International Longevity Centre Global Alliance | Ikigai (meaning of life) & Tasukeai (mutual support) Summit in Kanagawa: How do other countries support lives of older people through mutual support in communities?

Ikigai (meaning of life) & Tasukeai (mutual support) Summit in Kanagawa: How do other countries support lives of older people through mutual support in communities?

Date: Thursday, 2 September 2021

Time: 9.00am - 11.00am (JST)

Venue: Hybrid conference (in Yokohama and on Zoom)

ILC-Japan is organizing an international symposium as part of a large event titled “Ikigai (meaning of life) & Tasukeai (mutual support) Summit in Kanagawa”, which will be held on Thursday, 2 September 2021, in Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan.

This event is hosted by Sawayaka Welfare Foundation, a leading voluntary organisation in the country supporting older adults in communities. This hybrid meeting, combining in-person and Zoom participation, consists of symposia, seminars, and research presentations to discuss ways to develop communities that enable older adults to play an active role. It is one of the largest events of this kind in the country, with over 5,000 participants being expected.

In the symposium, there will be speakers to introduce how other developed countries link formal health and care services and local resources as well as how these countries create and expand networks of mutual support, while also taking the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration. One of the speakers will be a coordinator from Australia working on community revitalisation to introduce concrete examples of community development.

The event will then discuss the direction Japan should take.

Around 200 participants are expected to attend ILC-Japan’s seminar, including in-person and Zoom.

PROGRAMME (tentative)

Introduction

Speaker: Shinichi OGAMI (Advisor, ILC-Japan)

Presentation 1

Title: Drastic reforms launched in European countries: Examples in Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK
The key word is an asset-based approach, emphasizing what is available in the community and the strengths of residents.
Speaker: Yoko MATSUOKA (Associate Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Tokyo Kasei University)

Presentation 2　

Title: Community development through ageing hubs in Australia: A case study
Speaker: Taeko NAKASHIMA (Associate Professor, Faculty of Healthcare Management, Nihon Fukushi University)

International report

Title: TBC
Speaker: The Waverton Hub (Australia) (TBC)
Outline: TBC

Presentation 3　

Title: What should Japan learn from other countries and what should we aim for?
Lessons from the examples in other developed countries
Speaker: Shinji HATTORI (Chief Researcher, Institute for Health Economics and Policy)

Discussion

Title: Where should Japan be headed?
Panelists: The speakers and the international reporter