Future Tokyo Sessions：TOKYO 2035

Opening Session

Welcome Remarks

Takenaka

The Future Tokyo Session is placed at the halfway point of Tokyo’s urban strategies project “TOKYO 2035”, promoted by the Institute for Urban Strategies at the Mori Memorial Foundation. The decision to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo has provided the city with the momentum for substantial reform and there are now various projects in progress looking forward to 2020. However, what is more important for us is to envision the future ahead. Therefore, in this session, we’d like to focus 20 years forward to the year 2035, and have some interactive discussion with the participation of the audience, incorporating the brainstorming method. Our goal is not to reach some kind of conclusion, but rather, it is to have the participants inspire each other by imagining an idealistic and at the same time realistic future form of Tokyo through creative discussions.

Overview of The TOKYO 2035 Project

Ichikawa

The Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies published the “Tokyo Future Scenario 2035” in 2011. We summarized what could possibly happen to Tokyo in the future as four scenarios from “Storm Scenario” to “Blue Sky Scenario,” using the method of “scenario planning.” And now that Tokyo will be hosting the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city is again experiencing big changes through the acceleration of urban regeneration and infrastructure development. In addition, there have been advances in science and technology, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, as well as changes in a sense of values, such as with a sharing economy. So, based on the Blue Sky scenario we have established the “TOKYO 2035 Committee of Experts” and discussed in-depth four different topics, namely, “Future Living,” “Future Work,” “Future Mobility,” and “Future Entertainment,” in order to investigate and study the lifestyle of Tokyo 20 years from now. Our goal for today’s “Future Tokyo Sessions: TOKYO 2035” is to expand our imagination toward the future by having the participants gather to discuss the future of the people living in Tokyo 20 years from now in the aforementioned four fields.

Overview from the Group Facilitators

Adachi

Future Living
We’re going to discuss the different aspects of living, such as food, clothing, and shelter, of the people living in Tokyo 20 years from now. How will our lives change and what will we do when our work style has changed and we are able to concentrate on just living our lives?

Okoshi

Future Work
We can assume that labor performed by 50% of the nation’s working population will be substituted by AI and robots, and that this will have some effect on our labor market and social economy. At the same time, we have our own strong sense of wanting to change our concept of what it means to work. Concerning the idea of work 20 years from now, we don’t simply want to describe the changes that will occur, but also a work style where we have a strong desire and determination, while staying positive.

Koizumi

Future Mobility
How is the introduction of autonomous cars and development of sharing economy going to change the lifestyle of people living and working in Tokyo? How are the living environment of the city and the people going to change from the viewpoint of “mobility?” We’re going to discuss different forms of mobility and the changes that they will bring about to the city as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

Ichikawa

Future Entertainment
In an era of digital acceleration where everything can be taken care of at home, how are people going to enjoy the city? Is there a possibility that a paradigm shift will occur, ushering in a new form of entertainment? We’re going to examine how people spend their time indoors and outdoors and discuss new forms of entertainment unique to Tokyo that will induce people to leave their homes.