[Call for Participants] A two-day event tackling social issues: "The 5th Beyond Conference 2026" to be held on May 15–16

and Beyond Company (aBC, Secretariat: ETIC.) will hold the " 5th Beyond Conference 2026 " over two days, Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, at the Toranomon Hills Forum and Glass Rock in Tokyo.

The Beyond Conference is an annual “exhibition of co-creation projects” organized by aBC. Now in its fifth year, it serves as a unique venue where companies, universities, and NPOs seeking to build a sustainable society can promote collaboration and cooperation across industry and organizational size.

Since 2018, aBC has been active as a platform for “co-creation,” where companies and NPOs collaborate across organizational boundaries to address increasingly complex social issues such as a declining birthrate, an aging population, and climate change. The "Beyond Conference," which serves as a practical platform for this initiative, has been held since its inaugural event in 2022 (at Kencho-ji Temple in Kamakura), followed by the second (in Kyoto’s Satoyama region), the third (at Haneda Innovation City), and the fourth (across Awaji Island). To date, over 1,330 people have participated, and examples of cross-sector co-creation have emerged.

This year’s fifth edition will be held at Toranomon Hills and Glass Rock, the heart of Japan’s business district. The concept is “Individual Will, Organizational Momentum.” Faced with increasingly complex social issues, the initiative aims to move beyond viewing an individual’s desire to “improve society” (often dismissed as idealistic) and an organization’s pursuit of “profit” as opposing forces. Instead, it seeks to transform them into “two wheels” that fuel society—mutually inspiring and evolving together.

[Event Overview]
Date and Time: Friday, May 15, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Pre-event session starts at 11:00 AM *Networking reception to follow)
　　 May 16 (Sat) 9:30 AM – 5:15 PM
Venue: Toranomon Hills
Capacity: 500 people per day
Admission: 2-Day Pass: General Admission 24,000 yen / Students 10,000 yen *1-Day Passes are also available
Organizer: and Beyond Company (Secretariat: ETIC.)
Co-organizer: Glass Rock
Partners & Sponsors: Abeam Consulting, Hitachi, Ltd., ENEOS Renewable Energy, ETIC., Japan Post, Japan Airlines, YUIDEA, Mizu, Seino Holdings, Rohto Pharmaceutical, Monex Group, PR Consulting Dentsu Inc., Yamaha Motor, NTT (in no particular order)

■Click here for conference details and registration

[Main Program]

11:00 AM – 12:20 PM: Yami-Ken Session: “Strategy Meeting” – The Schemes of the Willful Individual
*Pre-conference session. The official opening begins at 1:00 PM.

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Opening Session
Yasukiyo Mizokami (Representative Director, Mizu; Director, Saka Saiko Partners)
Hiroyuki Takahashi (President and CEO, Amekaze Taiyo)

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM Top Management Session
“Why Is Solving Social Issues and Co-creation Necessary for Capitalism Now?”
Kayoko Sakai (Senior Managing Executive Officer, Group CSuO, SOMPO Holdings / Senior Managing Executive Officer, CCuO and CSuO, Sompo Japan Insurance)
Yuko Sasahara (CEO & CCO, NTT DOCOMO Ventures)
Kota Hada (Executive Officer, Elecom; President and CEO, Elecom Healthcare; Chairman, Aozora; Physician)

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Co-creation Session Round 1 (Breakout Sessions)
Relational Population / Corporate × Regional Co-creation: “‘Why Don’t Cities and Rural Areas Mix?’—The Irrationality of Economic Rationality, From Market-In to Life-Out”
Nature Positive: “Is It Possible to Drive Both Nature and the Economy?”
Child Support: “Updating Child Support! A Must-See for Those Interested in Child Support. Exploring the Significance of Corporate and Private Sector Involvement”

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Networking & Social Gathering

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Opening Session

10:15–11:45 (90 min) Co-creation Session Round 2 (Breakout Sessions)
Human Capital / Evidence: What Did the NTT Pavilion’s Employee-Led Initiative Involving 2,300 Participants Attempt, and What Did It Leave Behind? — The Soft Legacy of Corporate Management
Practice: (Special Edition) Social Entrepreneurship Workshop Practical Session — Experience the Chemical Reaction of Co-creation
Sustainability / Regenerative: “MOTTAINAI” — The Slogan That Changes the World

10:15–13:30 (195 min) Co-creation Session Round 2 (Breakout Sessions)
Child Support: Overcoming the Gap Where Support “Doesn’t Reach” Children Aged 0–10
Intermediary Support / Community: “The ‘In-Between’ Summit Strategy Meeting—Exploring Connections Among Diverse ‘In-Between’ Actors: Academia, NPOs, Community Development Firms, Local Legislators, and More”
12:00–13:30 Lunch Session
New Business / Idea Generation: “Yami-Ken Session Round 2: ‘Strategy Meeting’ for the Schemes of Determined Individuals”
Community / Issue Sharing: “Lunch Co-creation Roundtable: A Roundtable for Staff to Share and Discuss Their Concerns”

1:50 PM – 3:20 PM Co-creation Session Round 3 (Breakout Sessions)
Disaster Prevention/Disaster Relief: “How Can Your Business Contribute During a Disaster? A Phase-Free Co-creation Session for Businesses and Local Communities”
Local Funds: “Building a Circular Economy Within the Region: The Local Fund Initiative”
Nature Positive: “Discovering Play That Delights the Earth, Vol. 1: Pitch & Brainstorming with Entrepreneurs”
AI/Latest Technologies: Solving Social Issues in the AI Era—Exploring the Potential of Co-creation and Data from the Front Lines

3:40 PM – 4:40 PM: Yami-Ken Project Pitch & Support Pitch

4:40 PM – 5:15 PM: Harvest & Closing Session

*Content is subject to change. Please check here for details.

■About and Beyond Company
Launched in 2018 as a consortium of companies and NPOs with the mission to “create a society brimming with purposeful challenges.” The group runs projects such as “Beyond Meetings,” which supports new initiatives, and “Beyonders,” where employees engage in solving social issues through side jobs and pro bono work.
https://andbeyondcompany.com/

■About ETIC.
Move Forward. ETIC.
We accompany and connect those who take action to build a “new society” together.
Founded in 1993, incorporated as an NPO in 2000, and certified as a Public Interest NPO in 2017. We are engaged in entrepreneur development, coordinating co-creation between different sectors such as corporations and local governments, and training coordinators. Approximately 19,000 people have participated in our hands-on internships and startup support programs, and about 2,200 have started their own businesses.
https://etic.or.jp/

■ Click here for articles about the Beyond Conference, including interviews with speakers (DRIVE Media)
https://drivemedia.etic.or.jp/tag/beyondconference/