Tokyo, Japan - October 2023 - On 28 October, an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation of Past Pupils of Don Bosco, Japan was held at the Salesian community in Meguro, Tokyo. Present were council members from five past pupils associations of Salesian schools in Japan, the Superior of the Salesian Province of Japan (GIA), Fr Jacob Hideaki Hamaguchi, SDB, and Fr Shin Mishima, SDB, Delegate for Past Pupils. The meeting began with a review of the Statutes of the Past Pupils Federation of Japan, and the proposed changes were unanimously approved: a reduction in the number of Council members; a two-year mandate; provision for about half of the members to be 40 years old or younger, in order to revitalise the Federation and its associations. Council members were then elected for 2024-2025, and Mr Shinya Yokoyama was designated as President of the Federation of Don Bosco Past Pupils of Japan. He will take up the post from April 2024. Also discussed was the future development of the Japanese Federation and its commitment to the centenary of the arrival of the Salesians in the country, which will be celebrated in 2026. In addition, Fr Mishima spoke on the themes of the Rector Major's Strennas for 2023 and 2024, and Fr Hamaguchi presided over a ceremony to commemorate deceased Salesians and past pupils.