The Ship for World Youth (SWY) is a unique international cultural exchange program  international  cooperation and understanding. Over a two-month period, participantsorganised by the Government of Japan. The most prestigious program of its kind, SWY brings together over 250 youth from around the world to learn about are involved in a wide range of activities aimed at fostering cultural sensitivity, understanding and friendship. Most of the program is conducted onboard the cruise liner Nippon Maru, with some activities scheduled in Japan, and others in a number of seaports that are visited in the course of the voyage.  

Commencing in 1989, the program is run on an annual basis. Each year a different mix of nations is invited to participate and a different ports of call are incorporated into the itinerary.

Aims and objectives


How does it work?

 The Government of Japan plans, organises, implements and finances the Ship for World Youth. Each year a number of countries are invited to send a delegation to join the program. Selection of each delegate is the responsibility of each participating nation - the delegates themselves are ambassadors for their country.

As representatives of their country, participants are expected to share with others the views that the youth of their nation hold on a variety of issues. They prepare presentations which showcase their country, research and deliver papers on pertinent topics, and prepare to engage in dialogue with participants on a range of subjects.

In recent years, the formal discussion program has included such topics as: reform of the United Nations; globalisation; the environment; women and gender issues; and volunteerism.

The program commences with the arrival of overseas participants in Japan. Participants spend a few days in Tokyo partaking in a number of institutional visits and experiencing some of the culturally significant parts of the city. Participants then spend a few days on a homestay with a Japanese family in another prefecture of Japan. This opportunity to live with a family and experience Japanese life firsthand is a highlight of the program. The homestay is a fantastic opportunity for participants to not only learn about Japanese family life, but to also share with their host family, what life is like in their own country. Many strong bonds of friendship develop and it is not uncommon for participants and their host families to continue to correspond and visit each other after the conclusion of the program.

Life on the ship is an amazing experience. With participants from a diverse range of countries eating, sleeping, working and living side-by-side for weeks on end, there are many opportunities for improving cultural understanding, learning the principles of international cooperation and indeed for individual personal growth.

The formal program encompasses a range of activities that contribute to one or more of the objectives of SWY. The specific activities and focus areas differ from year to year, however the following are indicative of the types of activities that participants engage in:

 > cultural exchanges
 > sports activities
 > lectures by international specialists
 > formal and informal discussions
 > social events
 > national presentations

The informal program is just as important in achieving the SWY objectives. Barriers and misconceptions are overcome as participants talk over lunch, minds are widened and new perspectives become possible during dinner conversations, and life long friendships are cemented as participants sing and dance well into the night.

Are the problems of the world going to be solved on this two-month program? Possibly, but probably not. What the program does do however is encourage participants to challenge the filters through which they view the world and illustrate that people from different nations can live together peacefully, learn from each other and work together to overcome differences and misunderstandings.