March 26, 2015
Keio Research Institute at SFC, Keio University, has established the Consortium for a Society of Vibrant Longevity in collaboration with Chigasaki City and others. Through a partnership among industry, academia, government, and the private sector, the consortium will pool the knowledge and capabilities of all parties to create the private services, citizen activities, and administrative services necessary to realize a society of vibrant longevity.
On Friday, March 20, a signing ceremony for the Consortium for a Society of Vibrant Longevity agreement was held at Chigasaki City Hall. Attendees included Chigasaki City Mayor Nobuaki Hattori; Associate Professor Miki Akiyama, a senior researcher at Keio Research Institute at SFC and Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies; Junichiro Okata, Director of the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Tokyo; Yoshifumi Fujii, Dean of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies at Bunkyo University; Toshimichi Yamaguchi, President of the Chigasaki Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Tokuji Maruyama, Chairman of the Chigasaki Medical Association.
Going forward, the consortium plans to focus on the following activities for the time being.
A platform for second lives (Creating a mechanism for social participation in old age): To realize a society where people can remain active throughout their lives, a one-stop service counter will be established in fiscal year 2015 to match seniors with rewarding work, citizen activities, and lifelong learning opportunities.
Promotion of home healthcare: To realize a society where people can live their lives in their own way while receiving necessary care in their familiar communities, the development of a home healthcare system will be promoted.
Creating a system for moving to new homes according to life stages: A system will be developed where seniors can move to appropriate housing while they are still healthy, and the homes they owned can be utilized as housing for child-rearing generations.
Creation of after-school learning opportunities: The establishment of attractive after-school care programs will be promoted in fiscal year 2015 as a business model for private operators, with seniors serving as instructors to provide learning and experiences.