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1. Empathy economy, mutual assistance society
・The state of society and economy from before the industrial revolution to the present day
・What future social economy should look like with the information revolution and social acceptance

2.Panel discussion
　Issue 1: How can we achieve “Practice in which citizens choose good companies in terms of investment, donations, consumption, and labor”?
　Issue 2: How to create a “sustainable economy with healthy inflation by passing social impact costs on to prices”
　Isues 3: Creating a concrete path towards ``a society where everyone's lives are saved and shines through a cycle of helping and being helped.

【Reflection】
Initially, established the think tank “Social Solutions Initiative (SSI)” as an Assistant to the President of Osaka University. In 2023, Professor Takuo Domoto, Vice Chair of the Life Conference Project Executive Committee, presented a vision for society centered on “lives in need of support (people, living beings, the Earth).” He emphasized that implementing the session themes “An Economy Based on Empathy” and “A Mutual Aid Society” is essential to realize this vision.
As an overview of these actions, Professor Takeshi Ito of Osaka University SSI first positioned the essence of the economy as the creation of value to support “all” life. He stated this is realized through a virtuous societal cycle driven by consumers, workers, and investors empathizing with and choosing “good companies.” Individuals support companies through purchasing, investment, and employment, while companies return not only profits but also social impact to society. This economic cycle driven by the “power of choice” based on shared values was shown to be the key to building a sustainable society.
From the corporate side, Yohei Yamamoto of KOA Corporation, an electronic component manufacturer originating in the Ina Valley, Nagano, introduced their management approach. This involves borrowing trust (resources) from five stakeholders—customers, business partners, employees and their families, the local community, and shareholders—and circulating it as fruitful outcomes (wages, dividends, and social contributions). This approach demonstrates simultaneous creation of economic and social value, exemplified by domestic production of high-value-added products and regional value creation through foundation and forestry initiatives. From the investment perspective, Renji Hirase of Sustainable Lab Co., Ltd. explained their efforts to digitize non-financial information (human resources, society, environment), enabling corporate evaluation and linking this data to investment decisions. By introducing a “kindness” metric into markets often dominated by short-term profitability, they aim to broaden preference for strong yet compassionate companies. From the citizen perspective, Ms. Yuzuko Shimomura of the certified NPO Environmental Citizens highlighted the potential for ethical consumption—considering environment, human rights, peace, and future generations—to spread awareness among citizens, change purchasing behavior, and ultimately influence markets.

【Post EXPO Initiatives】
As demonstrated in this session, the approach to realizing an empathy economy and mutual aid society by harnessing the power of choice among consumers, workers, investors, businesses, capital, and civil society is not merely idealistic. It is a practical endeavor that establishes market viability through evaluation metrics, lending guidelines, and concrete practices. Together with many like-minded partners, including the speakers of this session, we will actively pursue tangible actions. By creating an empathy-driven economy, we aim to sustainably and steadily generate both economic value and social impact, supporting all lives in need of assistance.

Inochi Forum