Brand new ideas
Sustainability = habit formation
-Vision-
The image of an ideal future
-Missions-
Issues to be addressed based on the current state of affairs in order to achieve the Vision
-Strategies-
New systems, actions, and habits necessary to achieve our Vision and Missions
Future Design promotes academic research along with practical ways to explore how people from the present generation can empathize with future generations by adopting their perspectives, and how such empathy leads to decision-making and behavioral change toward a sustainable, potential-rich, and self-fulfilling future.
Research and Practice of Future Design: Introducing the Perspective of Future Generations to the Present
What kind of society can be considered sustainable, potential-rich, and self-fulfilling? We envision such a society as one where the potential of future generations exceeds that of the present generation: a society filled with hope for the future. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could build a society where sustainability, future potential, and self-fulfillment continue to develop over time? Future Design (hereafter referred to as FD) aims to promote such an ideal society by exploring and designing methods and systems that adopt the perspectives of future generations. It engages in academic research and practical ways of decision-making and behavioral transformation toward this goal.
Our institute has identified systems and methods that can expand sustainability, future potential, and self-fulfillment. One key approach is the introduction of an “imaginary future generation,” whereby the current generation makes decisions from the perspective of future generations. In Japan, this was first implemented in 2017 when Yahaba Town in Iwate Prefecture adopted the perspective of an imaginary future generation in its policy formulation process. Since then, several other municipalities have followed suit. FD has further expanded its activities through workshops with the Tosa Economic Council to address social issues in Kochi Prefecture, the Kochi Board of Education’s “Kokorozashi” program, and independent inquiry-based learning in junior and senior high schools such as Tosajuku and Marunouchi High School. Our institute has also delivered lectures at the Ministry of Finance as well as numerous other public institutions and educational/business programs. Internationally, FD is being developed in collaboration with governments and organizations in countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria, China, and Indonesia, focusing on themes like resources, food, and health. Efforts are currently underway to expand these activities to Europe and North America through new projects.
Recent research results have led to the creation of diverse FD methods and systems, including the concept of accountability to future generations and systems for publicizing visions, missions, and strategies. Academic research has demonstrated that introducing such FD tools enables individuals to make more conscious and autonomous decisions and behavioral changes toward expanding sustainability, future potential, and self-fulfillment. In summary, FD scientifically suggests and proves that people can exercise their inherent capacity for empathy toward future generations: it is a discipline that embodies “empathy for future generations.” Have we truly embraced “empathy for future generations” as a vital idea and cultural value? FD believes it can open new possibilities that have been constrained by current societal systems such as capitalism and democracy. The potential for applying FD in education, human resource development, and business is both broad and profound. Thus, FD can significantly contribute to value creation for the future. Our institute aims to identify and design new methods and systems for thinking from the perspective of future generations, with a focus on issues currently unsolvable within the existing frameworks of capitalism and democracy. Through decision-making and behavioral change, we strive to build a society full of sustainability, future potential, and self-fulfillment. We will continue to collaborate with corporations and public institutions to deliver our research outcomes to both present and future societies.
FD Practice 1: Gaining Perspective
Set a time-frame and reassess what has remained unchanged and what has disappeared across the past, present, and future.
How did past generations envision the present (which was their future)?
How do we, the current generation, envision future generations?
How do we, the current generation, view past generations?
How will future generations view the actions of our current generation?
FD Practice 2: Dialogue and decision-making with different generations
Perspective acquisition across generations
How should we consider our actions and decisions from the perspective of past and future generations?
Dialogue with each generation
What kinds of evaluations, demands, or requests might past and future generations make regarding the actions and decisions of our present generation?
The present generation envisions themselves as the author of a single chapter in the ongoing story across generations
By adopting the perspectives of the past, present, and future, the current generation envisions themselves as the author of a chapter in the ongoing story
Determining the vision and mission of the present generation based on evaluations and narratives
Taking into account evaluations and narratives from the perspectives of each generation, the present generation defines its vision and mission
Making the final decisions on strategy and action guidelines
Formulate strategies and action guidelines to achieve the defined vision and mission
Three research areas and Future Design
Experimental economics
実験経済学
This institute conducts several social experiment surveys throughout the year.
Environmental economics
環境経済学
A study that examines the cycle of "resources → processing → waste", which constantly impacts the global environment through economic activity and environmental issues.
Future Studies
未来学
A discipline that systematically explores what may happen in the future based on past and present events, and the probability, likelihood, and patterns of future events.
Future Design
フューチャー・デザイン
A field that combines experimental economics, environmental economics, and futurology
