Transform
your training experience!

The Last Day on the Facilitator Training in Sydney An Unmoving Schedule, an Insufficient Resolve I cannot help but feel that the 2030 SDGs Game Facilitator Training in Sydney manifested there truly as a form of "crystallisation". First and foremost, it was the crystallisation of my own inner wish to make this happen. It had been three years since the very first training was held in Australia back in 2023. Because this programme rolls out globally, its international standard price is fixed in US dollars. Currently, the Australian dollar is weak against the US dollar. Many people who expressed an interest in becoming facilitators immediately bumped against this wall of pricing. Since it is a globally unified price, it was out of my control. Desperate to find a solution, I applied for grants and shared my wish to ease the financial burden on participants as much as possible, but no one stepped forward to align with that approach. Time and again, I planned the training and called for applications, but we never reached the minimum number of participants. Before long, the notice for the Australian training on our website remained marked as "TBA" (To Be Announced) for an extended period. The person who breathed fresh energy into this stagnation was Mura-chan from Imacocollabo, the organiser of this facilitator training. "Aya-san, if you leave it as TBA, I don't think this will ever be formed. Perhaps you could consider removing it from the schedule altogether for a while." It caught me completely off guard. I had been so distracted by the external circumstances, using them as an excuse. But the real question was: Did I truly have the resolve within myself to step up and do this? I felt as though the ground had been pulled out from under my feet. Did I possess the firm will to put both feet firmly into this, and stand on my ground no matter what? There, I saw the true reason why the training had not formed. My resolve—my sheer tenacity—had been insufficient. The Breakthrough Idea: A Small-Group Retreat Style for Four From that moment, the first action I took was to sit down and vividly imagine the details. Where? With whom? How many people? What is the minimum number required? What is the maximum capacity? What kind of people are gathering there? What are they conversing about? What kind of realisations ("kizuki") might be born? As I dug deeper into these questions, a clear idea surfaced. "If we rent a house and make it a 'retreat-style' experience where a small group of four people live and eat together under one roof, wouldn't that allow us to deliver it in the absolute best way possible given the current situation?" This thought also connected back to a conversation I had last year with my fellow trainer, Alice, who consistently delivers facilitator training in Europe. We had discussed how we might introduce a smaller-scale format with one trainer to respond flexibly to local needs, rather than always sticking to the standard version that requires a minimum of nine participants and two trainers. "This is it. In this format, I can see it happening!" The moment that conviction took hold, I felt a sudden surge of energy rise within me. When this sequence of imagination was complete, one specific face came to mind first. It was Kawajit-san, a prospective participant with whom I had been in touch for the past three years. She was the one who had continuously asked me, "When is the next training?" From the bottom of my heart, I felt that I wanted her to experience it. I contacted her immediately to ask which timing would suit her best and which location would be easiest for her to access. Rather than targeting people with no face, I decided to craft the plan around her. Since it is easier for me to host where I have local knowledge, I initially decided to hold it in my hometown of Darwin. The timing would be during the Australian winter. Since Darwin is in a state of eternal summer, it would also serve as a warm winter escape. A Flexible Flow and a Breeze from Brazil While things were taking shape, an inquiry arrived unexpectedly from Singapore. To my surprise, this person offered: "If you run it in Singapore, I will use my network to host the training for you." Singapore is just one flight away from Darwin. At that point, there were already several people in Singapore who had shown interest in the training, so moving the location felt like a viable option. Regrettably, due to various reasons, this plan did not eventuate in the end. Even so, it taught me a profound lesson: to listen to the subtle cues of my surroundings with my whole body. There are things we must hold onto firmly, and things we must hold onto loosely. By surrendering ourselves to a sense of looseness and flexibility that is unattached to fixed concepts, things naturally begin to move. And above all, there was a sense of joy in it. When I loosened my grip, my imagination expanded further. I came to believe that my meeting with her happened precisely so that I could experience this state of mind. And so, the training that had almost drifted outside of Australia found its way back to a fresh start within the country. Then, another prospective participant appeared from Brazil. There is already one