On Friday, February 21, 2025,Support for sustainable decision-making and arrangements that preserve dignity for everyone during and after life" project. The event was aimed at discussing the issue together with people from companies and related organizations that support decision-making among the elderly.
The speakers at this event were project representative Satoshi Kodama (Professor, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University) and researcher Kanae Sawamura (Senior Specialist, Center for Emergence Strategy, Japan Research Institute, Ltd.). In the talk session following the presentations by the two speakers in the first half of the program, real-time opinions were collected from participants using an online survey tool.
In this article, we will tell you about the event and what it was like.
Lecture: Decision-making for surviving and supporting the elderly in the era of individuality and solitude / Kanae Sawamura, Researcher (Senior Specialist, Center for Emergent Strategy, Japan Research Institute, Ltd.)
We make decisions in every aspect of our lives and take action to carry out those decisions. As we get older, it becomes more difficult to make decisions and take action, and we become more dependent on support from those around us. Supporters choose answers on behalf of the person while guessing their will and values, but since the decision is made by a proxy and not the person themselves, it is difficult to know whether the decision is correct or not. Researcher Sawamura raised the keyword "consistency" as an important point to consider when making decisions. He presented the idea that it may be permissible to guess someone's will by referring to their life up to now, as long as it maintains consistency.
Lecture: Decision-making support for self-destruction and its challenges / Professor Satoshi Kodama (Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters)
Dr. Kodama explained what decision-making is, how it is best to make it, and what challenges there are in providing support. In principle, everyone should make their own decisions about themselves. However, on the other hand, there are challenges in supporting decision-making, such as the individual's ability to make decisions and their living environment. There are many things to decide, the individual's ability to make decisions is questionable, or they are "living alone"... When it comes to making decisions to end one's life, Dr. Kodama presented two opposing values: "Notonare-ha" (those who think "whatever happens, happens") and "Tatsutori-ha" (those who try to "leave no trace behind"). He spoke about the importance of taking the stance of the Tatsutori-ha when preparing for one's life, which tends to be put off.
Panel discussion
The panel discussion portion was moderated by Taihei Sonoko, researcher and incubation producer at the Emergence Strategy Center of the Japan Research Institute, Ltd. The discussion topic was the concerns participants had when they applied. Participants exchanged opinions using an online survey tool, and the two speakers also shared practical advice and introduced previous examples. It was an opportunity for participants to come into contact with people they don't normally have contact with, and was well received by everyone.
At this event, we received a lot of real feedback from people who attended both in person and online. SMBC Kyoto University Studio will continue to set up regular opportunities to promote dialogue with you all. If you are interested, please check the event information.
