Japan is on the forefront of tackling some of the biggest social challenges — aging society and depopulation — facing countries around the world. The Great East Japan Earthquake has forced Tohoku to action now, advancing the timeline for addressing these issues by 10 to 20 years. In post-disaster Tohoku, many start-ups and social labs were launched. Despite continued depopulation and a building sense of crisis, we also see the potential strength the region as Tohoku attracts much needed human and monetary resources.
Can the experience of Tohoku help us build a better future in Japan and the rest of the world? In the last 5 years, new approaches and fresh ideas have opened the door to creative problem-solving in Tohoku. In that process, we have learned a lot and gained much insight.
To commemorate the 5th anniversary, we launched THINK TOHOKU to look back at the work that has been done in the past 5 years and to determine what is needed going forward. We want to think about Tohoku in the context of the whole of Japan and the world, and hope that the process will lead to well thought out action and positive change.
We are organizing symposia, study groups, field studies and public fora until the end of March 2016 and are looking forward to your participation.
We want to build a foundation for new projects and businesses for the next 5 years. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in collaborating with us or if you want to propose a project.
info@etic.or.jp / innovators@japansociety.org