facilitator in Brazil, and this new person had attended one of her events. Working for a global company, she also contributes to her local community through sustainability education. Brazil is incredibly far from Australia. Nevertheless, she demonstrated a powerful determination to attend. With that, two participants were confirmed. The "small-group retreat for four" that I had envisioned back then was finally beginning to move into reality. To accelerate this momentum, another wonderful offer came through. My friend Richard Kelly, who lives in Sydney and with whom I have collaborated on various projects over the years, offered to take complete charge of the public simulation event held on the first day of the training. He took on everything—from venue selection and payment to promotion. Having a true champion of this simulation experience walking right beside me as a co-traveller was immensely reassuring. I felt deeply grateful from the bottom of my heart. While a "retreat" style is relatively familiar in Japan, it required careful consideration regarding the culture of valuing individual space. Even though it was a communal retreat, I searched for a house with five bedrooms—including one for myself—so that personal space could be thoroughly secured. Ultimately, the retreat life began with three participants and myself, excluding one member who lived locally in NSW. I paid meticulous attention to ensure that the natural bonding among the live-in group did not create any uncomfortable sense of exclusion for the local participant who commuted. However, this later proved to be a groundless worry. Her way of "being" was such that it dissolved any such concerns effortlessly. She possessed a personality that blended into the space naturally and genuinely. The Pre-Cultivated "Soil" and Why the World Needs "Yohaku 余白" Today In truth, because I wanted to connect deeply with the hearts of the participants, I had held several online meetings with each of them prior to the training. Those sessions had certainly cultivated the soil of the relationships between us. Because the soil had been tilled in advance, when we finally met in person, the raw connections sprouted all at once, burst into bloom, and bore fruit. Looking back now, that is the distinct sensation I am left with. And the element that accelerated this sprouting was the greatest benefit of the retreat style: what can only be described as the presence of "Yohaku" (blank space or intentional margin/pause). Yohaku is an undesigned time and space where anything is allowed to happen. Someone relaxing on the sofa. Someone spending quiet time in their room. Someone brewing tea in the kitchen. When we happened to coexist in this space of Yohaku at the exact same moment, unexpected words were exchanged, and conversations sometimes sparked from there. Through these moments, the true essence of each person came to light. By naturally discovering facets of them completely unrelated to the course, a profound depth was added to how we perceived their presence during the training sessions. Yohaku. In today's world, where being busy is praised as a virtue, it may be a difficult element to find. Yet, if the soil has been cultivated beforehand, even a tiny amount of Yohaku can allow a rich and beautiful dialogue to naturally come into being. Shedding Titles: The "Parallel" Nature of Souls As the provider of the training, the core principle I held close to my heart was "being parallel"—creating an atmosphere where we all stand on the same ground. It is true that I hold the position of a trainer, and because I provide something of value, the participants gather there by investing their time and money. However, this dynamic can easily give rise to a hierarchical relationship. And hierarchies tend to breed dependency. I always find it a great pity—a real waste—when someone's sense of agency is diminished through dependency. Therefore, within myself, I held a clear intention: "I am simply a person whose role is to share the knowledge and experience I happen to possess slightly more of in this particular field." The sharing itself was my role. And then, to simply respect the very existence of each individual. For me, I feel this is a vital attitude required for each of us to live out our own possibilities. This training was the ultimate opportunity to put this into practice. Ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s, and looking at their birthplaces, we had people from at least five countries and five distinct cultures: Japan, Brazil, India, Singapore, and Australia. Their backgrounds, specialties, and knowledge were vastly diverse. While I brought the materials to be provided as training, what we all learned from the lives of the people gathered there was beyond measure. This is a sensation I also occasionally experience during "Possible World" simulation sessions. Completely independent of age, background, career history, or academic credentials, everyone possesses something unique to offer to the space. In that sense, I truly feel that humans are parallel. It becomes easier to understand when you think about it at the level of the soul. Few people look at others in terms of a "greater soul" or a "lesser soul." A soul is a soul, and nothing else.

