# My Journey Through Hackatsuon 2025 in Kesennuma, Japan *How a simple spark of curiosity took me across the world to meet inspiring people, learn from another culture, and rediscover the heart of design, technology, and community.* By [Hackatsuon](https://paragraph.com/@kessenumahackatsuon) · 2025-11-06 web3, hackaton, japan, technology, community, design, curiosity --- A few days ago, I had an experience that I’m still processing... After almost three days of traveling —flights, transfers, a lost suitcase, and a missed train. I finally arrived in **Kesennuma**, in northern Japan, carrying just the essentials in my backpack: my laptop and a few basic things. To get to the **hackerhouse**, where I would be staying with my fellow hackers, I had to rely on the train station Wi-Fi to find my way, since my eSIM wasn’t working. The path was a little intimidating: darkness, strange sounds, and no lights. Luckily, my sister’s love for horror stories had prepared me for moments like this. When I finally got there, I was welcomed by a multicultural group full of positive energy. My first move was a long shower, then I collapsed onto my futon and tatami, ready to start fresh the next day. The following day, I realized this wasn’t your typical hackathon. From the very beginning, research was at the heart of the event —essential for understanding the context and the people before proposing any solutions. It wasn’t just about coding fast; it was about truly grasping the problem using methodologies like _Design Thinking_ and _Human-Centered Design_. That’s how I experienced the hackathon, step by step, through each of these stages. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/2308907b9bcefee778001b93198c11b65ac4d264c87118615faceff1f928c4d5.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d705c0f70f2c821da08449eb32f6f35fa10fae40ea30891e9d6ac314202507f3.png) Stage 1: Research / Empathize ----------------------------- I arrived a few days after the activities had already started. I missed experiences like learning how to make sushi and mochi, and getting a closer look at Japan’s tech landscape. But from the very first day, I became part of the dinner ritual. All of us together around the table —high or low— sharing stories, food, and laughter. They didn’t just show us their culture; they invited us to live it. ### Understanding the Context The research came directly from local authorities, who had prepared valuable information: quantitative and qualitative data about the current state of the city, collected over the years. Based on this, they presented different scenarios of future problems, which became our _challenges_ during the hackathon —for me, authentic design challenges. Each morning, we discovered a new side of Kesennuma: * Its fishing side (the third largest port in the world). * Its adventurous side, with hiking trails through mountains and forests. * Its historical and tragic side, marked by the 2011 tsunami, the fourth strongest in the world in the past five hundred years. * Its artistic and cultural side. Sometimes you don’t realize the power of history and nature until you see it up close. At the tsunami memorial museum, located in what was once an elementary and middle school, we walked through what remained of the building, preserved today as a reminder. It was hard, but also deeply inspiring to see how the city rebuilt itself through resilience and community. They didn’t forget the past; they turned it into learning. From practices like collecting relief supplies and community construction of breakwaters to leadership based on mutual support, among many others. We also explored Kesennuma’s artistic side by visiting a private gallery, where we were fortunate to meet a European artist —designer of the covers for three books that won the Nobel Prize in Literature in Japan. Her work was delicate and powerful, a niche art that perfectly captured the spirit of the place: tradition and modernity coexisting. The visit ended with a live jazz performance, giving a warm touch to the conclusion of the tour. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/12bc3c77e7f63bac569eebf7e94f5b549756047696fd87c2be195fb2df6b92a8.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/a91ce2a9f267897c1c3b27a3978cdad9b5c216705bb8f30d923f121ae091f40f.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/62426431da2757c37f84c7aa4b4f74bd5a228e89406b6ec56bceca9f8c8a7d3d.png) Seeing this multicultural side, combined with everything else, helped us understand not just the scope of the problem, but also who the users behind the data really were: people with stories, emotions, and a vibrant local identity. In addition, we had the chance to attend more visits and sessions tailored to each team’s theme. In these, we met with industry specialists who helped us better understand the context, validate hypotheses, and shape ideas with purpose. During this stage, at the hackerhouse, we had dinner every day prepared by the community. Every night, we shared meals with the organizers, and in addition to the dinner, there was always something special: community leaders, artists, and local authorities would join our table, sharing stories, flavors, and their time with us. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d22618b4d94c4a4d4231bb17b55f7f47bc2ad2b72ed1c6ff71220913ca3400e2.