Mini Trip Report: Tokyo, Japan

On route to Kuala Lumpur I stopped in Tokyo to explore next steps for the Japan Node and meet with the senior editorial staff of the Nikkei/Asia Review/Financial Times. Sungjoo Ogino organized a good meeting at the Institute for Future Engineering with Yuji Wada (who is also a representative of the Japan Future Society) Hiroyuki Ohtake, and later the Ryo Hirasawa, President of the Institute joined the several hour meeting that explored options for the Japan Node to explore: adapting the Global Assessment of: 1) the Future of Work/Technology 2050 report; 2) University Student Ambassadors program; 3) International study on anticipatory governance for transition from artificial narrow intelligence to artificial general intelligence; 4) feasibility study of the public’s roles in reducing the SIMAD threat; 5) use of the Global Futures Intelligence System; and 6) content of the State of the Future 19.1 and potential promotion in Japan. In addition of Sungjoo from the Japan Node  participating in the meeting were Dr. Hisao Shibusawa (involved with MP since the feasibility study under the UNU and UNU/WIDER 1992-1995), Prof. Mizuta Kazuo (who did the Japanese full translation of the 2015-16 State of the Future and also involved since the feasibility study), and Hayato Kobayashi (MP research assistant and who has offered to provide the secretariat for the Japan Node).

The background meeting with senior Nikkei editorial staff was quite good and intense covering much of the content of the State of the Future 19.1. we ended with a delightful Japanese dinner.

Next stop Kuala Lumur to speak at the Europe/Asia Blockchain conference organized by Blaz Golob, Chair of the MP East European Node.