One of the mottos we cherish at P-Lab is: "Do not let a lack of funds become a lack of possibility." Entering this year, I have been blessed with opportunities to reaffirm the value of this belief. Today, I would like to quietly share one of those episodes with you here. The stage is a medical school at a university in Scandinavia. A team member who experienced a discovery session of our "Possible World" saw great possibility in its effects and placed unwavering trust in it. That alone is something I am deeply grateful for. Their wish is to deliver the learning from this experience to students nearing graduation. However, at this moment, not all stakeholders within the university are proactive about its introduction. They are currently at the stage of needing a "proof of concept" to gather more understanding supporters and secure a formal budget. Actually, I have experienced a very similar scene before. It was the event that led to the introduction of the program at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. At an international conference held on the Gold Coast, although time was limited, I was given the opportunity to provide a demo session. One of the participants there believed in the potential of this program after experiencing it, and stepped forward, saying: "I want to be the flag-bearer for bringing this to New Zealand!" From there, we brought together the wisdom and networks we each held, and designed a pilot session. We first conducted this for the students and university staff. Feeling a solid response there, he later firmly secured a budget. Now, this program is integrated into project management and systems thinking lectures, providing students with learning that has evolved through his unique perspective. Someone receives the seed of possibility, and nurtures it in a rich way that suits their environment. This is precisely the greatest joy of this work for me. I feel deeply that these encounters, go-en (ご縁, invisible ties and timing), and above all, "believing in possibility," are the very essence of how we continue to grow our business. Returning the story to the medical school in Scandinavia. They are advancing plans for a proof of concept in December this year. Ordinarily, the costs for a self-learning program and subscriptions would be required to prepare for this, but currently, only limited funding is available to cover these at full price. However, during an online meeting, they shared their current budget with us openly, hiding nothing. The sincerity, pure intentions, and lack of ego or attachment behind their graceful actions seeped deeply into my heart. "I want to imagine the future together with these people." That is what I genuinely felt. Here, I would like to make one thing clear. I have not taken this on as a so-called "charity project." I do have a wish to grow the business to a scale where we are fully capable of making a great social contribution in the future, but right now, we are at a stage where we also value firmly nurturing our business foundation. Even so, the reason we decided to give them a gentle push on the back this time. It is simply because imagining that this pilot session will become the "first drop" of the transformation they aim for is, purely, "fun." P-Lab's mission is to support, with all our hands, heart and soul, the "good causes" that allow that single drop to become a ripple, and spread into a great wave. When the ripples spread, I am certain that new connections will be born, and a healthy flow of money will circulate back as well. I am sure it will unfold into something fascinating. I believe so. Every World is up to our Mindset and Actions.
Possible World.

On 24 Feb 2026, a Possible World workshop was held for Menzies School of Health Research. Participants included members of the Menzies Education Team, who teach postgraduate public health and health research programs, along with colleagues from the Menzies - Ramaciotti Centre which supports young people into education and training pathways from school through to employment in the Northern Territory health workforce. With staff located across multiple sites and coming from diverse professional backgrounds, the session focused on connecting each person's expertise with the collective impact needed to discover enduring solutions to critical health challenges. To support inclusion and participation, the workshop was delivered in a hybrid format, allowing some participants to join remotely. Bridging "Knowing" and "Practicing" In this session, the primary focus was placed on bridging the gap between "knowing in the head" and "embodying wisdom through the senses". Through the engaging Possible World simulation, participants were invited to access their inner senses—head, heart, and hara (gut)—and deeply observe their own mindsets in real-time. By stepping away from the daily routine and immersing themselves in a shared objective, the team had a rare opportunity to reflect on how individual actions ripple out to affect the whole system. The Workshop Experience and a Shift in Perspective The day unfolded through key experiential processes, beginning with a toothpick challenge that allowed participants to experience how elevating perspective opens unseen possibilities. Following this, participants intuitively measured where their current team stands against an ideal 10. During the world creation simulation using the 2030 SDGs Game card kit, participants executed projects using time and financial resources, observing the "World Condition Meter". We had 8 teams, and two of them were hybrid teams connecting with their mobile phone or laptop to maintain communication for decision-making. A Hybrid Team - Stay connected with the partner with the phone. An initial candid reflection highlighted a challenge of a holistic view: We did not pay attention to other teams. If we had known, we could have helped more. However, as the activity progressed, a clear shift occurred from focusing solely on individual team goals to embracing the collective goal. A participant's gentle question regarding what a goal card was truly meant to achieve became a catalyst, prompting others to reconsider what actions were necessary for the whole. When Part 2 concluded, a natural applause arose in the room, reflecting a gentle yet deep sense of collective accomplishment. Active Listening World Condition Meter Cultivating Team Harmony and a Shared Starting Line The mapping data reveals significant positive shifts in how the team perceives its current state. At the beginning, the evaluation was broadly spread from 3.0 to 9.5, showing a polarising tendency. By the end, the dispersion became smaller, converging to a range of 4.5 to 9.0, indicating growing alignment. The average score elevated from approximately 6.7 to 7.2. My Ideal Team By sharing the team's strengths, members holding a negative perception were able to discover positive aspects of the team. As everyone was sharing a smile at the end of the session, the current state signifies a robust foundation has been cultivated. Everyone is facing the same direction, ready to proceed cooperatively. Future Possibilities for Hybrid Teams To transcend the boundary between in-person and remote participants and further deepen the spirit of co-creation, some possibilities emerged. These include an "Online Possible World for Everyone," where a profound sense of unity will be born, or a simultaneous "Two Worlds" approach intersecting diverse perspectives. Anything is possible.