Research Institute for High-Life

Study on Regional Innovation
-The future of regional communities in an aging society-

PDF: Japanese version (677KB)

Report Summary

1.The purpose and the main themes
This study has been conducted since 2007 with the aim of understanding the variety of efforts being made in regional communities both in Japan and other countries and to propose policies to revitalize regional communities in our aging society. One of the challenges facing regional revitalization lies in the areas of industry and employment. In this year’s report, we focus on regional innovations in cases related to the promotion of regional industries in Europe, compare them with regional innovations implemented during the same periods in Japan,we presented our proposals for regional improvement in Japan.
In 2008, businesses involved in subprime loans, which have become a serious issue, went bankrupt, leading to the collapse of financial markets and affecting the current economy. Although financial institutions on Wall Street and in the cities, the heartlands of financial capitalism, will effectively be managed under government control, Japanese businesses that have relied on foreign markets have also suffered losses, resulting in a strong sense of stagnation among subcontracted small to medium-sized businesses that have relied on these large corporations. Considering the problematic “lost decade” after the burst of the bubble economy in Japan, nobody believes this situation will be resolved in a short period of time. Moreover, there is likely nobody who believes industrial societies will ever be the same again. The future of the world, including all of its countries and communities, is unknown.
Innovation is derived from the Latin word “innovation”, which means the creation of something new. It means the production of something new and improved, the introduction of new production processes, the development of new markets and new supply destinations, the reconstruction of corporations, and such. In addition, different types of innovation can be categorized by their respective characteristics, such as normal innovations (improvements of productivity and quality, excellence in staff training), niche innovations (affiliation and cooperation with new corporations for new markets), structural innovations (entering new fields with new technologies and methods), and revolutionary innovations (entering existing markets with new technologies and methods). Although innovation is an essential theme for all countries, regions, and corporations in any age, regional engagement for innovation is especially needed in situations such as the present.
Innovation involves more than just research and development and technical developments; it should correspond to prospective markets of the near future that are demanded by society. Moreover, it is necessary to promote such innovations strategically through public procurements and financial support. In the EU, there are 6 fields of socially and economically valuable markets.

1. E-health: establishing health information systems to provide better care at lower costs.
2. Sustainable construction: the construction sector constitutes a high share of GDP, final energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Protective textiles: for example, clothes that protect people from accidents and other dangers.
4. Biological products: for example, bioplastic and lubricants.
5. Recycling: reducing the amount of waste products and the consumption of natural resources and improving energy efficiency.
6. Renewable energy: the European Parliament aims to provide 20% of energy consumption with renewable energy by 2020.

The 2007 Communication on a "Lead Market Initiative for Europe" has many implication for future innovations in Japan. One of the common themes for promoting employment and industry in each country after the financial crisis has been government investments in the field of renewable energy, and various measures including public procurement, laws, and incentives will be implemented. At the same time, energy-saving houses and construction are necessary for global warming policies. The utilization of renewable energy as well as the development of energy-saving houses and construction constitute optimal solutions for regions with varying natural landscapes and climates. For this reason, these two solutions have become the main themes of regional innovation. Regarding tourism, which has been a means of vitalization common across communities in Japan, the promotion of health tourism in accordance with social purposes such as health and prevention may provide possible markets for Japan’s aging society and for China, where the population will soon begin aging rapidly.
In this study, we will review efforts to promote renewable energy in regional communities and new fields in the service industry, such as health tourism, while considering the creation of regional industries and the sustainable local economy.

PDF: Japanese version (618KB)

Study report

1. Purpose, methods, and organizational structure for the study

Organizational structure of the study
This study is conducted by the following team members:

Chief researcher
Ryuzo Ohno, Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Doctor of Engineering

Research planning and analysis
Naoko Wakabayashi, CEO of Living Environment Studio ACT, Doctor of Engineering
Masashi Soeda, Grand planner of LLP Human Environment Design Laboratory, Doctor of Engineering

Research study analysis
Nagisa Tatsumi, Writer and Marketing planner
Koji Sugawara, Living Environment Studio ACT

Pre-study
Hajime Enomoto, Director of the Urban Environment Planning Department of Yomiko Advertising, Inc
Hiroyuki Kakinuma, Urban Environment Planning Department of Yomiko Advertising, Inc.
Akiko Tsuruta, Urban Environment Planning Department of Yomiko Advertising, Inc.
Yumi Kato, Pistaccio Inc.
Mayuko Koga, Environmental Planning Laboratory Inc.

