaching at Okushiri High School. “The members often work individually, but they are all united by the common goal of ‘creating something great.’ We teachers stay in the background, supporting the students and working together to create something interesting,” he says.

There is an atmosphere on Okushiri Island where the entire community, including the teachers, warmly watches over the students' activities and daily lives.

“The couple at my and Takesako's boarding house are so kind. The food is delicious, and they even serve us sea urchin bowls during the season,” says Hoshi. Yoshida adds, “That's right! If you're walking in the rain, someone might offer you a ride, or people will give you snacks. I really feel the strong bonds typical of a remote island.” Fujikawa says she loves wearing clothes given to her by a town resident who called out to her on her way home from school.

It's not just the people; the nature of Okushiri is also captivating. As all OID members are “island study abroad” students, they seem to be particularly moved by this rich environment.

Hoshi says she sometimes throws down her bag after school and runs to the sea to watch the sunset. Sakaue also described the sunrise over the ocean and the star-filled night sky as “incredibly beautiful. It's a special scenery that you can only see because you're in Okushiri.”

The more they grow to love the island, the more they want to share its wonderful aspects with everyone. The members of OID continue their work as a “club for other clubs,” while also serving as ambassadors for the town, promoting their beloved Okushiri Island to the rest of the country.