Announcing the results of the "#DreamsIWantToFulfill" submission contest held by Sawakami Asset Management and note!
The "#DreamsIWantToFulfill" submission contest, where participants shared the dreams they want to challenge, was held for about a month starting December 19, 2025. During the period (12/19-1/18), we received 11,408 entries! Thank you for submitting such wonderful and positive works.
Please see here for the list of entries on note.
As a result of the selection process, the winners have been decided as follows.
Grand Prix (1 entry)
[#DreamsIWantToFulfill] I want to change the workplace where I can't continue working even though I love childcare.
The Grand Prix was awarded to a piece by Chihiro no Otonari-san, a childcare worker who writes about their determination to face the serious challenges of the childcare field head-on and embark on developing an AI app themselves. After switching from the apparel industry to become a childcare worker, a long-held dream, they were confronted with a mountain of paperwork that steals time away from interacting with children. The piece depicts their efforts to solve the burden of paperwork from the perspective of the front lines. Their strong will to carve out a kinder future through the power of technology touched the hearts of the judges.
The judges highly praised the entry, stating, "It is wonderful that as an active childcare worker, they are taking action to change the status quo themselves," "It has great social significance and is feasible," and "The point that it is a dream for all childcare workers is impressive and aligns with the philosophy of Sawakami Asset Management."
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for choosing me for the Grand Prix. I still can't believe it, to the point where I actually said "Grand Prix?" out loud. It was an article written solely out of the desire to change a workplace where I can't continue working even though I love childcare. I accept this award as a cheer for the childcare workers who are hanging in there on the front lines. I will continue to move forward in earnest.
Corporate Award (2 entries)
A story about a dream I want to fulfill on my own, involving my mother
Toshihiko Kanazawa, who operates a group home for people with disabilities and a vocational support facility in Chiba Prefecture. As an act of filial piety to his mother, he sets the dream of reviving the coffee shop that his father and mother once ran and where they met. It is a piece that conveys his determination as a son to create a shop loved by the community while fulfilling his mother's preferences.
The judges highly praised the entry, stating, "The problem analysis is objective and concrete," "The personal episode is written properly," and "The attitude of wanting to fulfill his mother's dream and his own dream together is positive and grounded."
I have a dream I want to fulfill.
Desuke-san, who lost their mother when they were in high school. To preserve fading memories, they are serializing an essay titled "My Mother Was Here" on note. If this were to be commercially published, it would be stored in the National Diet Library, and their mother's memory would continue to live on even after they are gone—that is the dream behind their desire to turn the essay into a book. It is a moving piece consisting of six episodes that carefully document ordinary daily life.
The judges praised the entry, stating, "It's a piece that draws you in and makes you tear up," "It's interesting that they are using the contest entry itself as a means to get more people to read it," and "It's amazing that they remember these episodes with their family so well and can produce so many articles."
Reflecting on the contest
Below is a comment from the note team at Sawakami Asset Management.
Perhaps everyone has a small seed of a dream in their heart, even if they haven't put it into words yet. Through this project, I realized that once again.
We received many entries for "#DreamsIWantToFulfill" this year as well, and I am truly happy that it has become a staple year-end and New Year project for note creators. The dreams submitted were truly diverse, and as I read through each one, I was able to touch upon the strength and warmth of each person's feelings.
There are dreams of wanting to make someone close to you smile, and there are grand aspirations to make society better. Every one of them was an irreplaceable dream. Each staff member involved in the judging had their own "article they wanted to recommend," and the time spent in serious discussion was also a very meaningful moment.
I sincerely hope that your dreams will not end as just dreams, but will gradually take shape as you continue to challenge yourself without giving up.
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We hope this submission contest serves as an opportunity for you to think about the dreams you want to achieve once again. Please take a look at the other works posted on note via the link below.
Although the submission period on note has ended, the Sawakami Asset Management Dream Project is still ongoing. If you are interested, please take a look at this as well.
https://www.sawakami.co.jp/lp/kanaetai-yume/