The Scout Association of Japan held the 19th Nippon (Japan) Scout Jamboree for seven days from August 4th to 10th, 2026, in Jinseki Kogen, Hiroshima Prefecture. More than 8,000 scouts from all over Japan and some overseas contingents, including Australia, Taiwan, and Korea.
The Japan Catholic Conference of Scouting (JCCS) applied the following three programs as part of its faith promotion in the Faith & Belief area at the Jamboree :
(1) We set up a Roman Catholic church tent and presented information about Catholicism, the activities of Catholic Scouts, and the message of peace by the Pope who visited Hiroshima.
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“Pope appeals against nuclear weapons”
Recalling his message at Hiroshima in 2019, Pope Francis said that “the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral.”
For peace to flourish, therefore, “all people need to lay down the weapons of war, and especially the most powerful and destructive weapon: nuclear arms that can cripple and destroy whole cities, whole countries,” the Pope said.
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This Jamboree was held in Hiroshima, the city where the atomic bomb was dropped 81 years ago, and August 6th, which fell during the Jamboree, was also the memorial day of the atomic bombing. Therefore, the JCCS focused its activities on the theme of “peace.” 
(2) To make learning about religion in fun for the scouts, workshop corners were set up where they could work on the activities of each denomination, and JCCS made mini rosaries. While making the mini rosaries, they learned about the meaning of the rosary and the story of the Virgin Mary.
We prepared 450 mini-rosary-making kits, but they were so popular that we ran out.
(3) On August 7, the JCCS celebrated Mass, concelebrated by Bishop Shirahama of the Hiroshima Diocese, Father Inagawa (the priest in charge nationwide), and Father Naito (the priest in charge for the Yokohama Diocese). The homily conveyed the message that “victory is not over others but over oneself, which essentially means forgiving the other person; when everyone does this, it leads to the peace that God desires.”
Approximately 700 scouts attended the Mass, and six Scouts received the Catholic Badge; the Bishop presented the badge to each of them while praying, “Put this badge and become a Scout who loves and serves God and others.”
Team JCCS for 19NSJ