Shiga Prefecture launches the online platform “Nijihapi Switch” to gather children’s opinions and reflect them in policy
Liquitous Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa; President and CEO: Hiroyuki Kurimoto, hereafter “Liquitous”) has been commissioned by Shiga Prefecture (Children and Youth Policy / Private School Promotion Division) to carry out “Children’s Opinion and Feedback Promotion Services.” We will support the construction of a system that continuously reflects children’s voices in prefectural administration, school and community development, etc. In addition, as of today, Tuesday, July 7, Reiwa 8 (2026), Liquitous will begin operating its independently developed citizen‑participation consensus‑building platform “Liqlid” under the nickname “Nijihapi Switch” within Shiga Prefecture. By distributing flyers to pupils in schools across Shiga, we will broadly collect children’s opinions and aim to reflect their voices in policy.
Background of the initiative
Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Article 3 of the Basic Act on Children guarantee children’s right to express opinions, and Article 11 of the same Act obliges local governments to take measures to reflect the views of the parties when formulating policies. The guidelines of the Children and Families Agency also call for a systematic design of “opinion gathering → policy reflection → feedback.”
The Shiga Prefecture Children’s Basic Ordinance guarantees the right to express opinions and the right to social participation together in Article 3, paragraph 3, and sets out nine points of attention for opinion gathering in Article 9. In addition, based on the voices of children in Shiga, the action guideline “Smile Action” has been formulated to increase children’s smiles, and opportunities are being created for children to express opinions as individual citizens and to participate in society.
In the Nippon Foundation’s 18‑year‑old consciousness survey (2026, Reiwa 8), 52.7% of respondents agreed with the statement “I think my actions can change the country or society,” the lowest among six countries. The lack of feeling that opinions are heard and that one can change society may be interconnected challenges, and we consider it important to further nurture a cycle that continuously gathers children’s voices and reflects them in policy.
Shiga Prefecture has a tradition of resident self‑government embodied in the Lake Biwa Ordinance. This initiative is also positioned as a practice that passes that spirit on to the generation of children.
Overview of the initiative
In this initiative, the main target is children of elementary- through high-school age residing, studying, or working in Shiga Prefecture. We will combine the online platform “Nijihapi Switch” with face‑to‑face workshops to conduct multi‑faceted opinion gathering. In addition to distributing flyers through schools, we will cooperate with local organizations to ensure that the voices of children who do not consider school their place are also captured.
Citizen‑participation online platform “Nijihapi Switch” URL
https://shiga-switch.liqlid.jp/
(1) Opinion‑gathering mechanism
On “Nijihapi Switch,” children can freely post opinions and ideas on themes set by the prefecture concerning administrative issues such as the comprehensive prefectural plan and the use of public facilities. The platform can be accessed from smartphones, tablets or computers, and participation is possible simply by scanning a QR code. In the future, we plan to progressively integrate the platform with schools’ GIGA devices to create an even more accessible participation environment.
(2) Support for reflecting opinions
The submitted opinions can also be viewed by other contributors. Using the AI built into the platform, we will report on the types of opinions gathered and, based on them, what policies or plans are being considered, updating the information on the platform as needed. This realizes a highly responsive and transparent consensus‑building process that “receives the collected voices, reflects them, and delivers the results.”
(3) Publicity and awareness
We will distribute flyers to pupils through schools across Shiga Prefecture and also include information in the prefectural government’s publicity materials to encourage broad participation. We also plan to conduct publicity and awareness through the GIGA devices that students use regularly.
What is the citizen‑participation consensus‑building platform “Liqlid”?
It is a citizen‑participation consensus‑building platform that has been implemented in more than 100 municipalities nationwide. Developed under the concept “talk thoroughly, decide firmly,” it is a web‑based platform for citizen participation, providing a space where the administration can share information, citizens can easily submit ideas, and participants can exchange opinions with one another.
Comment from Liquitous Inc. Representative Director and CEO Hiroyuki Kurimoto
Since the Basic Act on Children came into effect in April of 2023 (Reiwa 5), the phrase “listening to children’s voices” has spread rapidly. However, signs that this enthusiasm is turning into a fleeting boom are already appearing in various regions.
We are convinced that what is needed now is a reliable system in which children can consistently participate, receive feedback from the administration, and keep that loop going. Collecting children’s voices, reflecting them in policy, and delivering the results—that ordinary cycle is the foundation we see as the role of “Nijihapi Switch.”
Together with the people of Shiga Prefecture, we will embed a society where children can exercise influence as individual citizens, not as a temporary phenomenon but as a normal reality.