126
ical health, being felt needed by society and continuing to be connected to society
is important.
Therefore, the Platinum Society Network started up Platinum Mirai Schools.
These schools are a near-future active learning platform where platinum master
seniors and children full of curiosity learn about sustainable society building through
exciting and top quality ways.
Various topics were considered for teaching at the schools but first of all, a robot
class was begun. It is intended to enlist senior staff through collaboration with local
municipal entities, employment centers for people with special talents or skills, or
by using the alumni network of university teachers. Students at the Platinum Mirai
Schools pay for their tuition monthly and that goes towards the remuneration of the
staff. Through this method, the children attending the schools and their parents, and
the staff members can tackle this initiative as proper work and by setting up a system where the money rotates, it is possible to manage the school in a sustainable
manner instead of some kind of temporary activity.
The schools have been started up in Tokyo and Nagasaki. They will be used as a
model to open further schools nationwide. Classes will expand to include not only
robot classes but also English classes and environmental issues and so on, themes of
a highly social nature.
6.5 Diverse Options and Freedom of Participation
6.5.1 Why Are Bonds Being Sought After Now?
Lifestyles and workstyles are becoming more and more diversified. This also
includes diversification of the connections between society and individuals. As agricultural people, Japanese people have long been connected to land. Beginning with
growing rice, work has had its roots in the local community, leaving no other option
than to belong to the local community group. Anyone who disrupted that unity was
ostracized and could lose their work as well as their domestic base. Not all that long
ago, corporate culture was somewhat close to that. Lifetime employment was the
base for life and participation in company events such as parties, sports days and
company-sponsored recreational trips for employees were practically compulsory.
The local community that was bound together by rice-growing, and companies
from some time ago, were places for forging bonds through group work. An affluent
society was made possible because of the solidarity in such groups. However, now
that people have acquired that affluence, its value has faded. These days, whenever
something occurs, there is a clamor about the importance of bonds but that could be
due to an instinctive feeling of crisis about the disappearance of such bonds.
Bonds are formed when people take part in group work earnestly. If so, then
group work for creating the Platinum Society could take on that role too. These
days, aside from working to earn one’s livelihood, people often have some other
kind of work they do because it gives their life meaning, or else they do something
6 Platinum Industry and a New Society
ical health, being felt needed by society and continuing to be connected to society
is important.
Therefore, the Platinum Society Network started up Platinum Mirai Schools.
These schools are a near-future active learning platform where platinum master
seniors and children full of curiosity learn about sustainable society building through
exciting and top quality ways.
Various topics were considered for teaching at the schools but first of all, a robot
class was begun. It is intended to enlist senior staff through collaboration with local
municipal entities, employment centers for people with special talents or skills, or
by using the alumni network of university teachers. Students at the Platinum Mirai
Schools pay for their tuition monthly and that goes towards the remuneration of the
staff. Through this method, the children attending the schools and their parents, and
the staff members can tackle this initiative as proper work and by setting up a system where the money rotates, it is possible to manage the school in a sustainable
manner instead of some kind of temporary activity.
The schools have been started up in Tokyo and Nagasaki. They will be used as a
model to open further schools nationwide. Classes will expand to include not only
robot classes but also English classes and environmental issues and so on, themes of
a highly social nature.
6.5 Diverse Options and Freedom of Participation
6.5.1 Why Are Bonds Being Sought After Now?
Lifestyles and workstyles are becoming more and more diversified. This also
includes diversification of the connections between society and individuals. As agricultural people, Japanese people have long been connected to land. Beginning with
growing rice, work has had its roots in the local community, leaving no other option
than to belong to the local community group. Anyone who disrupted that unity was
ostracized and could lose their work as well as their domestic base. Not all that long
ago, corporate culture was somewhat close to that. Lifetime employment was the
base for life and participation in company events such as parties, sports days and
company-sponsored recreational trips for employees were practically compulsory.
The local community that was bound together by rice-growing, and companies
from some time ago, were places for forging bonds through group work. An affluent
society was made possible because of the solidarity in such groups. However, now
that people have acquired that affluence, its value has faded. These days, whenever
something occurs, there is a clamor about the importance of bonds but that could be
due to an instinctive feeling of crisis about the disappearance of such bonds.
Bonds are formed when people take part in group work earnestly. If so, then
group work for creating the Platinum Society could take on that role too. These
days, aside from working to earn one’s livelihood, people often have some other
kind of work they do because it gives their life meaning, or else they do something
6 Platinum Industry and a New Society