◎Greeting

     

      We will examine the relationship between entertainment and human　aging, both rigorously from an academic viewpoint and with fun at the personal level, using the know-how and skills that Tohoku University has accumulated thus far.
      The Tohoku University Entertainment and Smart Aging Platform was established in August 2009.  The Platform is a voluntary group organized by researchers from various fields including the arts, social sciences, and natural science to pursue new research directions on the basis of free thinking in research fields that deviate slightly from their original specialties, using entertainment and aging as key words. We aim to entice ambitious researchers interested in applying the research achievements in their fields of specialty to something (or research) that is enjoyable and beneficial for society; we run a virtual organization without imposing many restrictions on its members.
      Concretely, in addition to promoting the exchange of information between members via e-mail, we publicly solicit research proposals on campus targeting Platform members, to find research seeds on campus and nurture them into concrete research projects. Four topics were selected and research was started for a period of one year in September 2009.  The first information exchange meeting was held on 14 September 2009. For the time being, we are planning to concentrate on campus activities to strengthen the foundation of the Platform; in the near future, we plan to expand our activities outside the university, such as cooperating with researchers affiliated with other research institutions in Japan and overseas (in-campus opening of Platform) and cooperating with entertainment-related companies in Japan and overseas (joint research between industry and university).
      If you (researchers or corporate individuals) are interested, please feel free to contact the Platform Office.

  

                                                                            

                                                                                                                           October, 2009

                                      Tohoku University entertainment smart & aging platform representative                                                                                                                       Ryuta Kawashima

◎What's Smart Ageing

     We define smart aging as that in which “all individuals and society can mature intellectually while effectively dealing with the changes associated with aging.”  When you hear the word “aging,” you might readily recall “antiaging.”  We never use this term, because the prefix “anti” negates the term following it.  Namely, the idea behind the term antiaging is that aging is unpleasant, miserable, and something many people hope to avoid.  In contrast, we consider “aging” to be a positive thing because our lives are enriched as we get older. 

    

     Therefore, I cannot agree with those who describe aging in negative terms.  However, it is true that some elderly people are active whereas others are not.  We therefore wish to realize the smart aging of individuals by proposing methods to intellectually deal with the changes associated with aging by consciously introducing something new into their daily lives.  In addition, we propose the creation of a community where intellectually mature individuals are connected with each other through their interests and knowledge.  We call such a society an “intellectually connected society.”  We believe that this new concept can give rise to a new ideal model of a mature society, different from conventional societies based on blood relationships or territorial connections.

 

◎Relationship with Smart Ageing and Entertainment

      Entertainment here refers to all types of amusement, such as TV programs, movies, games, theatrical performances, and comic dialogue between two comedians.  These are indispensable for enriching our lives.

  • How does entertainment affect our minds and bodies?
  • Are our minds and bodies energized by consciously enjoying entertainment?
  • Is it possible to create a totally new type of entertainment that can realize smart aging?

    Researchers from various research fields at Tohoku University will address the above questions seriously while still enjoying themselves.