Akio Takahara is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Tokyo Woman's Christian University, and a MERICS Senior Fellow at the Mercator Institute for China Studies. His research focuses on contemporary Chinese politics and diplomacy, including analyses of Japan—China relations and the Chinese Communist Party. Through research, he aims to contribute to the peace and development of China and East Asia, as well as to provide suggestions for Japan’s foreign policy.
Takahara will be presenting "Japan-China relations: how does Japan cope with the rise of China?"
Some countries, especially those with issues in their relations with China, have come to see Japan as a successful country in dealing with a rising China. Is this really the case? Takahara explores Japan-China relations by adopting an analytical framework that he calls the four-factor model. He looks into four areas of factors, namely, domestic politics, economics, international environment & security, and people's emotions, perceptions and identity. By applying this framework, he analyses the real state of Japan-China relations, and discusses what we need to do to maintain peace in East Asia and beyond.
Manami Hori is currently the director and head of research at the Tokai University European Center, in addition to being a professor at the Department of Health Management at the Faculty of Health Studies at Tokai University. She is also affiliated with University of Copenhagen as a guest researcher/visiting professor at the Department of Public Health.
She has been interested in comparing health care policy development and its performance in terms of quality, cost, and access. Especially with the shortage of human resources and limited public finances in a super-aging society, improving performance should be a very important issue. She has tried to make both state and local policy-making processes more accountable and more evidence-based through research and other activities. Her recent research theme is how to promote digital transformation (DX) in the health and social care sectors. She is also interested in the multiple social factors that influence healthy aging and dementia risks.
Hori will be presenting “Reforming Japan’s Health Care Policy for a Super-Aging Society”.
Japan is aging rapidly, and its society is changing. In addition to demographic changes, the family structure, industrial structure, working environment, and employment environment are undergoing major changes. With the number of people that are working age decreasing, the demand for medical care and long-term care is expected to increase. The question of socio-economic concern is posed on how to balance increasing demands and social burdens. Hori will review policy transformations of the super-aged society in Japan and discuss how domestic aging issues can be global issues, thus discussing the future of health care and the social care-providing system.
