EMAIL NEWSLETTER Vol. 25 (June 2024 Issue) |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
We have signed an MOU with the University of Bologna’s Power to the Pop Research Center and established B Lab Bologna! B Lab Bologna will build an international industry-academia team focused on pop culture—including manga, anime, and games—to integrate these elements with technologies such as AI and Web3, address challenges in both industry and culture, and shape the next generation of pop culture. Click here for details. |
|
Thursday, June 20: Lunchtime Online Symposium “Secrets to Building Livable Communities and Regions” to Be Held!
The former town of Kaifu, located in southern Tokushima Prefecture, is known nationwide as a “region with the lowest suicide rate”—a place where suicides are extremely rare. Mr. Dan Oka, who spent four years researching the former town of Kaifu to uncover the mystery behind its low suicide rate, published the book *A Town Where Life Feels Good*, which generated a huge response.We are pleased to welcome Mr. Oka to speak on “The Secrets to Creating Comfortable Communities and Regions.” |
| |
|
◆ Announcement
from the B Lab Secretariat |
|
[Report Published] 1st B Lab Online Salon: “Society in the Age of Generative AI” For the first B Lab Online Salon, we welcomed Mr. Joichi Ito (Co-founder and Director, Digital Garage, Inc.; President, Chiba Institute of Technology) to speak on “Society in the Age of Generative AI.” Here is a recap of the event. Click here for the report. |
| |
|
|
◆ What’s New! from Each Project
|
|
[Workshop
Announcement] On Saturday, July 6, we’ll be holding an AI workshop for children titled “Create with AI! A Field Guide to Imaginary Creatures”! This fun workshop lets kids learn how to use AI through hands-on activities while also learning how to interact with it responsibly. We hope you’ll join us! |
[
Report Published] The SusHi Tech TOKYO 2024 Superhuman Sports Challenge 2050 and the Superhuman Sports Experience Booth were a huge success! You can view highlights from the event
here. |
|
[
Now Accepting Submissions!] The “Digital Ehon Award 2024” is held with the aim of discovering and promoting digital expressions that foster new ways for children to play and learn. This year, we’re once again inviting submissions of Digital Ehon books from around the world that captivate children. Anyone from children to adults can enter, so please submit your work! |
We hosted an esports experience session featuring guests from Yakushima Oozora High School! During the session, iU students supported high school students—many of whom were playing computer games for the first time—as they worked their way through the FPS game “VALORANT” (published by Riot Games), starting with tutorials and progressing all the way to actual matches. |
|
[
Report Published] A joint project with Sumida Ward to explore new ways of living that go beyond simply renting an apartment. A report compiled by iU students has been
published on the Sumida Ward website. |
| |
|
◆ B Lab Chapter News: B Lab chapters are spreading across the globe, both virtually and in person. This month, we bring you news from B Lab Hong Kong♪
|
|
◎
B Lab Hong KongB Lab Hong Kong is hosting an exciting summer camp that blends music, art, and technology!Through fun and immersive sessions, students will create and decorate their own ukuleles, build metaverse spaces, and bring their creative ideas to life using cutting-edge tools such as 3D modeling, VR 360 filming, generative AI, design thinking, and AR animation.
⇒ Read more
here
|
| |
|
◆ Announcements
from Participating Organizations and Researchers |
|
● We have released “MEDITOR,” a medical illustration generation application (Lehman Co., Ltd. / Tokuko Nagata) We have developed a web application that allows users to edit and download medical illustrations—which were previously difficult for many people to access due to their high production difficulty, time-consuming nature, and high cost—on their own. It features over 100 3D CG models that are also useful as medical education materials. ⇒ Click
herefor details ● A new article has been published on Toyo Keizai Online
(Study Abroad Sommelier Co., Ltd. / Shoichi Okawa)
An article covering the Japanese version of the Folkehøjskole, titled “The ‘Purposes’ of Men and Women Participating in Hokkaido’s Higashikawa Town ‘School of Life,’” has been published on Toyo Keizai Online.
⇒ Click
here for details
● We hold a monthly golf tournament that doubles as a business networking event!
(Takashi Maeda, Life Up Co., Ltd.)
The July event will be held on Friday, the 19th! We’re accepting 15 groups (60 players), so why not join us? ● FR High School’s Third-Generation Image Girls Announced
(FR High School, Masato Mori)
FR High School has announced its third-generation image girls: “LIMITED IDOL”! They’re a trio consisting of a third-year junior high student, a first-year high school student, and a third-year high school student. iU University is also considering launching its own idol group.
⇒ Click
here for details
● Hackathon Featuring Top IT Engineers from Eastern Europe! In Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture
(People Cloud Co., Ltd.)
If you’re thinking about developing new businesses by utilizing foreign IT engineers or are considering opening a regional office, please come to Izumo this summer!We’re hosting a two-day business tour that combines a visit to the Izumo IT community with sightseeing, along with a hackathon featuring highly skilled IT engineers from Eastern Europe.
⇒ For details,
click here
● Cat-Themed Homestay Training! @ Hachijojima, Tokyo
(Okiyama Educational Research Institute) A native of the island who grew up there is launching a cat-friendly homestay at his family home on Hachijojima, drawing on 15 years of island life and 30 years of experience in Tokyo! B Lab members, come visit “Miimei INN” (tentative name)—where even JPYC’s Mr. Okabe has stayed!
● Online Seminar: “What Kinds of Reasonable Accommodations Are Being Provided in Educational Settings?”
(NPO English Proficiency Assessment Association · Takeshi Okada)
Why not join us to learn about the current situation regarding “reasonable accommodations”—which became mandatory this fiscal year—in educational settings? Anyone involved in
education is welcome to participate.
Advance registration required; see the Peatix page for details.
⇒ Click
here for details
● Launch
of “Memoir Legacy”: Connecting You to the Future (Life DX Promotion Association, General Incorporated Association; Takayuki Sato) Each of our lives is unique and one-of-a-kind; it is precisely this “Future Legacy” that connects our experiences and wisdom to the next generation and the future. Many people have already contributed entries in both the “Genre (Theme)” and “General” categories. As we enter a new socio-cultural era beginning with the Reiwa era, we encourage young people to use this as a milestone in their lives as well.
|
| |
|
◆ Handling of Personal Information The personal information we collect (such as your name and contact information) will be handled appropriately in accordance with our Privacy Policy and used to deliver this Newsletter and to communicate with you. We appreciate your understanding regarding our handling of personal information.
◆If you wish to unsubscribe from the Newsletter, please click
here. Alternatively, please contact us at admin@blaboratory.org with “Unsubscribe” clearly stated in the subject line of your email. |
| |
|
June 2024, Vol. 25 Publisher: Nanako Ishido Editor: Chika MasudaAddress: 1-18-13 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo info@blaboratory.org
|
|
|
