EMAIL NEWSLETTER Vol. 31 (December 2024 Issue) |
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CHO KOUKA Project: AI Composition Workshop Held at Kuwana City Tado Junior High School!The “CHO KOUKA” Project is a joint research initiative with the RIKEN AIP Center. On November 25, we held an AI composition workshop with the goal of using AI to create the school song for “Tado Gakuen,” a combined elementary and junior high school set to open in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, in the 2026 school year.Approximately 130 participants, including elementary and junior high school students as well as members of the school opening preparation committee, took part in the event. Coverage of the event appeared in publications such as
the Chunichi Shimbun and was broadcast on television stations
including Chukyo TV.
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◆ Announcement from the B Lab Secretariat:
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[Report Published] The 3rd B Lab Online Salon: We welcomed Mr
. Noritaka Okabe (Representative Director of JPYC Co., Ltd. and Director of the Blockchain Promotion Association) to the B Lab Online Salon, where he spoke on “New Regional Revitalization Achieved Through DAOs.”
The report is now available!
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◆ What’s New from Each Project!: |
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[Neurodiversity Project] Featured in the Nikkei Morning Edition On Sunday, December 1, 2024, the Nikkei Shimbun featured “The World in Our Minds,” a project promoted by the Neurodiversity Project, in a three-page full-color special feature. |
Neurodiversity Project Interview Series, Part 2 For the second installment of our interview series, we welcomed Professor Hideki Ando and Nagisa Ohno from Osaka University of Arts to discuss “Experiencing Stuttering Through Avatars and AI: Increasing Society’s Tolerance for Diverse Ways of Speaking.” We’ve published the report, so
please be sure to check it out! |
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Neurodiversity Project Interview Series, Part 3 For the third installment of our interview series, we welcomed Mr. Hideki Kashiwaga and Mr. Yu Nishizutsumi from NICT CiNet to discuss “Why Do Illusions Occur? Can We Move Objects with Brain Waves? Introducing the Mysteries and Unknown Potential of the Brain.” We’ve published the report, so
please be sure to check it out! |
Neurodiversity Project Interview Series, Part 4 For the fourth installment of our interview series, we welcomed Mr. Takashi Isesaki and Mr. Yukio Koike from NTT Human Informatics Laboratories to discuss “Our Goal: Realizing a World Where Everyone—Regardless of Disability—Can Control Their Own Body as They Wish Using Brain Waves.” We’ve published the report, so
please be sure to check it out! |
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◆ B Lab Hub News: B Lab hubs are spreading across the globe, both virtually and in person. This month, we’re bringing you news from
B Lab Gifu♪ |
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At B Lab Gifu, we are expanding our network primarily with businesses and local governments in Gifu Prefecture, including Minokamo City, Kawabe Town, and Shirakawa Town. Since the cooperation of local residents is essential for regional revitalization, we actively participate in local events and volunteer activities. |
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◆ Announcements
from Partner Organizations and Researchers |
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● An interview article was published on Mynavi International Career (Shoichi Okawa, Ryugaku Sommelier Co., Ltd.) An interview article on global career opportunities has been published. The first installment focuses on the theme “What Is a Global Career?”, so we’d appreciate it if you could share it with students as an introductory guide. ⇒ For details,
click here
● [12/22] Springin’ Fest 2024 is Coming!! [Live Stream Available] (Shikumi Design Co., Ltd.) To celebrate the 9th anniversary of “Springin,” the app that lets you create games on your smartphone, we’re holding the fan event “Springin Fest 2024” in Fukuoka on December 22. In addition to the in-person event, it will be streamed live on YouTube. Attendees at the venue will receive exclusive promotional gifts!
● iU Interns Have Launched a Media Site Dedicated to Power Platform!! (Japan Industrial Co., Ltd.) iU interns planned and created “PowerPlatform Academy,” a media platform that compiles information on how to use “Power Platform,” a low-code development tool provided by Microsoft. During their internship, the iU interns handled everything from learning Power Platform technology to writing articles.
●“My Life Story” by Female Leaders Has Been Published
(Featuring five iU visiting professors: Chikako Morimoto, Megumi Matsumoto, Asako Mitake, Yuka Matsui, and Michiko Oka) This book spotlights 24 female entrepreneurs and business leaders, compiling their valuable personal accounts of how they carved out their own paths. We hope this book will serve as a baton passed on to the next generation of women. ⇒ For details,
click here
● [English Article] I contributed an article on “Science Fiction and Public Relations” to IPRA, the world’s largest international PR industry association. Science fiction initiatives originating in Japan are attracting global attention. (Koichi Iwasawa, Representative Director, Key Message International Co., Ltd.) The science fiction (SF) genre has the unique ability to evoke a “sense of wonder”—that feeling of the familiar reality suddenly transforming into something entirely new. What if we applied that sense to public relations (PR)?And what if we applied it to communication in general…? This English-language paper reports on these questions through the perspectives of many companies that have adopted the method known as “SF prototyping.” ⇒ For details,
click here
● Soccer, basketball, idols… Support your favorite team or artist through the Hometown Tax Donation program! (Trust Bank Co., Ltd.) We’re currently running a campaign through December 31 (Tue) on “Furusato Choice,” one of Japan’s largest comprehensive hometown tax donation sites. When you make a donation through the site, we’ll deliver “support funds” from our revenue to your favorite soccer team, basketball team, or idol group. Enjoy a new kind of donation experience!⇒ Click
here for details.
● Announcement of Digital Memoir Heritage Certification and Publication (Life DX Promotion Association / X-Life Co., Ltd., Takayuki Sato) We have published and issued a press release on a “Digital Memoir Legacy” titled “Lunch Boxes: A Wife’s ‘Thank You’ to Her Husband—11 Years and 1,500 Meals of Love,” showcasing the universal bond between a husband and wife. While bringing packed lunches to work has become less common these days, there are still plenty of delightful ones out there. Please be sure to take a look.
● Launch of the Short Drama App “FANY :D” (NTT DOCOMO Studio & Live, Kazutaka Shimura) #VerticalRevolution “Short dramas” are showing signs of becoming a trend these days. On December 3, a joint venture between Docomo and Yoshimoto Kogyo released the new app “FANY :D.” It features seven initial titles, with one new title released each week. Enjoy them on your smartphone.
● Online Symposium to Be Held |
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December 2024, Vol. 31 Publisher: Nanako Ishido Editor: Chika MasudaAddress: 1-18-13 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo info@blaboratory.org
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