On Saturday, July 1, 2017, Seijo University’s Institute for Economic Studies held its 83rd symposium, titled “What Should Japan be Doing to Cope With the World of 2050?” The symposium commemorated the institute’s 30th anniversary and Seijo Gakuen Education’s centenary.

“What Should Japan be Doing to Cope with the World of 2050?”

Chair:
Kazumasa Iwata (formerly Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan, now President of the Japan Center for Economic Research)

＜Panelists＞
Yutaka Okada (Senior Economist at the Mizuho Research Institute)
“Japan’s Future Direction as Suggested From Region-Specific Demographic Trends”

Kenzo Yamamoto (Chairman of NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting)
“The Global Economy and Japanese Corporations in the Internet of Things: An Age of Conflict and Compromise Across Industrial Boundaries”

Yasushi Iwamoto (Department of Economics, University of Tokyo)
“Medium- and Long-Term Challenges and Strategies Concerning Fiscal Policy and Finance”



Hosted by: Institute for Economic Studies, Seijo University
Co-hosted by: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Seijo University
The symposium formed part of the MEXT-supported Research Branding Program for Private Universities.

In the first part of the gathering, Kazumasa Iwata communicated the main theme; then, the panelists delivered presentations. In the first presentation, Iwata surveyed five global forecasts for 2050 and highlighted seven issues, including depopulation, climate change, technological innovation (e.g., AI), the risk of financial crises, and geopolitical trends. The presentations from the other panelists discussed Japan’s challenges and outlook with respect to demographic trends, IT innovation, and economic policy.
The second part consisted of a panel discussion. The panelists offered their expert insights on demographic issues (including immigration and the shrinking birthrate), fiscal systems, social welfare, and technological innovation. Thus, the symposium delivered a hard-hitting message: Conventional systems are no longer suited for coping with the dramatic changes occurring around the world, including changes in economic and social trends, and in the ecological environment.