Profile

Professor, Department of Systems Innovation, Osaka University/Robotics Engineer

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Born in 1963 in Shiga Prefecture, he is a professor in the Depa rtment of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka Unive rsity, and a Visiting Director of the ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories (ATR Fellow). In 2017, he received the title of“ Osaka University Distinguished Professor.” He holds a PhD in engineering. Striving to realize robots that feature intelligent systems and operate in society, he has so far developed many robots, including humanoids, androids, and gemin oids, which are copy robots of models. In 2011, he received the Osaka Culture Prize (Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City). In 2015, he also received the Prize for Science an d Technology (Research Category) from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Scie nce and Technology. He is attracting worldwide attention as a researcher on cutting-edge robots.

Business Designer

He is a business designer. After graduating from Kyoto Universi ty, he began his career at Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. (now Panasonic Corp.) as an analyst for company-wide strategic investment decisions. In 1993, he designed and developed Japan's first Intranet. In 1998, he joined a US design consultancy, Ziba, and led numerous innovati ons, including the concept of the world's first USB flash drive. He later became Director of the New Business Planning Group at Panasonic Electric Works, Co., Ltd. and Executive Vice Presi dent of Panasonic Electric Works Laboratory of America, Inc. In 2009, he rejoined Ziba as Director of Strategy. In 2013, he established a business design firm, monogoto, Inc., in the U.S. He has won various awards, including the IDEA gold award. He serves as a judge of Germany’s Red Dot Design Award.

Founder/CEO/Design Strategist, NOSIGNER Co.,LTD./Guest Associate

Professor, Graduate School of System Design and Management,Keio University Striving to realize social design innovation (design that bring s excellent changes to the future), he works on comprehensive design strategies based on the philosophy of designing invisible things. Highly valued worldwide for a method using his deep design insight such as on architecture, graphics, and products, he has so far received more than 50 major design awards including domestic and international honors.

CEO, Crypton Future Media, Inc.

He established Crypton Future Media, Inc. in Sapporo in July 1995 after working for Hokkaido University. Working together with more than 100 business partners around the world, his company distributes more than 30 million sound contents, with the number being one of the largest as such in the world. The company develops services and technologies every day under inspiration from sound, such as DTM software, music distribution aggregators, and 3DCG technologies. The company is also well known for having developed Hatsune Miku . He graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Hokkai-Gakuen University. He also serves as the Chair of the Executive Committee of No Maps, and as a visiting professor of Hokkaido Information University. In 2013, he received the Medal with Blue Ribbon.

Professor, Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, Kobe University

Left the Graduate School of Humanities, Konan University after completing coursework without a degree in its doctoral program, later acquiring a doctoral degree in sociology. After serving as a full-time lecturer in the Faculty of Literature, Otemae University for Women from 1994 to 1997 and associate professor at the Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Science, Hiroshima University from 1997 to 2009, took her current position in 2009. Specializes in cultural anthropology and the study of indigenous peoples. Serves as a number of committees and organizations: member of the Science Council of Japan; member of organizing committee of World Council of Anthorpological Associations. And have served as a specialist researcher of the Research Center for Science System, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, a board member of the Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology among others. Granted a Regional Study Promotion Award by Daido Life Insurance Company in 2011. Her writings include “Anthropology on Gender in Aborigine SocietyIndigenous People, Women and Social Changes” (Sekaishisosha, 2006), “Who is the indigenous ?” (Sekaishisosha, 2010), “Present Condition of Aborigines, Indigenous People in a Multicultural Country, Australia” (Sekaishisosha, 2003) “Study of Oceania” (Kyoto University Press, 2010), and One Road- Art from Aboriginal Australia (Gendaikikakusha, 2016)