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/db94b4c2574a8b9472a6e13d4e85233446ec063b81f87edaff39e2afcf312901.png) Seeing this multicultural side, combined with everything else, helped us understand not just the scope of the problem, but also who the users behind the data really were: people with stories, emotions, and a vibrant local identity. In addition, we had the chance to attend more visits and sessions tailored to each team’s theme. In these, we met with industry specialists who helped us better understand the context, validate hypotheses, and shape ideas with purpose. During this stage, at the hackerhouse, we had dinner every day prepared by the community. Every night, we shared meals with the organizers, and in addition to the dinner, there was always something special: community leaders, artists, and local authorities would join our table, sharing stories, flavors, and their time with us. Chapter 2: Define / Ideate (2 days) ----------------------------------- In this stage, many participants already had a fairly clear idea of what they wanted to explore. This wasn’t by chance: talent and experience were aligned with what resonated most with them. Each hacker contributed their expertise to their project, to other teams, and also to the organization. Everyone was engaged, having fun, learning, and sharing ideas. ### The Hackers Normally, at a hackathon, you’ll find all kinds of participants: people who want to learn, experiment, or try something for the first time. This time, we were **14 hackers from 8 different countries**. Almost all had several years of experience and a wide range of skills. Some couldn’t stay until the end due to personal reasons, but everyone demonstrated an impressive level of expertise. During these two days, the pace was intense: each team dove into their topic, discussed ideas, received feedback from local specialists, and shared learnings with others. It was a space where testing, failing, and trying again was a natural part of the process, and where every conversation could open new perspectives. Living together in the _hacker house_ reinforced all of this: we had dinner together, prepared by the community, and each night local leaders, artists, and authorities would join us to share stories, flavors, and their time. This mix of community, culture, and collaboration made everything feel alive and connected us even more to the purpose of the hackathon. Additionally, **three local hackers from Japan** joined us. It was their first hackathon experience and a first step into the world of Web3. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/25bb82a32fc82042a740ef10a267cccc9ed545e719a5e1fe826bae2b3a016ab1.png) ### About the Hackathon 🌊 **Kesennuma Hackathon 2025** aimed to explore how technology can support the community and revitalize the city of **Kesennuma**, a rural coastal town in Miyagi Prefecture, surrounded by sea and mountains. Although it suffered major damage during the 2011 tsunami, the city has since shown remarkable resilience and a creative spirit that embraces new ideas. Today, facing challenges such as population decline, Kesennuma leads initiatives in education, child support, and industrial promotion, exploring how technology can connect people and communities. For me, as a Latin American, Kesennuma didn’t feel “rural” at all: it had **new infrastructure, modern appliances, the famous high-tech toilets, cleaning robots**, and many things usually only seen in larger cities. I was used to associating “rural” with places where technology arrives later or in limited ways, so it was a beautiful and powerful contrast to see tradition and technology coexisting so naturally. ### The Themes The hackathon challenges were designed to open possibilities and explore new forms of interaction: * 🗺 **Smart Stay & Experience Planner:** How to help visitors discover the city easily and in a personalized way. * 💫 **Continuous Engagement Mechanisms:** How to maintain relationships with visitors, even after they leave. * 🌐 **Regional Revitalization with Web3:** How to use blockchain and Web3 to support local projects, fund initiatives, and encourage citizen participation. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/42a534014aed4d693802c0d6d0c25f2c3f5d03713102cffadab6eaafa89dabe4.png) **Chapter 3: Prototypes / Results** ----------------------------------- And then came the moment of the dreaded _submission_: the instant when everything created had to be uploaded to the repository along with the final presentations. In this hackathon, there were no predefined technical talks: the hackers **were the specialists**. Honestly, each one could have given an incredible _masterclass_ to younger teams. Next came the final presentations, in English or Japanese depending on the team. It was the culmination of an intense and deeply collaborative process. ### **Presentations and Feedback** Each group presented their proposal in front of local authorities, and the most valuable part was receiving direct feedback from them. These were the projects developed: 🥇 **Kesenmemento** – @JMatsushiba, @thescoho, @yamiyami\_eth [http://kesenmemento.vercel.app](http://kesenmemento.vercel.app) An interactive platform to preserve and experience everything Kesennuma has to offer. It allows the community to digitally record local stories, photos, and traditions, preserving cultural memory and connecting residents and visitors. 🥈 **KesNet** – @nounderline @dedles22 [http://libred.org/box/kesnet/index.html](http://libred.org/box/kesnet/index.html) A decentralized citizen network connecting residents and visitors. It shares information about events, local services, alerts, and volunteer opportunities. It works as a civic digital channel to strengthen collaboration and communication within the community. 🥉 **ReelDeal** – @Sprpstn, @KernelKennethG [http://reel.deal](http://reel.deal) An automated auction house (_onchain + AI_) for fish markets. It modernizes traditional processes, ensuring traceability, transparency, and efficiency in operations between fishermen and buyers, while preserving the human and cultural connection of local trade. 