On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, a general meeting based on the "Memorandum of Understanding on Partnership and Cooperation between Keio University and Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd." was held at the North Annex of Keio University Mita Campus. This general meeting marks the second time it has been held, following last year's event.
In addition to Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Japan Post Insurance), related companies such as Daiwa Kampo Alternative Investments Co., Ltd., Kampo NEXT Partners Co., Ltd., and Keio Innovation Initiative, Inc. (KII) also attended the meeting.
From Keio University, attendees included President Kohei Itoh, Vice-President Toshiji Saiki (in charge of research), and Professor Teruo Nakatsuma, Director of the Keio Global Research Institute (KGRI).
[Opening Remarks]
At the beginning, President Kohei Itoh spoke about the stance of tackling social issues through the practice of knowledge, based on Keio University's philosophy of "independence and self-respect" and the spirit of "jitsugaku (science)." He expressed gratitude for the broad partnership with Japan Post Insurance and also touched upon the role of the North Annex as a hub connecting education, research, and industry-academic collaboration.
Next, Mr. Kunio Tanigaki, Director and Representative Executive Officer, President of Japan Post Insurance, expressed his joy at being able to hold the general meeting for the second consecutive year and indicated his intention to further deepen the cooperative relationship with Keio University.
[Progress Report on Partnership]
Subsequently, a report was given on the achievements of the partnership and exchange between Keio University and Japan Post Insurance.
Vice-President Kotaro Yamagishi reported on the partnership achievements since the signing of the memorandum and future directions. He introduced partnership results through the formation of an innovation ecosystem and the human resource development program conducted as part of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science's "Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities as Regional Cores and Distinctive Points (J-PEAKS)," showing steady progress toward solving social issues through industry-academic collaboration.
Professor Takahiro Hoshino (Faculty of Economics / Deputy Director of KGRI) introduced the initiatives of the "One-Stop Issue Acceptance and Solution Unit (I&A Unit)" established within KGRI. As part of the J-PEAKS project, this unit is advancing activities that contribute to solving social issues, such as strengthening the support system for "elderly people living alone" based on a collaborative agreement with Japan Post Insurance.
[Session 1: Longevity Society and Finance]
In the first session, challenges in finance and insurance in Japan's upcoming longevity society were addressed.
First, Mr. Takao Furusawa, Head of the Insurance Claims Service Department at Japan Post Insurance, presented the need for responding to an aging policyholder base and strengthening after-sales follow-up as awareness of issues rooted in the field.
Next, Professor Kohei Komamura (Faculty of Economics / Director of the Research Center for Financial Gerontology) emphasized the importance of building a "financial inclusion" mechanism through the collaboration of welfare and finance, based on the impact of cognitive decline on economic activities.
Furthermore, Professor Taishiro Kishimoto (School of Medicine, Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Research in Medicine and Life Science (PIRMS)) introduced dementia risk assessment technology utilizing AI and natural language processing, showing the potential for financial inclusion through industry-academic-medical-engineering collaboration.
[Session 2: Potential of Industry-Academic Collaboration]
In the second session, the outlook for industry-academic collaboration was discussed regarding the creation of university-launched startups.
First, Project Professor Nobuaki Shindo (Director of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship) reported on the progress of the "Keio Startup Incubation Program (KSIP)" initiatives, including collaboration with Keio Innovation Initiative.
Next, Mr. Takayuki Haruna, Senior Managing Executive Officer of Japan Post Insurance, introduced the company's investment status in university seeds and industry-academic collaboration measures with a view toward human resource circulation.
[Looking Ahead]
Through this general meeting, it was confirmed that the cooperative framework centered on Keio University and Japan Post Insurance is making steady progress. Both parties will continue to further promote industry-academic collaboration and work toward solving the challenges of Japanese society and realizing a sustainable future.
Photography: Aki Takematsu