Launch of the "Social Design Promotion Council" by Local Government Leaders Nationwide

Currently, "Social Design" initiatives (activities designed to improve society through the free exchange of ideas among diverse stakeholders in government and local communities) are being implemented across Japan. To further promote and advance this movement, led by local government leaders, the "Social Design Promotion Council" held its inaugural ceremony on May 17th at Sōkairō Hall, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Roppongi, Tokyo.

The Social Design Promotion Council aims to create social innovation from the local level. It centers on mayors (currently 57) who share the vision of "changing Japan from the regions, creating a new Japan." It facilitates the exchange and dissemination of knowledge and expertise from diverse specialists, practitioners, NPOs, and companies across the nation within an open network. The council's secretariat is jointly established and operated by the NPO Regional Exchange Center and Dentsu Inc.

Twenty-seven mayors from across Japan participated in the launch ceremony. In his opening remarks, Mitsushige Yamanaka, Mayor of Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture, and co-chair of the founding committee, suggested that "local governments have the potential to collaborate not only with residents and NPOs, but also with companies."
In the keynote speech that followed, Shinya Ohminami of the NPO Green Valley in Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture, introduced specific measures for creative community development that accept the reality of depopulation while transforming the population structure into a sustainable form. These measures include regional revitalization through art and culture, work-in-residence programs, promoting migration through human resource development projects, and the relocation of satellite offices for IT ventures.

In Part 1 of the Social Design Conference, a panel discussion featured Ichiro Takahashi of Seibu Shinkin Bank, Yusuke Tagami of Good Medicine Japan, Sasa Nemoto of Asahi Breweries, Yasuo Nogami of NPO Hatto Onpaku, and Yuka Watanabe of FabLab Kamakura. They introduced pioneering and inspiring achievements, including those by practitioners in their 30s and 40s, focusing on themes such as "Regional Finance," "Regional Healthcare Business," "Corporate Philanthropy," "Tourism," and "Projects Promoting Co-Creation Society."

Panel Discussion

The Social Design Conference Part 2 featured a panel discussion on practices by municipalities, including disaster-affected areas. Participants included Mayor Yutaka Ikegawa of Ōtsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture; Vice Mayor Yosuke Kakuda of Ōfunato City, Iwate Prefecture; Section Chief Hiroko Nagatomo of the Kyoto Prefecture Commerce, Industry, Labor, and Tourism Department (Director of the Kyoto Prefecture Social Business Center); Professor Noboru Omiya from Takasaki University of Economics' Faculty of Regional Policy, and co-chairs of the founding committee: Mayor Hideki Matsuzaki of Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture, and Mayor Tokio Kusumi of Mitsuke City, Niigata Prefecture. They discussed challenges and possibilities for advancing regional social design from the perspective of municipal administration.
Part 1 featured private sector insights, while Part 2 highlighted local government practices, offering perspectives from different angles.

The event concluded with all participating mayors passionately declaring their commitment to implementing social design initiatives.

Local government leaders gathered from across the nation took the stage

After the event, participating mayors shared feedback such as: "I learned about many fascinating initiatives I hadn't known about before and found it very stimulating," and "I want to study more about these new practices." Tetsuya Maruo, Secretary General of the Promotion Council, stated his aspiration: "The Social Design Promotion Council aims to be a 'Davos Conference for Social Design,' centered on local government leaders while bringing together diverse people."

NPO Regional Exchange Center
http://www.leadersnetworks.gr.jp/

"Social Design Promotion Council Launch Ceremony" Pamphlet
http://jrec.sakura.ne.jp/leadersnetwork/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/socialdesign_pamphlet0519.pdf