EMAIL NEWSLETTER Vol. 40 (September 2025 Issue) |
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Interview with Professor Kazutaka Shimura of iU: The Future of Short Videos Pioneered by AI We interviewed Kazutaka Shimura, a director at FANY Co., Ltd. (part of the Yoshimoto Kogyo Group) and a professor at iU. The “AI Short Videos” initiative he is promoting involves animating one-minute videos—filmed based on AI-generated scripts—using AI.By “streamlining production and mass-producing” content that can be viewed during “spare moments,” this initiative opens up new possibilities for the video industry.
Click here for details.
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Interview with iU Professor Kiritani: Tackling the Vacant Housing Problem with Technology We interviewed iU Professor Keisuke Kiritani. In the “Vacant House Utilization Project” in Nishinoomote City, Kagoshima Prefecture, which Professor Kiritani leads, drones, AI, and GIS are being utilized to tackle the social issue of vacant houses. How are these practical, community-rooted initiatives being implemented? Click
here for
details.
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Interview with iU Professor Yamanaka: “Value-Added Studies” We interviewed Tetsuo Yamanaka, President and CEO of Toytoma Co., Ltd. and a professor at iU. In the “Added Value Studies” project led by Professor Yamanaka, participants learn methods for creating added value by articulating and visualizing the charms of Japan’s regional areas, its manufacturing technologies, and new services.We delve into exactly how students learn and give back to society. Click
here for
details.
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◆ What’s New! for Each Project: |
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Neurodiversity Project Interview Series, Episode 18 For the 18th installment of our interview series, we welcomed Mr. Tatsuya Honda, Ontenna Project Leader at Fujitsu Limited’s Converging Technology Research Laboratory, who spoke on the topic, “Bringing Smiles to a World Without Sound Through Light and Vibration: The Society Fujitsu Aims to Create with ‘Ontenna’ and ‘Ekimatope.’”We’ve published the report, so
click here for details. |
Superhuman Sports to Exhibit at the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025! From September 3 to 8, 2025, the certified sport “Spirit Overflow” was showcased at the Japan Sports Agency’s “SPORTS FUTURE LAB: The Future Created by Sports” event at the Osaka-Kansai Expo “WASSE.” A new handbike model was also unveiled, and many visitors enjoyed trying it out for themselves.Gaining attention as a “human-machine integration” sport accessible to everyone, this event served as a valuable opportunity to expand the possibilities of sports for the future.
Click here for details.
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iU and Thunderbird School
of Global Management Joint Executive Program: Global Entertainment As part of a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), iU developed the “Global Entertainment Producer Program (GPP)” in collaboration with Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. The program was held on August 30 and 31 under the leadership of Dean Manabu Abekawa.A similar program is scheduled for November 22 and 23, and plans are in place to expand it to the MBA program next year.
Click here for details. |
“Chomorrow 2025
: Esports × Job Hunting Festival” Supported by LHH to Be Held! The eSports & Zinnovation Project and PPP, in collaboration with Adecco Co., Ltd.’s LHH Career Transition and Job Hunting Agency, will host the “eSports × Job Hunting Festival Powered by LHH” on November 2 and 3 at Tokyo Port City Takeshiba.Through company presentations, networking booths, talk sessions, and esports experiences, the event will provide students with opportunities to showcase their individuality and skills and connect with companies in person.
Click here for details. |
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Introducing a “Generative AI-Based” Admissions Selection System Starting in the 2027 Academic Year iU will introduce a new “Generative AI-Based” admissions selection method starting with the academic year 2027. Viewing generative AI not merely as a tool but as a partner in co-creation, the university places a strong emphasis on fostering talent capable of independent thinking and value creation.Moving beyond traditional evaluations that focus on the volume of knowledge, this system assesses students’ ability to collaboratively solve problems with AI in creative ways, as well as their capacity to apply technology through logical thinking.
Click here for details. |
Wheelchair Musical Instrument Project We exhibited our “Wheelchair Instrument”—which converts the color of the floor into sound—at the “Hyogo Assistive Devices and Care Robotics Festival 2025,” held on July 23 and 24 in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture.During the event, approximately 120 people—including social welfare students and representatives from educational institutions and long-term care facilities—visited our booth and showed great interest. |
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◆ Announcements
from Participating Organizations and Researchers |
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● Held Two Partner Events with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) (MID: Media Innovation Design Lab / iU Taro Matsumura Laboratory) In conjunction with the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), these events were hosted by MID Lab in collaboration with iU partner company Castalia, Inc., and held at iU. The themes were “Africa through the Lens of Culture” on August 19 and “Africa through the Lens of Philosophy and u-Journalism” on August 21. Please be sure to check out the event reports and u-Archive broadcasts.