Research project coordinators
Hitoshi Nakamura, LLP Human Environment Design Laboratory
Masashi Soeda, LLP Human Environment Design Laboratory
Ichiro Miyazaki, Environmental Planning Laboratory Inc.

Research supervisor
Shinichi Sentouda, Chief researcher of Research Institute for High-Life

(1) Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to identify the kinds of value that city dwellers associate with their urban lives. We will attempt to find out "what" kinds of value they find in their cities or "what parts" of their cities they feel are valuable.

Customarily, when assessing the livability of a city, evaluations are made based mainly on "service" factors, such as convenience for shopping and commuting or the sufficiency of public facilities. These evaluation factors can be standardized and indexed to some extent and are reflected in real estate value. However, "service" is not the only reason why urban residents live in cities; rather, these residents seem to find more value in intangible factors related to enriching their quality of life, such as being able to relax at a nearby park, having neighborhood stores where they can meet friends, and safe environments for their children to play. These kinds of value cannot necessarily be measured by real estate price. Unlike convenience factors, which can be quantified even by an outsider, these kinds of value are latent and are perceived only by those who have lived in the city for some time. We believe that cities with such latent value can lead people to develop emotional attachments to their environment, leading to the desire to continue living in those cities.

Given the difficulty of measuring such kinds of value, there is no straightforward way to draw clear answers from residents. Therefore, our first step is to conduct a survey among urban residents in multiple areas throughout Tokyo. We will ask them "what" kinds of value they find in their city or "what parts" of the city they feel are valuable. The answers will be provided as free responses (keywords). In this way, we will be able to grasp a general idea of what kinds of value are appreciated in specific kinds of city. At the same time, in order to analyze the linkage between people and the keywords, we will also ask them about their degree of attachment to the city, their intentions of settling down (whether or not they would like to reside there permanently), their degree of interest, and their lifestyle values.

Based on the survey results, we will assess the relationships between the "city", its "people", and the "value and values associated with residential environments". We will analyze and investigate various factors, such as triggers of emotional attachments to the city or factors causing long-term residents to lose their attachment to the city, with the aim of offering guidelines for better residential environments.

(2) Method of study
This study consists of two parts.

1) Pre-study of the kinds of value perceived by urban residents
There have been several studies involving assessments of residential environments or surveys on residential preferences conducted in the past. Before proceeding with our study, we will study these previous reports and examine the findings obtained through lectures given by the researchers. Our objective is to establish a clear perspective and hypothesis for the present study.

We will also try to obtain an accurate picture of urban residents through a report prepared by an analyst with a concrete viewpoint on what specific points of urban life are appealing to those residents. What we learn here will be incorporated into the survey agenda. Our objective is to obtain a foothold for exploring different kinds of residential value.

2) Online survey of urban residents
After establishing a clear perspective for our study through the above pre-study, we will conduct an online survey to understand the level of awareness regarding urban living. We will collect keywords that the residents associate with their urban life. We will also ask them about their degree of attachment to the city, their intentions of settling down, their degree of interest, and their lifestyles. This survey will be done through a website on the Internet.

In order to examine the regional differences, we will select a total of 2,000 people who reside in 3 different areas in Tokyo ("Downtown", "Uptown", and "Bay area".) The people, whose ages range from the 30s to the 60s, are registered survey participants.

The collected keywords will be examined and analyzed by area and level of resident’s awareness. The purpose of this survey is to identify the relationships between the "city", its "people" and the "value and values associated with residential environments".

