We are living in an era of VUCA—Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity—where the pace and magnitude of change in society and information are unprecedented.

In such an unpredictable landscape, how can we advance the SDGs and envision a sustainable future? It is essential to engage in foresight—imagining a wide range of possible scenarios and futures from today’s realities—and to share those visions that emerge from diverse values. Such collective envisioning may lead us to discover new possibilities for our future.

One method to explore such possibilities is the use of “serious games” centered around social issues. Workshops and training programs employing these games effectively facilitate goal-sharing and communication among participants. Mr. Masashi Inui, who leads the project JOY & JOIN, discovered the potential of these games when he participated in the card-based game 2030SDGs. Through communication during the game and reflection on its process and outcomes, he saw how people’s inner awareness was awakened, fostering deep understanding and interest in social issues. He recognized within this process immense possibilities for creating the future.

Workshop using “serious games”

Building on this experience, Mr. Inui has obtained facilitation qualifications for twelve different serious games that address a range of themes such as disaster prevention, aging societies, environmental challenges, well-being, parenting, and democracy—all rooted in the SDGs. He now hosts approximately 100 events annually in collaboration with governments, schools, and communities. The aim of these activities is to cultivate mutual communication and empathy toward diverse opinions. Words spoken from differing perspectives and values can open up new awareness. When people share the same experience, they are more likely to empathize with and accept different viewpoints. Mr. Inui recounts encountering many such moments.

Looking toward 2050, he aims to help create community spaces where local residents—across generations and social positions—can imagine and co-create a shared future. His hope is that participants will experience joy, delight, and empathy, which inspired the project’s name: “JOY & JOIN.” The foundation of this initiative is co-creation and collaboration. By connecting with more people in more places, he strives to foster these interactive spaces through serious games. While the facilitator guides the process, the true protagonists are the participants. What matters is the shared creation of the space itself. Mr. Inui is committed to traveling anywhere the opportunity arises—or initiating engagement himself—to play a role in drawing out learning and insight. By finding empathic companions and fresh ideas in different regions, he seeks to grow this movement, likening the journey to an expansive role-playing game—one that connects present action to future transformation.

The Inochi Forum shares the vision of JOY & JOIN and will actively promote serious games more widely. By enabling more people to simulate sustainable futures, this approach fosters the perspectives needed for the future and strengthens empathy, enhancing the feasibility of realizing a society in which every Inochi unleashes its radiant light.

[References]

・2030SDGs
https://imacocollabo.or.jp/2030sdgs/

・SDGs de Chiho Sosei
https://sdgslocal.jp/

・Flood & Storm Simulation “Fusuigai24”
https://issueplusdesign.jp/fusuigai24/

・SDGs for School
https://www.thinktheearth.net/sdgs/

・Super-Aging Society Experience Game “Community Coping”
https://comcop.jp/

・“Walking Through the World of Dementia”
https://issueplusdesign.jp/dementia_world/

・Decarbonized Community College
https://issueplusdesign.jp/climatechange/college/

・2050 Carbon Neutral
https://www.projectdesign.co.jp/2050-carbon-neutral/

・Forest & Future “Moritomirai”
https://www.projectdesign.co.jp/moritomirai/

・Coral Quest
https://sangoquest.com/

・Demopolly
https://readyfor.jp/projects/118551

・Tsuitsui Cards
https://readyfor.jp/projects/tsui-tsui-card

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