“FUTURE LENS,” a Social and Environmental Co-creation Program by Nikken Sekkei and Zebra & Company: Three Organizations Selected for FY2025 Projects Focused on Healthcare, Regional Management, and Community × City
Three projects have launched in collaboration with Medical Corporation Orange (Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture), Kodaira Co., Ltd. (Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture), and Suichu Co., Ltd. (Kunitachi City, Tokyo)
PRESS RELEASE
2025.05.27
Nikken Sekkei Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Atsushi Omatsu; hereinafter “Nikken Sekkei”) is conducting and managing the “FUTURE LENS” social and environmental co-creation program—which provides support and co-creation opportunities for social entrepreneurs—in collaboration with Zebras and Company, Inc. (pronounced “Zebra and Company”; Headquarters: Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yohei Azagami;Yoshitaka Tabuchi; hereinafter “Z&C”) has selected three companies to participate in “FUTURE LENS,” a social and environmental co-creation program that provides ongoing support and co-creation opportunities for social entrepreneurs. The selection was made following the prescribed screening process.
Through this program, we aim to strongly advance the social implementation of these ventures by visualizing the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs in their businesses and systematizing the value of those ventures.
Through this program, we aim to strongly advance the social implementation of these ventures by visualizing the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs in their businesses and systematizing the value of those ventures.
<The Three Selected Organizations and Their Demonstration Projects>
・Orange Medical Corporation: Demonstrating medical care and community systems that support life across the entire region
・Kodaira Co., Ltd.: Demonstration of a regional management model to realize a sustainable community centered on Hioki City
・Suichu Co., Ltd.: Demonstration project aimed at reinterpreting and developing snack bars as new “third places” in urban areas
・Kodaira Co., Ltd.: Demonstration of a regional management model to realize a sustainable community centered on Hioki City
・Suichu Co., Ltd.: Demonstration project aimed at reinterpreting and developing snack bars as new “third places” in urban areas
Application and Selection Overview
In this inaugural year, we received preliminary entries from 111 companies nationwide and formal applications from 56 companies. Following a document screening process, 12 companies were selected for the final round. We held a pitch review session on “PYNT,” a co-creation platform operated by Nikken Sekkei, and selected the winning companies.
During the document screening, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation based on criteria such as alignment with Nikken Sekkei’s “Social Environment Design” philosophy, consistency with PYNT’s vision for “the future of the ideal city,” impact on the local community and society, and the model’s versatility and scalability.
Subsequently, we conducted individual interviews with all 12 shortlisted companies. After deepening their understanding of the value proposition offered by Nikken Sekkei and PYNT, we asked them to review their pilot plans and then present them at the pitch review session. In the final selection round, we comprehensively evaluated factors such as: (1) whether the selected companies could take the lead and deliver results; (2) whether specific Nikken Sekkei mentors could be assigned to facilitate collaboration; and (3) the diversity of the selected themes (i.e., whether there was any bias). Based on these criteria, we selected the final three companies as the successful applicants.
Through this selection process, we also had the opportunity to gain many new insights, such as perspectives on envisioning the future of our communities and the potential to create new value for cities and regions. Furthermore, we forged new connections with all applicants and had encounters that will serve as the first step toward new co-creation initiatives.Moving forward, we will work with these three companies to advance pilot studies, build systems that address social challenges in each region, and aim to create new value for the cities of the future.
During the document screening, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation based on criteria such as alignment with Nikken Sekkei’s “Social Environment Design” philosophy, consistency with PYNT’s vision for “the future of the ideal city,” impact on the local community and society, and the model’s versatility and scalability.
Subsequently, we conducted individual interviews with all 12 shortlisted companies. After deepening their understanding of the value proposition offered by Nikken Sekkei and PYNT, we asked them to review their pilot plans and then present them at the pitch review session. In the final selection round, we comprehensively evaluated factors such as: (1) whether the selected companies could take the lead and deliver results; (2) whether specific Nikken Sekkei mentors could be assigned to facilitate collaboration; and (3) the diversity of the selected themes (i.e., whether there was any bias). Based on these criteria, we selected the final three companies as the successful applicants.
Through this selection process, we also had the opportunity to gain many new insights, such as perspectives on envisioning the future of our communities and the potential to create new value for cities and regions. Furthermore, we forged new connections with all applicants and had encounters that will serve as the first step toward new co-creation initiatives.Moving forward, we will work with these three companies to advance pilot studies, build systems that address social challenges in each region, and aim to create new value for the cities of the future.
