1st Futures Session
Social Innovation x Successful Aging Mon 9th July 2012
Overview
Actions across sectors in Japan and the UK
companies) taking turns to host each future
away from predicting how our society will
session in the series. The Future session
change negatively, and base our interaction
On 9 July, 2012, Futures, a Japan-UK initiative,
goes through a facilitation process which
on a positive outlook for a future successful
was launched in Tokyo to inspire social
includes: step 1 Questions; step 2 Insights;
aging society, considering issues such as
innovation to meet the challenge of an
step 3 Relationships; step 4 In-depth
the kinds of work environment we will have.
aging population through the promotion of
examination; and step 5 Emergence. The
Instead of thinking about the reasons why
collaborative actions across sectors and
aim is to create a collective wisdom through
our society is unable to change, we decided
across borders. Organised by the British
this facilitation process. Below, we can see
to begin from the premise that we will be
Council’ s Japan office, the International
an outline of the contents and results from
living in a changed society, and how, in this
University of Japan Center for Global
the steps of the first session.
changed society, we could live successfully.
was attended by 45 participants which
Step 1: Questions- Setting fresh questions
Step 2: Insights- New perspectives introduced
included representatives from corporate,
that evoke curiosity
by guest speakers
and other sectors. Amanda Feldman of
One of the difficulties of discussing the
We asked our three guest speakers, Masaki
Volans, one of the UK partners of the Futures
challenges of an aging society is that it is an
Tosaka, Vice President, Active Senior
initiative, was a speaker and participant.
issue which has become a familiar one. We
Business, Kao Corporation, Aya Kubosumi,
have all heard that birthrates are falling and
Chief Researcher, Research Institute of
that estimates for the future percentage of
Behavior Observation Osaka Gas, and
seniors as a part of the total population
Amanda Feldman, Engagement Manager,
Communications (GLOCOM), Fujitsu Laboratories and Future Sessions the event
local government, social enterprise, NPO,
What is a Future Session?
have risen to extremely high levels, and this
Volans for their thoughts on how we could
Futures has a unique project management
familiarity has led to fatigue. Thus, in our
prepare for this future of an increasing silver
style with the core partners (participating
first session, we decided to shift our focus
population. During his presentation, Mr.
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Tosaka pointed out that the conventional way of assessing people’ s usage patterns
Q1: “How can we widen this approach of developing ‘close connections’ that
regarding consumer goods applied mainly
transcend age groups and local areas?”
to the under-50s section of the population,
Q2: “How can we develop a system where people who need help are visible?”
and that in the future, we must focus on a
Q3: “How can we create a system for connecting people through their interests
new more inclusive design that involves
and the contributions they can make?”
senior citizens as well. Ms. Kubosumi
Q4: “How can we create ‘happiness’ when it differs for each person?”
highlighted behavioural studies that show
Q5: “How can we create a society that accepts diverse values and lifestyles?”
that chemists are not simply places for seniors to shop, but also serve as community hubs, and suggested the possibility in the future of generating consumer goods and services that are designed to have a social purpose to provide value to the community. Ms. Feldman presented data showing that
Q6: “How can we widen our work-life choices that are unlimited by age?” Q7: “How can we develop community towns that are happy places to live for all age groups?” Q8: “How can we build careers besides and beyond our current occupations that can contribute to local communities?” Q9: “What will our ‘family’ look like in 2030? How will our definition of ‘family’ broaden?”
the proportion of elderly citizens (age 65
Fig.1 Nine powerful questions
and above) would reach 20% in the UK and 33% in Japan in year 2025. She also indicated five challenges in the UK related
home to maintain involvement in the community.
earthquake disaster of 2011. Commenting
to an aging population which have potential for cross-sector collaboration: 1) housing for seniors, 2) local community design, including mobility to access services, 3) health and social care, 4) social inclusion, including the creation of intergenerational relationships and the provision of employment opportunities beyond traditional age groups, and 5) personal finance.
on the Futures session to come, she said Step 4: In-depth examination- Exploring
the UK will be interested to see the social
questions and making them your business
innovation suggestions coming from this series.
