{"id":175992,"date":"2026-02-10T15:29:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T06:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/?post_type=event&p=175992&lang=en"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:57:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T07:57:18","slug":"thursday-gathering-59","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/event\/thursday-gathering-59\/","title":{"rendered":"Thursday Gathering #59: Inclusive Cities, Energy Innovation & Women Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Explore how inclusive design, sustainable energy, and women-led social innovation are shaping the future of cities and communities. From startup and social impact pitches to a Hitachi-led discussion on mobility infrastructure, Thursday Gathering #59 brings together changemakers from industry, academia, and civil society for an evening of ideas, dialogue, and connection.
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\nDate and Time<\/strong>: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 16:00 to 20:00
\nLocation<\/strong>: ONE FUKUOKA BLDG. 6F SKYLOBBY
\nAdmission<\/strong>: Free (registration required)
\nRegistration & details<\/strong>: Event website<\/a> (Japanese)<\/p>\n

Event Highlights (In-person only):<\/h3>\n

16:00 \u2013 20:00
\nNetworking<\/strong>
\nThursday Gathering\u2019s signature networking runs throughout the event, offering a relaxed environment for business, collaboration, and community building. Participants can enjoy up to three complimentary beers or soft drinks while connecting with fellow attendees, session speakers, and guest experts. This is a valuable opportunity to continue discussions after sessions and build new relationships within the Venture Caf\u00e9 Fukuoka community.
\nMore info<\/a><\/em>: Japanese<\/p>\n

16:00 \u2013 16:50
\nJWLI Bootcamp 2025 Demo Day: Women Leaders Pitching Social Impact<\/strong>
\nThis session features three graduates from the Japanese Women\u2019s Leadership Initiative (JWLI) Bootcamp, a leadership development program for women addressing social challenges. Selected participants present initiatives grounded in on-the-ground experience and regional impact:
\n\u2022 Yumi Egashira, NPO Socio no Mori: Expanding \u201csocio-esthetics\u201d care for hospital patients and people receiving in-home medical treatment.
\n\u2022 Shiho Shiomi, Keichiku Toiro: Supporting children experiencing school refusal and creating inclusive community spaces.
\n\u2022 Kayo Toyofuku, Social Work Fukuoka Inc.: Realizing a future where social workers are accessible within everyday living environments.<\/p>\n

Through these pitches, speakers share insights into local challenges, community-driven solutions, and efforts to build a society where everyone can live authentically and with dignity.
\nMore info<\/a><\/em>: Japanese<\/p>\n

17:00 \u2013 17:15
\nHow to Enjoy Thursday Gathering<\/strong>
\nThis short, interactive introduction explains Venture Caf\u00e9 Fukuoka\u2019s weekly signature event, Thursday Gathering. Learn about the community\u2019s mission, how the program is structured, and why building meaningful connections matters. This session is held every week and is ideal for first-time participants.
\nMore info<\/a><\/em>: Japanese<\/p>\n

17:00 \u2013 18:00
\nInteractive Learning Series 03: Create<\/strong>
\nLocation: Sub-session Area (next to REC COFFEE)
\nHosted by Empowered by Industry (EBI), this third session of the Innovation Learning Series (ILS) focuses on transforming validated problems into testable solutions. Participants will sketch solution concepts, build focused prototypes around key user actions, and explore AI-enabled tools such as vibe coding for rapid ideation. The session emphasizes eliminating unnecessary features, iterating through observation, and converting ideas into practical, engagement-driven outputs.
\nMore info<\/a><\/em>: Japanese<\/p>\n

18:30 \u2013 19:20
\nImplementing Inclusive Cities: The Future of Mobility Infrastructure<\/strong>
\nCities thrive when people, places, and activities connect seamlessly. This session examines inclusive urban development and the mobility infrastructure needed to support it.<\/p>\n

The discussion begins with perspectives on inclusive design from Professor Hirai of Kyushu University, followed by insights from Mr. Hidaka of Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd. (Nishitetsu), who is advancing next-generation transportation systems, and Mr. Fukumaru, a designer at Hitachi, Ltd., who led the \u201cFuture City\u201d concept for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.<\/p>\n

Together, the speakers explore a paradigm shift from expanding what technology can do to expanding what people can do, offering a vision of urban and mobility systems that move beyond conventional smart city frameworks.
\nMore info<\/a><\/em>: Japanese<\/p>\n

Organized by: Venture Caf\u00e9 Fukuoka<\/strong>
\nLanguages: Japanese and\/or English (varies by session)
\nAll sessions are in-person only. Pre-registration is required via the event website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Explore how inclusive design, sustainable energy, and women-led social innovation are shaping the future of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30292,"featured_media":175990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"class_list":["post-175992","event","type-event","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-chuo-ku","event-type-community","event-type-seminar","en-US"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event\/175992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/event"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}