News

"Online Discussion Exploring New Relationships between Rural and Urban Areas"
(A series of five sessions)

NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Atsushi OMATSU), PACIFIC CONSULTANTS CO., LTD. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director, CEO: Tomoyuki SHIGENAGA), and Loftwork Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Mitsuhiro SUWA) will be co-hosting a total of five online discussion sessions starting on Thursday, October 21.

In these days of drastic changes in society, we would like to provide a forum for open discussion towards creating a fascinating future, and together with guests representing various fields such as cities, management, energy, digital, and law, we would like to explore new relationships between rural and urban areas, gather a wide range of ideas and challenges toward sustainability, and share and disseminate information.
The three companies will jointly host the event, combining their knowledge and experience in urban, architectural, and civil engineering, as well as their co-creation network with a diverse range of creators, to find clues to solving social issues.

【Program】

1st session: "Potential of Urban and Rural Areas"Date and Time: Thursday, October 21, 2021 18:00-19:30 We have invited the representative director: Masataka BABA of OpenA and cultural anthropologist: Sayaka OGAWA to explore the challenges emerging in both urban and rural areas and the possibilities that can be seen from them. Reservation URL: https://loftwork.com/jp/event/20211021_nikken_pacicon Masataka BABA (Architect) Representative of OpenA. With architectural design as its core, he is involved in a wide range of projects including renovation, revitalization of public spaces, revitalization of regional cities, and the editing and production of books and media. In addition to bringing out the charm of the region, he is also an active writer and is a leader of his generation. Sayaka OGAWA (Academic) She specializes in cultural anthropology and African studies. She left the PhD program at the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Graduate School after receiving her doctorate. She holds a PhD in Area Studies. She has worked as a special research fellow at Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, a National Museum of Ethnology, Research Strategy Center Institution, Assistant Professor at the same center, and Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Graduate School, before becoming a professor at the same school.

2nd session: "Local Innovation" Date and Time: Monday, November 15, 2021 18:00-19:30 We will be welcoming Shigeharu ASAGIRI, the president of Kyodo Shoji, which develops the local beer brand COEDO, and Nozomi TORII, director of the online bookstore "Value Books", to discuss attractive initiatives originating from local areas. Shigeharu ASAGIRI (Manager) President and Representative Director of Kyodoshoji Corporation, Coedo Brewery. He is also the founder of "COEDO," a craft beer with the concept of "Beer Beautiful." He won the grand prize at the Forbes JAPAN SMALL GIANTS AWARD 2019-2020. He is pursuing new ways for craft breweries to interact with local communities, and is currently transitioning his Kawagoe brewery in Saitama Prefecture to a circular economy. Nozomi TORII (Manager) After graduating from Department (Faculty) of Literature, Keio University, she had been working for Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd. for 15 years. In 2015, she joined Value Books Corp. used book purchase and sale company based in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. She was in charge of the "Chari-Bon" used book donation program for 2 years. She is currently one of the management team, in charge of finance and public relations. In the process, she is working to obtain B Corp certification, which will serve as a guideline for the company.

3rd session: "Innovation through Data/Legal" Date and Time: Thursday, January 27, 2022, 18:00-19:30 We will welcome data scientist: Takuya KUDO and lawyer: Yu MIZUNO to introduce new case studies from the perspectives of data and legal issues, and also consider the relationship between rural areas and urban centers. Takuya KUDO (Data Scientist) After graduating from Faculty of Commerce, Keio University, he joined Accenture Japan Ltd. After leaving the company in 2004, he obtained a master's degree from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs in 2005. After returning to Japan in 2011, he rejoined Accenture Japan Ltd. and worked on reconstruction support for the Great East Japan Earthquake for about three years until 2014. He then moved to Seattle and served as global head of the same company's Data Science Center, before leaving Accenture Japan Ltd. in 2021 and returning to Japan. As of October 2021, he is a partner at McKinsey & Company. Yu MIZUNO (Lawyer) Lawyer. Attorney at Law (City Lights Law Firm). Director of Creative Commons Japan. Director of Arts and Law. Visiting Professor at Kyushu University, Global Innovation Center. Part-time lecturer at Keio University, SFC. Engaged in hands-on legal services and cutting-edge strategic legal affairs for new businesses and management strategies from startups to large corporations in the fields of IT, creative, and urban development. Also serves as a committee member and advisor for government and local governments.

4th session: Scheduled for February 2022 5th session: Scheduled for April 2022 *Schedules for the 4th and subsequent events will be announced on the Loftwork website as soon as they are decided.

[Organizer Profile]

NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD.(Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Atsushi OMATSU)
We are a professional services firm that provides architectural design and supervision, urban design, and related research, planning, and consulting services. Since our founding in 1900, we have respected our basic philosophy of "Contributing to Society through Valuable Work" and have been working to create a better social environment in response to the needs of society and the various requests of our clients.

PACIFIC CONSULTANTS CO., LTD.(Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Tomoyuki SHIGENAGA)
We are a group of professionals who provide consulting services with infrastructure engineering at the core, and Producing the Future. Celebrating 70th Anniversary of Establishment of the Company, we are committed to the sustainable development of society, aiming to become a presence needed in these difficult times when fears about various risks and expectations for technology are mixed, under the vision of "The power of technology is our hope for the future."

LOFTWORK INC.(Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Mitsuhiro SUWA)
A creative company that designs web, content, communication, and space. It operates the globally deployed digital manufacturing cafe "FabCafe," the global platform "MTRL (Material)" that supports co-creation between material manufacturers and creators to generate innovation, and the platform "AWRD (Award)" that promotes co-creation with creators. By co-creating with creators from all over the world, it provides a wide range of creative services.



<PACIFIC CONSULTANTS>
Contact for this matter:
PACIFIC CONSULTANTS CO., LTD.
Strategic Planning Dept., Public Relations Section: +81-3-6777-3022

Contact for interviews and press inquiries:
LOFTWORK INC., Public Relations. E-mail: pr@loftwork.com



Release Materials:
Three companies will co-host an online forum to explore new relationships between rural and urban areas