- Shokuiku-Aproach for the family having infants or children -

PDF: Japanese version (83KB)

(Summary of the report)
RE: Shokuiku is a Japanese word, meaning "education of appetite" or "education about having a good diet".
Since it has no appropriate word translated into English, we call it, "Shokuiku".

1：Purpose of Study on "Health of Food and improvement of Shokuiku Aid by age"

In June 10, 2005, the fundamental law on Shokuiku has been enacted and announced.　Shokuiku guidance is aimed at national lifetime health to form healthy eating habits.
The theme of the Japanese life innovation is concentrated on health, relief, safety, and environmental protection, although, these headings have been developed as policies for Shokuiku suggestion and improvement of Metabolic Syndrome.

Suggestion for healthy diets will be announced as a subject of Shokuiku.
There are lots of subjects take that root in education of national healthy eating habits and dietary culture.
The variety of subjects concerning Shokuiku promotion are what we consider as subjects related to dietary life improvement cultural fixation, and cultivation of mind.

Keeping this fact in mind, we aim at rapid penetration and realization of Shokuiku development and will launch 2 years of study to complement national Shokuiku promotional activity.
At the point of Shokuiku, each carried subject is quite different according to each generation.
In our research, we aim to propose a right direction for Shokuiku approach concerning focused subject by clarifying subjects by generation clear.
In this year, we focused on families carrying infants or children who would form Japan’s next generation and conducted questionnaire survey of the parents and their children about consciousness and gaps in actual condition level of their dietary lives regarding nutrition.
In reference survey results, we made it clear how the Shokuiku should be and also made the direction of concrete approach to aid the policy for bringing up children clear, through diet.

〈Summary - Study report component〉

Chapter 1:　
National regulation of Shokuiku and engagement of local public organizations and enterprises.

Chapter 2:
Suggestion on Shokuiku so far and its' subjects

Chapter 3:
Thoughts on Shokuiku research on the families with infants or children

Chapter 4:
Items seen in survey about eating habits and Shokuiku- regarding families with infants or children

Chapter 5:
Shokuiku approach for the families with infants or children

Chapter 6:
Suggestion and activity on Shokuiku realized and experienced

(Study members)
Study organization: Resarch Institute for High-life

Study composed by:
Niitsu Shigeaki (Trustee/Takachiho University/Graduated School Professor)
Tanno Toshiaki (President/Behavioral Science Institute ,Inc,)
Takatsu Haruki (Vice Director General/Resarch Institute for High-life)

PDF: Japanese version (1.2MB)

Planning and promotion
Fumio Hasegawa, Professor of Meiji University, School of Global Japanese Studies

Research and promotion
Kazuo Midorikawa, CEO of Digital-Image
Tadakazu Fukutomi, PROFESSOR, Senshu University
Hirohiko Koyamada, CEO of Think Communications, Inc
Akio Kunii, Chief researcher of InfoCom Research, Inc.

Research partners
Kazuhiro Niinuma, Counselor of Office of the President, Wellness Department, Namco Bandai Games, Inc.

Yujiro Ono, Chief researcher, Research Laboratory of Human Amusement, AM Specialized Machine Development Department, Namco Bandai Games, Inc.
Hisakazu Hirabayashi, CEO of INTERact
Shuzo Ueda, Director of Kyoto International Manga Museum

Chapter 1: Purpose of the Research

1-1. Background
So-called “Content”, which includes manga, anime, and video game, has been consumed mainly for the purposes of entertainment and leisure-time amusement. However, Content has started to garner attention in areas other than entertainment due to its friendliness and its eye-catching characteristics. It has started to be used for the purposes of improving everyday convenience in particular.
For example, manga is now very familiar because it even appears in various instruction manuals and community pamphlets. In addition, manga and anime have started to be used for educational purposes to promote understanding regarding luxury grocery items or cuisines, such as wine. Additionally, the game console Wii, which was released last year by Nintendo, can function as a sport simulator and serves as a lifestyle-oriented device in various areas, such as health management. This trend will be accelerated with the development of our information-driven network society. In this research, we will investigate the relationship between Content and everyday life by researching current conditions and trends.

