How the Ship for World Youth Program started:

The international youth exchange program of the Cabinet Office originally started in 1959 when it implemented the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Mission Program” which the then Prime Minister Kishi had proposed personally in order to commemorate the marriage of H.M. the Emperor, who was at that time the Crown Prince.

In 1967, the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program” started as one of the projects to commemorate the Centennial of the Meiji Restoration. Both the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Mission Program” and the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program” gave a big dream and hope to the youth of Japan since the government would take the initiative to send the youth overseas at the time when it was still very difficult for them to go aboard on their own.

Due to the recent expansion of the international role of Japan and the remarkable advancement in internationalization in various fields all over the world, the improvement of the contents of international youth exchange programs of the Cabinet Office has been found necessary in order to cope with such a changing social environment. Firstly, therefore, the “Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program” was reorganized and upgraded to the “Ship for World Youth Program” in 1988. The main objective of the former program, which was sending Japanese youth overseas, was changed, so that the exchange between Japanese and foreign youth became one of the main activities. The contents also became more academic through the introduction of activities such as discussions and seminars.

Purpose of the program:

The purpose of the Ship for World Youth program is to broaden the global view of the Japanese youths, to promote mutual understanding and friendship between Japanese and foreign youths as well as to cultivate the spirit of international cooperation and the competence to practice it, and furthermore to foster the youths with capability of showing leadership in various area of international society.

In addition, this program aims at establishing networks and promoting joint activities among youths around the world through providing, as the concrete and practical opportunity, the cohabitation and the joint activity on the board of the "Ship for World Youth," which is the epitome of international society with wide variety of cultures and ideas, to make an visible international contribution from the perspective of human resource development.

In this program, approximately 120 youth from Japan and 140 youth from various areas of the world live together on board the ship and engage in various multilateral exchange activities such as studying and discussing common issues from a global viewpoint on board and in the countries visited.

Click here for the official video of the Ship for World Youth Program

The itinerary of the 21th Ship for World Youth program 2009 is as follows:
- Arrival of the participants from overseas: January 14, 2009
- Program for overseas participants in Japan: January 15－22

- Departure from Yokohama Port (Japan): January 23
- Refuel, food and water supply in Vanuatu: February 2
- Port of call activities in Tonga (Nuku'alofa): February 5－7
- Port of call activities in New Zealand (Auckland): February 11－14
- Refuel, food and water supply in Vanuatu: Feb. 19 - 20
- Return back to Tokyo (Japan) March 5

Sailing Route

Participating countries for SWY21 are:
Canada
Arab Republic of Egypt
Republic of the Fiji Islands
Japan
Republic of Mauritius
New Zealand
Kingdom of Norway
Republic of Peru
Kingdom of Tonga
United Arab Emirates
Republic of Vanuatu
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Republic of Yemen

If you are intersted in participating in the SWY program, please contact the Ministry of Youth Affairs or the Japanese Embassy in your country.