― A Hands-on Approach to Bridging Traditional Japanese Industry and Global Markets by Japanese and Canadian Students ―Program OverviewFrom May to June 2025, DMZ Japan partnered with Chiba University to deliver the DMZ × Chiba University Global Entrepreneurship Exchange. This intensive, short-term program brought together 10 Japanese students and 10 Canadian students into mixed, cross-cultural teams to tackle real-world social and industrial challenges through an entrepreneurial lens.The central challenge of the program asked a deceptively simple but complex question:How might we transform sake or sake production byproducts, such as sake lees (kasu), moromi, and rice bran, into global ambassadors of Japanese fermentation culture?Working with global markets in mind, where cultural norms, religious considerations, and consumer perceptions differ significantly, students rapidly iterated between hypothesis and action. Through this fast-paced cycle of experimentation and validation, they refined product ideas grounded in both tradition and market reality.Program Structure and ScheduleThe program was intentionally designed to maximize learning outcomes within a highly compressed timeframe, emphasizing speed, immersion, and execution.⚫︎May 8, 13, and 20: Online pre-program workshops focused on preparing students for cross-cultural collaboration.⚫︎May 28 (Day 0): Arrival at Narita International Airport.⚫︎May 29 (Day 1): Visits to the Iinumahonke sake brewery and the National Museum of Japanese History, where students gained hands-on insight into sake culture and production processes.⚫︎May 30 (Day 2): Group discussions at Chiba University to shape and refine business ideas, followed by travel to Osaka.⚫︎May 31 (Day 3): Group work and on-site interviews with visitors at the Osaka–Kansai EXPO, collecting real-time feedback on product concepts.⚫︎June 1 (Day 4): Final presentations at the Canada Pavilion of the Osaka–Kansai EXPO.⚫︎June 2 (Day 5): Free time in the morning; return to Tokyo in the afternoon.⚫︎June 3 (Day 6): Free time in the morning; departure for Toronto via Narita International Airport.(At Iinuma Honke sake brewery in Chiba)What Makes This Program Uniquely “DMZ”This program strongly reflects DMZ’s philosophy and program design principles.First, from day one, cross-cultural collaboration was not optional. It was foundational. Japanese and Canadian students worked together in mixed teams, navigating differences in language, values, and communication styles. Reaching alignment and producing tangible outcomes under such conditions, within a limited timeframe, was a significant challenge.Second, the program’s intensity set it apart. With only three days of online preparation and just five days from fieldwork to final presentations, students were required to communicate deeply and make decisions quickly in an unfamiliar cultural environment. Compared to conventional entrepreneurship programs, the structure was deliberately demanding.Most importantly, the program inverted the traditional “theory first, practice later” model. Instead, it embraced the philosophy championed by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU):learning happens outside the classroom; imperfect ideas should be tested in the market; and failure is a critical source of insight.This philosophy was most clearly embodied in the on-site interviews conducted at the Osaka–Kansai EXPO.Initially, many students felt hesitant and anxious about approaching strangers. However, as they conducted interviews and listened to unfiltered feedback, they experienced moments where their assumptions were challenged and often overturned. Through this process, students gained new perspectives and learned firsthand the value of engaging directly with the market. The fieldwork pushed them beyond their comfort zones and instilled a deep, experiential understanding of customer discovery.Final Presentations and OutcomesAt the final presentations, teams showcased a wide range of creative and market-driven product concepts. These included a probiotic beverage combining sake lees and kombucha, a facial mask highlighting the skin-brightening properties of sake lees, and a freeze-dried protein bar made from sake byproducts, each reimagining traditional materials through a modern, global lens.(Scenes from the final presentations)(Presentation slides used by the teams)All ideas were refined based on qualitative research conducted with EXPO visitors. Through this research, students uncovered critical insights, such as religious sensitivities related to alcohol content, concerns about the environmental impact of disposable products, and differing perceptions of the term “protein” between Japanese and Western consumers. These cultural and gender-based differences informed adjustments to target markets, product positioning, and messaging, resulting in proposals that were far more aligned with real-world demand.At the conclusion of the event, the “Aha! Moment Award”, presented to the team that demonstrated the most insightful learning, was awarded to the group behind the sake lees facial mask concept.(Award ceremony for the winning team)Student Growth and Learning OutcomesPre- and post-program surveys clearly demonstrated shifts in student mindset. Interest in “traditional culture × business” recorded the highest post-program score, averaging 4.7 out of 5.Entrepreneurial mindset scores also increased, rising from an average of 3.8 before the program to 4.1 afterward. Many students began to see entrepreneurship not as a path reserved for a select few, but as a viable career option for themselves.One of the most frequently cited sources of satisfaction was working in cross-cultural teams. Student feedback revealed that overcoming language barriers and differences in values, while still delivering meaningful outcomes, led to a powerful realization:Diversity is not a challenge, but a source of innovation.ClosingThe DMZ × Chiba University Global Entrepreneurship Exchange provided Japanese and Canadian students with a rare opportunity to engage in high-density, hands-on innovation aimed at solving real societal challenges within a limited timeframe.In the next article, the program moves to Toronto, Canada, where we will report on the local program attended by Chiba University students and faculty, continuing this cross-border journey of practical entrepreneurship.