1-2. Purpose of the research
With the above background in mind, the purpose of this research is as follows.
(1) To study the potential usage of Content (manga, anime, video games, etc.) in areas other than entertainment.
(2) To analyze how Content creators view the relationship between Content and everyday life.
(3) To identify and pni-che
Niredict how Content will be involved in our everyday lives.

1-3. Details of the research
We will conduct research in the following specific areas.

• (1) Analysis of social environments that promote the current conditions.
• (2) Case research on the relationship between Content and everyday life. Examine cases that match the purpose of our research from books, magazines, and websites.
• (3) User evaluations Conduct a survey interview of 10 subjects ranging in age from their 10s to their 50s regarding the current usage of Content and its involvement in their everyday lives.
• (4) Intentions of Content developers Conduct a survey interview with Content providers and researchers that match the purpose of our research.
• (5) Future trend analysis Discuss future trends with other members of the research team.
• (6) Links with future lifestyles Based on the results of our research, study the relationship between Content and lifestyle.

1-4. Research methods

• (1) Conference discussions with experts


• (2) Case studies using relevant literature


• (3) Survey interviews with Content developers


• (4) Interview-style questionnaire survey

PDF: Japanese version (2MB)

Study organization
Junichi Takahashi, professor, Waseda University
Ryusuke Seike, part-time professor, Waseda University
Yuko Adachi, CEO, Bunka Gijutsu Design
Miwako Hori, researcher
Haruki Takatsu, Research Institute for High-Life
Shinichi Sentoda, Research Institute for High-Life
Hirohito Hagiwara, Research Institute for High-Life

Purpose of the study
Modern industrial society has brought us great benefits, but it has also created various problems in the name of progress, such as the continued destruction of nature, health problems, stress, and disparities in wealth. Modern industrial society has provided satisfaction and fulfillment in everyday life through material wealth and innovations in the area of convenience, but it can also been said that it is a society that has lost an understanding of the true meaning of "pleasure". When we look at the current social situation, we need to think about how we should obtain "pleasure" or "fulfillment" in a meaningful way through our individual abilities and lifestyles. The goal of hospitality, in simple terms, is how to "realize pleasure", and we believe this concept includes solutions to the problems describe above. Even for industries that are currently facing limitations in providing satisfaction and fulfillment to ordinary citizens through manualized services, "hospitality" has been focused on as a concept that allows for the provision of satisfaction and fulfillment beyond service.
In our study, we hope to construct a working hypothesis while focusing on establishing design principles to realize a society and culture that embodies hospitality, and to seek the establishment of techniques (tentatively referred to as "hospitality management") to control the activities of both a society structured based on the principles of hospitality and the businesses and public administrations composing such a society.

The 17th High-Life Seminar: Minutes
Eco-city contest
Seven proposals to change Japan from its regions
Seminars to commemorate publication in Tokyo and Kyoto

PDF: Japanese version (2MB)

Organizers:
Research Institute for High-Life
The National Eco-City Contest Network
Citizens Environment Foundation, specified nonprofit corporation

Tokyo venue
Time: Friday, March 6, 2009. 13:30 to 17:00
Place: Kodama Hall

Kyoto venue
Place: Mielparque Kyoto
Time: Monday, March 9, 2009. 13:00 to 16:30

Seminar venue in Tokyo　　　　　　　　　　　Seminar venue in Kyoto

Minutes of lectures

“Seven proposals to change Japan from its regions”: Purposes and contents of the book

Lecturer: Mr. Ikuo Sugimoto (President of NPO Citizens Environment Foundation) (Representative of the National Eco-City Contest Network)
http://www.kankyoshimin.org/

Profile of the lecturer: Ikuo Sugimoto
Graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture of Kyoto University. Established the Citizens Environment Foundation with various people and experts engaged in environmental issues in 1992. Published “Green Consumer: Tips for Shopping for the Earth’s Ecology”, “Visiting the World’s Eco-cities” (co-author), Iwanami Junior Shinsho (2002) , and many others.