In this section, more time was spent contemplating the comments and ideas proposed at each table. Participants were asked to choose a specific theme and produce a “powerful question” that provided a fresh viewpoint and also
Step 3: Relationships- Building relationships
highlighted the crucial issue identified by
transcending individual standpoints
te a m me m be r s . T h e o b j e c t i v e o f t h i s
Next, the participants talked about what
think about aging population issues as it
could be done on a personal or corporate level to realize a successful aging society, and a society in which people can age
exercise was to encourage participants to applied to their context. The formulation of good questions prompted many ideas as solutions.
achieving their full potential. Each table discussed various ideas, including ways in which we can connect to local communities. The participants came up with diverse ideas from various perspectives about what we can do in the current situation, and the type of innovation that is required to enable those retiring from work to connect with local communities, including for example, future work styles (changing work styles for different age groups), and the need for more channels besides the workplace and the
sentiment that has grown since the Tohoku
Step 5: Emergence- Prompting actions with innovative ideas As a result, the participants came up with nine powerful questions: (Fig.1) After the presentation of the questions, Ms. Feldman commented that she was intrigued to see all the teams primarily concerned with social inclusion, and asked if this strong desire to connect to society is a 2
Spotlight
The first Futures session started with the
work styles. The following table divides the
broad theme of “Social Innovation x
nine questions into two categories. The first
Successful Aging” . The original objectives
question we must ask ourselves is: how will
for this session were firstly for each
the changes in our awareness we need to
participant to reassess this theme in terms
make in order to meet the challenge of 2025
of how it applies to his or her situation, and
affect corporations and the market? The
secondly to consider how this theme could
second question is: how will the changes to
be tackled by their company or organisation.
our work and life practices towards 2025
Through the results of the initial discussions
impact on corporations?
in the session, we decided to focus on the first objective of looking at the challenge
Change in awareness
from a personal standpoint, and leave the second one to be addressed in subsequent Futures sessions. If we look at the nine powerful questions that were the outcome of this session, we can see strong personal desires to widen
Widening connections
Respecting diversity
1. Changes in the concept of close relationships 3. Connecting through interests and contributions we can make 9. Broadening the definition of the family
4. Sharing different forms of happiness 5. Accepting diverse lifestyles
opportunities, to help and connect with others, and to accept diverse lifestyles and
Change in the behavioural environment 2. Making people who need help visible 7. Providing places to live that transcend age groups
6. Work and life options 8. Diverse careers in local communities
Fig.2 : Nine powerful questions by category
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Changes in awareness will have a huge
that will encourage mutual aid is
setting issues with a sense of urgency, from
impact on the choices in public services
anticipated, and in the workplace, a system
these and other viewpoints, engaging
and how we spend our disposable income.
that will allow people to play a role in local
diverse stakeholders in dialogues in order to
Products or services may be provided as
communities, even later in life. In such a
find the next action needed. We look
part of the process of forming groups or
situation, how will companies be able to
forward to seeing how companies will
communities. There may also be more
address employment issues as well as build
address these nine questions generated
products and services tailored to individual
systems that can promote mutual
from the participants’ personal perspectives
needs. Will companies be able to address
assistance?
as part of their corporation’ s agenda, and how these questions can be solved through
these changes in values? This Futures session did not include a Changes in the behavioural environment will
thorough discussion on how companies can
take place both in an individual’ s personal
address changes in values and the
life and in the workplace. In an individual’ s
emergence of new needs. From the second
personal life, the emergence of a system
session, however, core partners will be
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their businesses.
Published in September 2012 by: British Council / FUJITSU LABORATORIES LTD. / Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan (GLOCOM) / Future Sessions Designed by hereticanthem co.,ltd. All rights reserved
Š 2012 British Council, Fujitsu Laboratories ltd., Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan, Future Sessions