Second year of high school. Job title: project manager.

What does a project manager actually do here?

In the Adachi operations section I keep things on track, assign the work and look after the members. Akiyama, our manager, holds the program as a whole; I run the project on the ground. Minutes, to-dos, who's doing what, deadlines. It may look unglamorous, but if that falls apart the event falls apart.

Is being a high school student in that role difficult?

I sometimes have to direct university members who are older than me, and at first I held back. But this organization keeps private relationships out of the work and operates by the role people hold — by role, not by cohort or age. So now I can say what needs saying when it needs saying.

Your stated goal is a team where everyone can lead.

Yes. A team that doesn't work without me is a failure. If everyone here could lead somewhere else too, this organization becomes worth more, and we can take the Mock Ward Mayoral Election beyond Adachi. Not letting things live inside one person is the organization's policy anyway.

And schoolwork?

One meeting a week, 60 minutes, and you can miss anything in the week before exams. The rules protect it, which is why I can keep going. If anything, the practical experience I can't get at school is what makes me want to study.

After the 2026 edition, what are you looking at next?

Not whether it happened but what it changed. The students who took part come back to run it. I want that loop to get thicker while I'm here.