"A Paradigm Shift from Tohoku" Michinoku Reconstruction Symposium Held

Michinoku Reconstruction Business Partners and NPO ETIC. held the 7th Michinoku Reconstruction Business Symposium at Dentsu Hall in Shiodome, Tokyo, on March 5. Launched the year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, this partnership platform enables companies to collaboratively support entrepreneurs, NPOs, and organizations active in Tohoku. Four companies participate: Kao, JCB, Benesse Holdings, and Dentsu Inc.

This symposium, set against the backdrop of new initiatives emerging in post-disaster Tohoku that could be called "testing grounds for social challenges," adopted the concept "A Paradigm Shift from Tohoku."

Part 1 featured a keynote lecture by Professor Takashi Maeno of Keio University's Graduate School of System Design and Management. His presentation, titled "Happiness and Innovation," drew from his research. Professor Maeno began by stating stated, "Happiness is a universal value for human life. When designing products, services, cities, or organizations, happiness must be included as a design variable." He further pointed out that the modern paradigm is shifting from happiness derived from "positional goods" like money, possessions, and status, to happiness derived from "non-positional goods" such as security, health, and peace of mind. He also identified four factors of happiness: "Let's try it (self-realization and growth)," "Thank you (connection and gratitude)," "Be yourself (independence and authenticity)," and "It'll be alright (positivity and optimism)." He suggested that the conditions for happiness and innovation are similar. "When everyone has diverse dreams, and those people connect in diverse ways, living positively and authentically while believing in the future—if everyone can do this, we'll have a happy society," he envisioned, expressing hope for Tohoku, where various innovations have emerged since the earthquake.

In Part 2's short presentation, "The Essence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Chizuru Suga, Director of the World Economic Forum's Fourth Industrial Revolution Center Japan, took the stage. She introduced the center's overview and initiatives, established in 2018 to facilitate public-private discussions on data governance within the "Fourth Industrial Revolution," characterized by data-driven approaches like AI and big data.

In Part 3, "Tohoku from the Perspective of the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Haruo Miyagi of Etic served as moderator. Presentations were given by Chief Producer Daishu Takahashi of NoMA Lab, which operates in Tohoku; Kyoko Watanabe, Representative of Maki-gumi LLC; and Hiroyuki Takahashi, Representative of Pocket Marche, each discussing their respective initiatives. Subsequently, Mr. Maeno and Ms. Suga joined as commentators, discussing signs of Tohoku's future.