🎖 **Share House** – @RonTuretzky [http://share-house.fun](http://share-house.fun) A platform for communities that live and grow together. It facilitates the management of shared spaces, task coordination, expense sharing, and skills exchange, promoting co-living and the organization of collaborative residences or communes. 💳 **KesSub** – @lucianodeangelo, @DukeOphir [http://kes-sub.lovable.app](http://kes-sub.lovable.app) Digital citizenship for Kesennuma. It enables the creation of local digital identities validated by the community, facilitating access to services, benefits, events, and public programs, integrating civic participation with technology. 🎯 **KokoJob** – @JunK\_0908 [http://github.com/kokojob-frontend](http://github.com/kokojob-frontend) A platform that allows communities to assign grants, awards, and resources easily and transparently via smart contracts, ensuring resources remain within the community and are managed openly. 🍜 **Gurumemori** – @dtm\_tk\_prog, @zxcwel2, @s93723 A local consumption rewards system. Every purchase at neighborhood businesses generates points redeemable for benefits at other local shops. It aims to boost the local economy and strengthen the relationship between residents and businesses. 🔒 **zkIOT** – @JunK\_0908 [http://github.com/Jun0908/zkiot](http://github.com/Jun0908/zkiot) A technical platform combining IoT devices with zero-knowledge proofs (_zk proofs_). It allows controlling the use of physical data flows without exposing sensitive information, demonstrating how to protect privacy in connected environments. ### **Showcase Day** After receiving feedback from the authorities, the most awaited moment arrived: the _community showcase_. This was when technology truly felt like it was serving the people. The residents of Kesennuma could see, try, and give opinions on the projects. It was essential for them to understand what was being proposed —and who better than the community itself to say what was useful or inspiring. Our _sponsors_ also arrived, having traveled from different parts of the world, with layovers in Tokyo, and then hours on a train just to hear us. It was a little overwhelming, but also incredibly exciting. My team was the third to present. **Kesenmemento** had the advantage that Jay spoke both English and Japanese, which allowed the explanation to flow naturally for both audiences. Next came the voting, conducted _onchain_ thanks to @RonTuretzky. Citizens could vote digitally, and the results were: > 🥇 Kesenmemento > 🥈 KesNet > 🥉 ReelDeal ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/b716437ed43d0b8f393dbbba79242c65bffe042c1311876ca7d3484b74425cce.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/ad3cd765a3d8f4d138f76b09f8c9e6a1e321409b1989064bd7fb4949ddd20025.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/4d041831dff181bdd28a13199f1274748b94a43fa5484285297199df3b30aa34.png) In this way, the community chose our project as the one that would bring the greatest benefit to Kesennuma. It was a unique experience because, unlike many hackathons, here **projects were evaluated from the perspective of the end users and the community, not just the technology**. To close, we shared an afternoon of _sashimi_ prepared by locals and even some authorities. But the best part was that the projects stayed alive after the event: meetings and actions continued to ensure the ideas evolved and adapted to the real needs of the city. Normally, this would be the end of the hackathon —with winners and farewells—, but in this case, it was different. Chapter 4: Implementation / Iteration ------------------------------------- After the showcase, the projects continued to be active. Each team improved their prototype based on feedback from the community and local regulations. We had meetings with authorities, sponsors, and residents to ensure everything worked properly in Kesennuma. Some adjustments were legal, others technical, and some related to user experience. The work continued even after we left the city. One of the hackathon’s challenges was to create a real connection with Kesennuma, and that’s exactly what happened. The chat group between hackers and organizers is still active, and even one member of my team signed up for a program to live in the city for a few months. Crazy, but exciting. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/0f1cb4c8268e8163bcdd6545ac1227547adb345b56b82c5ec717d6fe945381ee.png) Closing: What I Take Away from This Experience ============================================== This experience left marks not only on me but also on the city of Kesennuma and everyone who participated. Sharing space and time with 12 people from different countries, all talking about codes, technology, and the future, moved the city—we even appeared in the newspaper. Here are a few highlights. Hackathon Highlights -------------------- The hackathon was a success. Today, the focus is on the quality of projects: it doesn’t matter if a thousand or ten people participate; what counts is creating projects that truly have impact. This was possible thanks to the committed work of authorities, sponsors, the community, and organizers. **Hackatsuon** combines “hackathon” with _katsuo_, the most typical fish of Kesennuma. The name already hints at what’s coming: care, attention to detail, and love in everything. But above all, it reflects the people behind the event. I want to especially recognize three individuals, not only for their technical skills but for the humanity they showed: **Tomo-san:** Normally, when I think of authorities and politicians, I tend to doubt their integrity. But Tomo-san was different. He comes from a difficult background and devoted himself to helping several families during our time in Kesennuma. Whenever we needed something, he was there: making sure we could take home