Young People Living in Children's Homes Build Life Skills and Prepare for Independence — Financial Education and Job Experience Workshop

On November 16, 2025, USJ LLC hosted the Financial Education and Job Experience Workshop together with its corporate marketing partner, Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Mitsui Card).

The two companies have been co-hosting this workshop for young people living in children's homes since 2023, and this was the third time it has been held. At the first event in 2023, elementary school students from children's homes were invited to take part in a financial education workshop, where they learned about the importance of money in a fun way. Building on the content of the 2023 event, the 2024 program included additional hands-on crew member job experiences at Universal Studios Japan, giving participants a chance to experience the rewarding nature of work.

The program has evolved year after year, and this year marked its first session for junior high school students, who face an even greater need for financial literacy. In addition to the original financial education content that teaches the financial literacy needed to navigate everyday life, participants took part in a job experience program that has expanded two-fold since last year, offering hands-on experience in 14 distinct roles.

Young people living in children's homes typically leave the facility when they turn 18, after which they must be financially independent. This program was made possible by the two companies' shared desire to support these young people as they move toward independence and give them an opportunity to think about their future.

• This article covers the entire day of the Financial Education and Job Experience Workshop held on November 16, 2025, for junior high school students living in children's homes.
• The first session was an original financial education workshop by Sumitomo Mitsui Card, featuring content unique to this program.
• The second session was a crew member job experience workshop, where participants experienced the professional work done at Universal Studios Japan.
• The article looks at the circumstances faced by young people in children's homes and the motivation behind this event.

The first session was a financial education workshop organized by Sumitomo Mitsui Card.
The workshop featured Woody Woodpecker, Winnie Woodpecker, and Reika Ayanokoji from Universal Studios Japan, who gave the kind of lively performance the Park is known for, filling the venue with smiles.

Themed to the reasons why money management and life planning matter, the workshop was composed entirely of original material. Rather than relying on preset content, the workshop incorporated insights from interviews to determine what information would genuinely benefit participants from children's homes. The resulting program covers information considered particularly important for these young people to learn.

A speaker from Sumitomo Mitsui Card was invited to give a lecture in which participants were asked to think about their future dreams and goals. By writing down their dreams and discussing them with those around them, they learned core concepts in budgeting and life planning that will help them achieve their goals. They also gained practical knowledge on how to plan living expenses for living alone, how to avoid financial trouble, and more. Through this workshop, the participants took their first step in thinking about what they need for independence.

Many of the participants who took part shared positive feedback about wanting to apply what they learned in their daily lives. For example, some said that they wanted to use the knowledge once they began working. Others said that the workshop helped them understand that money can be risky, and that they should consult someone immediately if they encounter issues.

For the job experience program in the second session, the students worked alongside real Park crew members and took on the wide range of roles that keep Universal Studios Japan running. For this year's program, participants were able to experience 14 roles, twice as many as the year before. In real working environments, the participants experienced real-world challenges they normally cannot see, such as working with the operations crew behind powerful entertainment shows, cooking with chefs in a kitchen, and working with emergency crew with nursing or paramedic credentials who safeguard Guests’ lives.

By experiencing real, high-pressure work environments, the participants gained key insights about working and selecting a career. Some observed that jobs are sustained by people in many roles supporting one another, while others noted that jobs can be truly rewarding when you take your work seriously.

The Financial Education and Job Experience Workshop is more than a class for passive learning. The goal is to help participants gain the knowledge and hands-on experience required to live independently as adults.

Most young people in children's homes leave the facility when they turn 18, after which they need to be financially independent. This is why it is crucial that they learn the true value of money and gain the knowledge needed to avoid financial problems before going out to live on their own. It is equally crucial for them to learn about jobs that allow them to earn that money. The idea behind the workshop is to give participants first-hand experience with the cycle of earning money through rewarding work, then using the knowledge that they have gained to spend that money responsibly.

"Our goal in planning this job experience was to help junior high students feel more excited about becoming adults," explained Kono, who was in charge of the event.
She noted that by speaking with young people who live in children's homes, she learned about how their circumstances differ from those of their peers, and the uncertainty they feel about the future.

"This further motivated me to provide opportunities for them to experience working alongside professionals in the real-world workplaces of USJ, giving them a chance to meet adults who are proud of their work. We hope that this initiative will inspire many junior high students to envision their future, including how they want to live and what kind of adults they want to grow up to be. "

In their feedback, the participants noted that the experience was not only enjoyable but also a meaningful way to prepare for the future. Some noted that taking on real work opened their eyes to all the behind-the-scenes roles that exist alongside the visible ones, while others commented that everything they experienced felt like it would benefit their future.

According to Miharu Takao of USJ LLC's Marketing Alliance Department, it was thanks to collaboration that this workshop was possible.

"Working with Sumitomo Mitsui Card, a leader in finance, allowed us to give these young people in children's homes the knowledge that they need. By combining this with USJ's entertainment capabilities, we were able to transform what is usually a dry and difficult subject matter into an approachable and memorable original workshop.

"This workshop may not dramatically change the lives of the participants right away. But when they eventually run into obstacles, I hope they will remember what they learned at USJ and what kind of adults they want to become, giving them the inspiration to overcome challenges and push ahead."

Going forward, USJ will continue contributing to local communities to help create super-energized communities full of children's smiles, energizing people and society with our super-entertaining creativity.

• © Walter Lantz Productions LLC