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Prior to the commencement of the July World Aquatics Championships, The Fukuoka OC launched a new project with Shuzo Matsuoka, TV Asahi Main Newscaster for the Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships and appointed as one of the Event’s “Support Leaders”.
The project which is titled “Shuzo Matsuoka Presents Ultra Fukuoka Project! ～Surpass your current self! ～”, aims to build momentum for the World Aquatics Championships and to “Starting with Fukuoka, let’s cheer up Japan!”
Shuzo spoke about how he wanted the children of Fukuoka to understand that the “World Aquatics Championships”, an international sporting event, is being held in the town that they lived, and that because of that they themselves are involved in the event. In order to achieve the above, Shuzo visited Hakata Elementary School, a school in the school district covering the World Aquatics Championships main venue, as part of this project and requested the children to make declarations on how they wanted to surpass themselves, Ultra Declaration. The purpose of this initiative is to “surpass your current limits and become someone greater” and “to become ultra”.

Shuzo Matsuoka held a special class named “Shuzo Matsuoka Ultra Declaration Project ‘Ultra Class in Hakata Elementary School’” with the students of Hakata Elementary School. When Shuzo appeared from behind the stage, the children cheered loudly and the excitement in the gymnasium reached an all-time high!
Instructed by Shuzo to make their Ultra Declarations and to surpass themselves, the children fired up by the enthusiastic Shuzo’s class to change their current selves, courageously began making their declarations. The children listening, yelled words of encouragement such as "Go for it!” and “Don't worry!” It was truly an enthusiastic class in which the hearts of the students of Hakata Elementary School were united as one.
Near the end of the special class, Shuzo told the children the message that “to surpass themselves = ultra” and gave the children “Ultra Declaration Stickers”. To end the class, the song emblematic of TV Asahi’s coverage of World Aquatics Championships, Ultra Soul by B’z, played in the venue with the children began naturally clapping their hands and shouting “ultra soul, hai!” in unison to end the great success that was the special class.

Shuzo Matsuoka Ultra Declaration Project will continue in future editions. Shuzo will visit Fukuoka in order to try many different initiatives.
With only about 150 days until the commencement of the World Aquatics Championships – Fukuoka 2023- this passionate and ambitious project started by Shuzo will make Fukuoka and then Japan “Ultra”!