Announcing the results of the "#FutureIHadntImagined" submission contest held by Mynavi and note!
Held for about a month starting October 28, 2024, the "#FutureIHadntImagined" submission contest invited people to talk about what they learned from challenges and efforts, the future they achieved, and who they are now in ways their past selves could never have imagined. During the period (10/28-11/27), we received 12,685 entries! Thank you for submitting such wonderful works that help us view the future in a positive light.
Please see here for a list of entries on note.
As a result of the selection process, the winners have been decided as follows.
Grand Prix (1 entry)
Dad's Homemade Bento
Aozora Chikuwa's piece, which chronicles the story of her father taking over as the family's cook, was brilliantly chosen for the Grand Prix. Before becoming the cook, Aozora Chikuwa's father had barely stood in the kitchen. However, for the sake of his family, he continued to prepare morning and evening meals and bento boxes, improving his skills rapidly. It is a heartwarming piece that depicts the father's ambition and family love from the daughter's perspective.
The judges also highly praised it, saying, "While there are many stories about moving forward from setbacks, I felt a sense of novelty in this story about a happy family from the start," "It made me feel so happy that I cried while reading it," "The peaceful life they lead now is wonderful, and it's a piece that makes me curious about their future," and "It was also good that the father's own ambition was depicted from the daughter's perspective."
[Winner's Comment] I am filled with surprise and joy at winning the Grand Prix. When I imagine a 'future I hadn't imagined,' the beginning was in the midst of a crisis. Without giving up, while looking forward, finding enjoyment even in the hardships. I feel like I received that message from 'Dad's Homemade Bento.' Although creative work can sometimes feel lonely, thanks to the friends I've made on note and the people who read my articles, I am able to keep writing happily. I would like to thank everyone who planned and operated the contest. Thank you very much.
Judge's Special Award (Hitomi Shiri Award: 2 entries)
The other small miracle caused by Manager Okada | Future I Hadn't Imagined
This is a note that depicts a small miracle that visited a family following the retirement of Hanshin Tigers Manager Okada. It carefully tells of gratitude toward the manager from a fan's perspective and the heartwarming changes that occurred in the family through baseball.
Although it is a piece that spans a very long timeline, Imana-san's thoughts and passion for Manager Okada are carefully written, and the joy of that spreading to the family comes across directly, making me happy by the time I finished reading it. I don't know much about baseball at all, but it made me very excited, thinking, 'Baseball fans seem to have fun!'
The Demon's Thumb
Triggered by an old photograph, Hiro Amase looks back on memories from junior high school. Hiro Amase, who was not good at sports due to asthma, joined the volleyball club and says he began receiving guidance from a demonically strict advisor. In the retirement match, with the opposing team at match point, he was suddenly entrusted with an important mission. You can't help but get teary-eyed at the outcome of the match.
This is a piece that attracted me with its sense for titling. While I was nervous reading the description of the demon coach's guidance, thinking, 'This is definitely a compliance violation,' I ended up liking the coach a little bit in the scene where the meaning of 'The Demon's Thumb' is revealed. I also felt that the structure, in which the 'future I hadn't imagined' for my current self and my junior high school self is written in a dual way, was wonderful!
Mynavi Award (2 entries)
I went from being an elementary school teacher to an idol
This is a note detailing the real-life experience of Asa, who quit her job as an elementary school teacher to pursue her dream of becoming an idol. From teacher to idol, and now raising two children while heading toward a new dream, Asa's story conveys the importance of taking on challenges in life.
Asa's words, "It is never too late to take a step forward in life. And no matter what others say, my value does not change," were very powerful, and gave me the courage to realize that I don't have to give up because of my age, and that it's okay to chase my dreams at any age. I would definitely like people who are working toward their "ideal self" or those who are unsure about their career path to read this.
The story of how my life became richer after switching from a job with a 2,500 yen hourly wage to a part-time job with an 1,100 yen hourly wage
Akaneko quit a high-paying medical job to switch to a low-paying part-time job in a field she was interested in. She says that as a result of prioritizing her "desire to do it," she still finds fulfillment in that work today. This is a piece that resonates with others for its stance of valuing challenges and one's own personal values.
Regarding the question with no right answer—whether it is more of a "waste" to throw away "8 years of skills and a stable income" or to throw away "that feeling of excitement"—it is wonderful how she made the decision herself without being swayed by the negative voices around her, and how that led to the happy future (the present) she never imagined. It was a story that really pushed me forward.
Winners (5 works)
General comments from the judges
■Hitomi Shirisan
When I hear "an unexpected future," I tend to imagine grand episodes of overcoming hardship from rock bottom and growing! However, I was impressed by how many of the submitted works described subtle changes, such as "trivial daily things turning into daily joys." Thinking about it that way, perhaps we are all living in an unexpected future. It was a wonderful contest that made me look forward to my own life from here on out.
Reflecting on the contest
The following are comments from the Mynavi note team.
We set this theme with the hope that you would look back at yourself standing in a future you never imagined, and view the future ahead with a positive outlook. Reading about your life's turning points and the casual yet unexpected daily lives you lead made us feel excited about the future to come as well. Through this contest, we hope that you, too, feel a little more excited about the future rather than anxious. Thank you for your many submissions.
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Although the submission period has ended, we hope this serves as an opportunity to think about the possibilities of the future once again.
Please take a look at the other submitted works from the link below.