August 19: Culture Event
Click here
August 21: Politics & Society Event
Click here
● The Traveling Living Things University! To be held in Ikisaka Village, Nagano Prefecture (“Traveling Living Things University!” / HiTTiSYO LLC / Yujiro Otani) We will be hosting “The Traveling Living Creatures University!”, a regenerative tourism event, in Ikisaka Village, Nagano Prefecture. We are looking for people interested in local communities and rural experiences (those interested in creating a “second hometown”) / as well as those interested in nature-positive initiatives, biodiversity, regenerative tourism, DAOs, and more!
● “eSports English Conversation” Surpasses 300,000 Total Class Sessions (Takuya Manabe, CEO of Geshipi Inc. / Visiting Professor at iU) “eSports English Conversation”—a new educational method combining gaming and English conversation that makes you love English the more you get absorbed in it—has reached a cumulative total of 300,000 sessions. Since surpassing 200,000 cumulative sessions last October, it has increased by 100,000 in just eight months. The number of students passing the Eiken test is also on the rise.
● Launch of a Support Program for School Refusal in Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture, Utilizing “eSports English Conversation” (Takuya Manabe, CEO of Geshipi Inc. / Visiting Professor at iU) Geshipi Inc., a metaverse education startup, has launched a support program for students who refuse to attend school in Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture, utilizing “eSports English Conversation” in partnership with the Kuki City Board of Education. By combining gaming with English learning, the program encourages participation from students who would have been difficult to engage through traditional support methods alone, providing them with new learning opportunities.
● I Will Be Lecturing at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “High School Student Entrepreneur Training Program” (Takuya Manabe, CEO of Geshipi Co., Ltd. / Visiting Professor at iU) On Tuesday, September 16, I will deliver a lecture at “Start Dash,” a high school entrepreneur training program organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The theme is “The Door to the Future That Opens Through Esports: How to Turn Your Passion into a Career.” Through group work and other activities, I will guide participants through an experience of generating new ideas by combining their passions with other interests.
● Stanford-Style “Generative AI Leadership Development Course” Co-hosted by iU and Nikkei Business
(iU Professor Hiroto Ebata) We are pleased to welcome Mr. Jeremy Atlee, a visiting professor at Stanford University’s d.school and an innovation and AI specialist, towe will host the “Stanford-Style Generative AI Leadership Development Course (Stanford-Style Generative AI Bootcamp)” as an online lecture from December 9 to 11, 2025, from a venue in Japan. ● Announcement
: Seeking Business Partnerships (Taigen Co., Ltd.) Our company, which has been supporting capital investment by small and medium-sized enterprises through grant application assistance and tax planning, is currently seeking new business partners. Why not join us in expanding our efforts to support corporate growth through sales activities that leverage grants and tax incentives as key tools?● “Electronic Devices Strategy Map 2025–2026” Published!
(Noboru Ishihara, Visiting Researcher at Waseda University’s Institute for Advanced Research and Visiting Professor at iU) The Japan Electronic Device Industry Association, where I serve as Vice Chair, has published its 10th annual report. It envisions future society and proposes technology forecasts for semiconductors—which have evolved from the “rice of industry” to a product of utmost importance for economic security—as well as scenarios for strengthening industrial competitiveness and recommended strategies.
●Published by Amazon: *Practical Introduction to the CFO: How to Become a "Management Advisor" Relyed Upon by the CEO*
(Hideaki Kino, CEO, GU Management Consulting LLC) I have published my book, *Practical Introduction to the CFO*.
Written by a hands-on professional who has successfully led three companies through IPOs, this book presents the ideal image of a CFO as the CEO’s “right-hand man.” It outlines the role of the CFO as a strategic advisor who envisions the future and directly addresses practical, hands-on know-how—including fundraising, dealing with banks, building relationships with investors, and balancing growth strategies with cash flow management.
● International Economics Olympiad
(Tatsuro Suzuki) It has been decided that Japan will host the 2027 International Economics Olympiad. We intend to use this opportunity to boost financial and economic education in Japan. Please stay tuned. |
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September 2025, Vol. 40
Publisher: Nanako Ishido Editor: Mikiko KobayashiAddress: 1-18-13 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo info@blaboratory.org
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