Announcing the results of the "#DreamsIWantToAchieve" submission contest held by Sawakami Asset Management and note!
We held the "#DreamsIWantToAchieve" submission contest for about a month starting December 20, 2024, where you could talk about the dreams you want to challenge. During the period (12/20-1/19), we received 10,193 entries! Thank you for submitting such a variety of wonderful works, from personal dreams to grand ones.
For a list of entries on note, please see here.
As a result of the selection process, the winners have been decided as follows.
Grand Prix (1 entry)
A tumultuous year. The story of taking over a small coffee shop in Mukojima, Sumida Ward, and the final stretch before opening.
Shino., a public health nurse, suddenly took over the coffee shop "HOLLY" in Mukojima, Sumida Ward, due to a certain event. Her work, which chronicles the journey toward reopening as "HOLLYday," was brilliantly chosen as the Grand Prix winner. With the help of those around her, she spent over a year preparing and opened in January 2025. It is heart-warming to see Shino. moving forward step by step while carefully taking over the shop.
The judges also highly praised it, saying, "I was impressed by how she achieved her dream while successfully cooperating with those around her," "It had a narrative quality, and I read it with excitement until the end," and "I could read the before-and-after changes of the shop from the photos, and it felt very immersive."
[Winner's Comment]
Thank you very much for choosing me for the Grand Prix.
It has already been two months since the shop opened, and I am grateful for the support of many customers and local people. I have a desire to provide a space that is "delicious, fun, and comforting" and to cherish heart-warming moments. Without forgetting the gratitude for the support I have received so far, I would like to continue to challenge myself without limiting my dreams with HOLLYday as the axis, spread passion and happiness with my friends, and circulate the feeling of excitement.
Corporate Awards (2 entries)
A visually impaired middle school student's future dream: Bringing theater support to many theaters!
This is a work in which MAKI, a visually impaired middle school student living in London, talks about her dream of spreading theater support for the visually impaired to Japanese theaters as well. MAKI experienced audio guides and touch tours at theaters in London and realized how wonderful they were. Her straightforward desire to "create a world of theater where everyone can visit without feeling resistance and enjoy it freely" is moving.
The judges also commented, "To realize a positive idea, the feeling of 'I want to do this!' is expressed logically. I want to support her purely," "It was a work that broadened the reader's perspective, making me realize that there are many kinds of dreams," and "It was good that the dream was very concrete. Expectations for future realization are also growing."
An office worker who averaged 2,000 steps a day, until she could run 10 kilometers
nina, an office worker who lived a life with an average of 2,000 steps a day. However, influenced by Fumiya Sano of the idol group OWV, whom she is a fan of, she started walking and eventually chronicles her experience of being able to run 10 kilometers. It is a very exciting work to see nina gradually changing, such as the success of her diet and the improvement of her self-affirmation.
The judges also evaluated it, saying, "It was interesting not only that she became able to run 10 kilometers, but also that the episode of her favorite idol was involved," "I felt that the figure of achieving a dream by getting energy from her favorite idol was very true to life and highly empathetic," and "It was a work that honestly made me think, 'Hobbies are great. Maybe I should get interested in something or try something too.'"
Looking back on the contest
Below is a comment from the Sawakami Asset Management note team.
Recently, I often hear people say, "I don't have a dream" or "I can't find what I want to do." Is that really the case?
Through this project, articles talking about dreams were sent from all over the world, and I was surprised that many people have "dreams they want to achieve."
And as I read each article, I was moved and found many dreams that I wanted to support.
I was very excited to find that there are many people in this world who have "dreams" they envision themselves, from small dreams to big dreams.
Once again, I think that those who can talk about the dreams they want to realize are very cool and wonderful, and at the same time, I wanted them to continue to act so that they can realize their dreams without ending them as dreams and without giving up.
...
Although the submission period has ended, we hope this will serve as an opportunity for you to think once again about the dreams you want to pursue.
Please take a look at the other submitted works from the link below.