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Today, we can see people from long distances more frequently through the power of transportation and communication. The evolution and diversification of mobility enable us to travel to and stay in more places than ever before. More and more people now recognize diversity, and it is now possible and required for each person to live according to their own style.
The meaning of mobility and place is changing and will even differ in 2050. Then, what do we want, and what can we do? Finding a single answer to this question is difficult, though we can consider some possible futures based on our experiences, observations, and expectations.
In this session, we will engage in a collaborative discussion about the scenes in 2050 and their challenges, interweaving the perspectives of practitioners of various initiatives and people who live on.

【Reflection】
In this program 'Where will we live and with whom will we talk? 2050 scene: Agenda 2025 co-created program,' dialogue was conducted to explore how our ways of living, relationships with others, and the meaning of regions and places will transform in a future society with increased freedom of mobility.

The first session questioned the potential meanings that community and mobility, the main themes of this symposium, might hold in the future, while introducing the research findings of 'Future Community and Mobility' conducted by moderators Mineko Imanishi and Tsukasa Ishizawa as part of their 'Research on Future Social Design.' Based on their research, they presented potential lifestyles in 2050 and outlined a roadmap of conceivable social and technological developments that could lead to those lifestyles.

The second session featured three speakers with different perspectives, introducing their practical activities and engaging in dialogue about our ways of living and the meaning of place.

Yoshikazu Nango from Hosei University, specializing in sociology and architectural/urban theory, introduced the formation process of urban solitary spaces and their redefinition during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the accompanying transitions in loneliness, isolation, and family structures, viewing the current situation as a reconstruction of the relationship between urban and residential functions. Expanding his perspective globally to touch on nomadism and Sinti lifestyles, he noted that mobility involves not only actively 'doing' but also being 'made to do,' while emphasizing that despite this, considering the fundamental nature of clothing, food, and shelter that cannot be moved, there is a need for imagination and sociological imagination that transcends scales regarding the 'now' and 'here.'

Keywords: Sociological imagination/Urban solitary spaces/Capsule hotels/Loneliness, isolation, care/Super-family, non-human/Micromobility/Re-internalization of housing functions/New Babylon/Total gamification/Nomadism/Bottom-up collective creation/Roma/Sinti

Social activist Saki Kondo, who creates places of belonging in communities based in Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, operates a base in Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, where she herself relocated. Valuing the 'in-between' (awai) where separated things blend, she introduced her real experience of 'coming to love a place by living there' by creating work and convenience for herself. Based on the tangible sense that 'there are opportunities for involvement when you come and see,' through developments such as cafes and medium- to long-term accommodation facilities, she presented the perspective of 'loosening boundaries' so that people can choose multiple bases and engage with communities, while also 'inheriting the local character.'

Keywords: In-between (awai)/Coming to love by living there/Opportunities for involvement/Buffer zone/Cultural choice/Loosening boundaries/Inheriting local character

Yusuke Murakami, known as “the man who is closest to Mars in Japan,” who has practiced staying in Antarctic and Martian environments, has experienced 'anti-mobility' - long-term stays in isolated environments, unlike adventurers who advance alone. He spoke from experience about how, in long-term residences, there is no appropriate mental distance between people, and team relationships gradually shift from something to be built to something to be repaired. In survival environments, becoming numb is the most dangerous thing, and he emphasized the importance of practicing 'more than habit, less than custom' to maintain mental health by 'familiarizing,' 'incorporating,' or 'dispelling' the 'sense of foreignness' that mixes into relationships.

Keywords: Analog twin/Polar law/Team members/Sense of foreignness/Habits and customs/Survival and clusters of restraint/Sense of turning point/Comfort within groups/Maintaining basics/Rules of living

This symposium provided an opportunity to consider the nature of 'belonging' and 'mobility' in a diversifying society, drawing on practitioners with advanced approaches and perspectives. While examining the diverse possibilities of community and mobility, we hope this serves as a starting point for contemplating the future possibilities for ourselves and the next generation, and thinking together.