fish, preparing sashimi, and explaining its purpose for sharing a meal. His constant support revealed an exceptional human side. **Megumi-san:** Representing the Women EY community, focused on supporting rural women. Her kind and gentle manner, along with her commitment to giving women visibility and sharing the team’s individual knowledge, was impressive. **Hikari-san:** The main organizer of the event. Her presence was felt at every moment: supporting her team, addressing every need, and facilitating the flow of the event without overstepping. She translated dialogues, shared information with participants, engaged with us and the authorities, always with energy and positivity. Her strength lay in sustaining others—the attention and care that allowed everyone to act and shine. Despite the stress of organizing such an event, she was consistently there, ensuring everything ran smoothly and the purpose of the event remained alive. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/a8d7db5d208037fe4e77d9b4466e5e2e893306cc71c189de1eb3b1169dc2b85c.png) Cultural Adaptation ------------------- I had been told Japan would be a strong cultural shock; for me, it was the opposite—I felt very comfortable. Kesennuma gave me balance: calmness, respect for time and space, and attention to simplicity. Even though I grew up in a city, I’ve always felt close to the countryside; being here was like being in a Studio Ghibli film. Receiving my citizen number reinforced my emotional bond with the city and its people. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/5576e5a329c878477200287d568f3972df1111a6131910a31bb0d9804832cc9c.png) International Teamwork ---------------------- At first, speaking English made me insecure, as if any mispronounced word could exclude me. Gradually, I relaxed. With the multicultural group, I learned to respect their practices, habits, and ways of doing things. Some things were unusual to me, but normal for them. I learned to respect each individual’s uniqueness and allow myself not to judge. I loved learning about participants’ mindsets, their stories, and how they approach social issues by combining technology with concrete action to generate impact. This is something I can start applying in my own ecosystem, though first, we have several problems to solve before implementation. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/94206e6773a80eee38bf2baa40ab249863b7beb739ede636d91c6259c8f29363.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/2ed10de8cc1234942ec4f5195a46779bd67db715564f8d41a8f54a2757576f69.png) My Role and the Value of Design ------------------------------- Working alongside technology specialists made me nervous. I wanted to be up to the task, do things right, and learn quickly; my impostor syndrome was triggered, but I had to accept that I already bring a foundation, definitions, and processes. The methodology of thinking and grounding insights allowed me to align with what Jay’s group was creating and collaborate effectively. Highlighting the value of design remains a pending task: I must learn to implement design at the speed technology advances, including AI and AI agents. Otherwise, design feels complementary or additive, not integral to the project. Design is a process of accompaniment, not just a task to “make things look nice.” With the Community ------------------ Technology only matters if it serves people: if they understand it, if it strengthens the local economy, and respects cultural identity. Listen first, iterate later, and remain flexible. I take away ideas to replicate in my Latin American and Peruvian ecosystems: bringing technology to those who need it, holding joint activities with the community, and letting them vote and decide. Technology is not just technical; it’s about how it’s presented, developed, and how it impacts the lives of others. Personal Balance and Vision --------------------------- Often, especially in the Web3 ecosystem, I felt that taking a place meant taking it from someone more deserving. But being in a different context and under pressure made me appreciate all I’ve accomplished. My efforts are reflected in the actions we take and the people we impact. I’m learning to value my place and understand that I’m in my own time, neither ahead nor behind. Everything I’ve sown in different moments of my life now allows me to reap opportunities that I hope will continue growing, not just for me, but for my environment. Before, I stressed about everything I wanted to learn; now I try to integrate what I can assimilate in time and advance step by step, without the pressure of learning everything at once. Ultimately, what I take away is the certainty that my role can create real impact. Every action, however small, counts, and sharing knowledge and creating with others always leaves a mark. To close, what I take most is this: remain curious, do things even if you feel shame or fear, even if you think you’re not ready. For people living with impostor syndrome, like me, this is crucial: otherwise, we might deprive ourselves of experiences that could truly transform us. > In a Web3 ecosystem that moves so fast, it’s easy to trigger your competitive side, your impostor syndrome or both. My advice? Keep listening. Let others remind you of what you do well, take feedback with grace, and turn it into growth. Stay open, stay kind, and remember: we’re all just one message away from helping each other move forward. Better people make better worlds. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/8b9c501057ccc216ca820fb9d305cf505c6d57e9d00c2d0c36bb3dbcb1fbf6e0.png) See you soon Kesennuma --- *Originally published on [Hackatsuon](https://paragraph.com/@kessenumahackatsuon/my-journey-through-hackatsuon-2025-in-kesennuma-japan)*