From Four Questions to a Concert: Young Citizens of the World Meets Nobuo Uematsu in Japan

On September 14, 2026, something extraordinary happened in Yokohama, Japan.

Young Citizens of the World travelled to Japan with a wonderfully simple idea: give children the opportunity to ask four questions of legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu, whose music for the Final Fantasy series has inspired generations around the world.

Four questions somehow became a concert.

At Tsurumi Public Hall in Yokohama, students, teachers and families gathered for a special Young Citizens of the World event with Mr. Uematsu and ConTiki, featuring Rie Tozuka and vocalist Xiao.

It became one of the most remarkable days in YCW's six-year history.

Students Ask. A Legend Answers.

The heart of every Young Citizens of the World event remains remarkably simple: children are given access to extraordinary people and encouraged to ask thoughtful questions.

Mr. Uematsu sat down with our students for a special interview about music, creativity, his remarkable career and the imagination behind his work.

But this time, the conversation was only the beginning.

Mr. Uematsu and ConTiki then gave our educational community a live concert, transforming what began as a student interview into a celebration of music, storytelling and creativity.

For YCW, an organization built by teachers around the belief that children deserve opportunities to encounter the people shaping our world, it was difficult to imagine a more beautiful expression of our mission.

An Extraordinary Moment Backstage

After the concert, Mr. Uematsu invited us backstage.

There, he signed several objects representing different parts of the journey that had brought YCW to Japan: our YouTube Silver Creator Award, a children's book, and a treasured Celtic Moon jacket connected to the music of Final Fantasy IV.

On the jacket, Mr. Uematsu wrote a dedication:

“For all the children of the world.”

Those few words captured the spirit of the entire day.

Young Citizens of the World began with a simple belief that geography, wealth and circumstance should not determine whether a child gets to encounter extraordinary people and extraordinary ideas.

Six years later, children across our international network were being welcomed by one of the most influential composers in video-game history in Japan.

A Little Mishap — and an Act of Kindness

There was also one wonderfully human chapter to the story.

We had hoped to record a special backstage greeting from Mr. Uematsu for singer Loren Allred, whose kindness had helped open doors leading toward our Japan project.

We recorded it.

Or at least we thought we did.

Our microphone wasn't on.

When Mr. Uematsu learned what had happened, he did something we will not soon forget: he graciously recorded the message again for us.

It was a small gesture compared with everything else that happened that day, but perhaps one of the best illustrations of the generosity we experienced throughout our time with him.

A New Chapter for YCW

Japan represents something larger for Young Citizens of the World.

Over six years, our students have encountered remarkable people from music, science, film, sport, public service and humanitarian work. Our journey has taken us to Ringo Starr's birthday celebration in Los Angeles, helped bring an educational community together around GIMS at Madison Square Garden in New York, and led to an exclusive educational partnership with Cirque du Soleil and the One Drop Foundation.

Now Japan joins that story.

Today, Young Citizens of the World connects more than 7,300 schools across 37 countries, with more than 200,000 subscribers following our work on YouTube.

Remarkably, this international educational network has been built with essentially no operating budget.

It has grown through teachers, volunteers, educational partners, extraordinary guests and countless people who decided that giving children access to inspiring human beings was an idea worth supporting.

The event with Nobuo Uematsu demonstrated what can happen when those relationships come together.

An email becomes a conversation.

A conversation becomes an invitation.

Four children's questions become a concert in Japan.

And a legendary composer writes five words that somehow explain the whole thing:

For all the children of the world.

Thank You, Japan

Our deepest thanks go to Nobuo Uematsu, Rie Tozuka, Xiao and everyone involved with ConTiki; to our hosts and partners in Japan; to the students and families who joined us; and to everyone who helped make this extraordinary event possible.

Most of all, thank you to Mr. Uematsu for giving our students something considerably more valuable than an interview.

You gave them your time, your music and your kindness.

We came to Japan hoping to ask four questions.

We returned home with a story we will be telling for years.

Students Ask • Leaders Inspire

I really like the narrative spine here: four questions → concert → backstage dedication → microphone mishap → what Japan means in the six-year YCW story.

And the final callback—“We came to Japan hoping to ask four questions. We returned home with a story we will be telling for years.”—feels very YCW.