<The 12 Companies Selected for the Final Round>
FUTURE LENS 2025: About the Three Selected Companies
1. Orange Medical Corporation
<Business Activities>
Under the theme “Making People’s Lives ‘Be Happy!’,” the Orange Orange Group Medical Corporation operates businesses spanning food, clothing, and housing, with home-based medical care as its foundation, across three prefectures in Japan. As a medical corporation, it operates four home-based medical clinics, including “Hocchi’s Lodge” (Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture), which features a clinic and a large kitchen.We also operate day care centers for children requiring medical care (Fukui, Nagano), chair craft workshops (Ishikawa, Fukui), “Everyone’s Health Room” facilities (two locations in Fukui), café businesses (two locations in Fukui), and a special nursing home for the elderly (Fukui).As part of our approach to community and town development, we have stepped outside the confines of traditional healthcare to create environments that offer the highest level of accessibility in the region. This includes repurposing vacant homes, collaborating with newly established educational institutions, operating restaurants, providing “Community Health Rooms” in shopping districts for over a decade, planning park development, and providing disaster relief.Then, in 2024, we entered into a tripartite partnership agreement—a rare example nationwide—between a local government, a municipal hospital, and a private medical corporation. We will demonstrate what changes in the relationship between community development and healthcare can bring about.
<Planned Demonstration Themes>
Under the theme of “Integrating end-of-life care into community development,” we will conduct demonstrations and research on the implementation of our partnership agreement with Karuizawa Town and Karuizawa Hospital.Drawing on Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in urban design, we will work together to establish a model for a community-wide healthcare system that supports life, as well as a framework to foster shifts in the attitudes and behaviors of both medical professionals and local residents toward its implementation, with the goal of achieving social implementation in Karuizawa Town.
<Comments from the Selected Company>
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for selecting our medical corporation, Orange Orange Group, for the first phase of “FUTURE LENS.” We aim to open up the medical frontlines—which, due to their high level of specialization, have rarely been discussed—in an unprecedented way, creating a new form of regional industry that combines social and economic value, transcending traditional business models, and evolving from isolated points to interconnected lines and ultimately a three-dimensional network.We will carry out our initiatives to draw out the innate resilience of people navigating the process of living and aging, and to fundamentally support the joy of living for as many people as possible, regardless of their circumstances.
<Comment from Nikken Sekkei>
We were deeply impressed by the approach that views healthcare and long-term care not as confined solely to “medical and welfare facilities” or “healthcare professionals,” but rather as something that engages with all local resources—such as vacant homes, shopping districts, and parks—to support “aging” within the flexibility of the town and daily life.In particular, we strongly resonate with—and have high hopes for—the approach in which healthcare professionals themselves take the lead in community development, redefining local areas and communities to create a society where the “end of life” is supported by the entire community. We look forward to exploring new points of intersection between healthcare and community development that leverage the unique context of Karuizawa, while also examining the potential for expanding this model to other regions.
Under the theme “Making People’s Lives ‘Be Happy!’,” the Orange Orange Group Medical Corporation operates businesses spanning food, clothing, and housing, with home-based medical care as its foundation, across three prefectures in Japan. As a medical corporation, it operates four home-based medical clinics, including “Hocchi’s Lodge” (Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture), which features a clinic and a large kitchen.We also operate day care centers for children requiring medical care (Fukui, Nagano), chair craft workshops (Ishikawa, Fukui), “Everyone’s Health Room” facilities (two locations in Fukui), café businesses (two locations in Fukui), and a special nursing home for the elderly (Fukui).As part of our approach to community and town development, we have stepped outside the confines of traditional healthcare to create environments that offer the highest level of accessibility in the region. This includes repurposing vacant homes, collaborating with newly established educational institutions, operating restaurants, providing “Community Health Rooms” in shopping districts for over a decade, planning park development, and providing disaster relief.Then, in 2024, we entered into a tripartite partnership agreement—a rare example nationwide—between a local government, a municipal hospital, and a private medical corporation. We will demonstrate what changes in the relationship between community development and healthcare can bring about.
<Planned Demonstration Themes>
Under the theme of “Integrating end-of-life care into community development,” we will conduct demonstrations and research on the implementation of our partnership agreement with Karuizawa Town and Karuizawa Hospital.Drawing on Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in urban design, we will work together to establish a model for a community-wide healthcare system that supports life, as well as a framework to foster shifts in the attitudes and behaviors of both medical professionals and local residents toward its implementation, with the goal of achieving social implementation in Karuizawa Town.
<Comments from the Selected Company>
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for selecting our medical corporation, Orange Orange Group, for the first phase of “FUTURE LENS.” We aim to open up the medical frontlines—which, due to their high level of specialization, have rarely been discussed—in an unprecedented way, creating a new form of regional industry that combines social and economic value, transcending traditional business models, and evolving from isolated points to interconnected lines and ultimately a three-dimensional network.We will carry out our initiatives to draw out the innate resilience of people navigating the process of living and aging, and to fundamentally support the joy of living for as many people as possible, regardless of their circumstances.
<Comment from Nikken Sekkei>
We were deeply impressed by the approach that views healthcare and long-term care not as confined solely to “medical and welfare facilities” or “healthcare professionals,” but rather as something that engages with all local resources—such as vacant homes, shopping districts, and parks—to support “aging” within the flexibility of the town and daily life.In particular, we strongly resonate with—and have high hopes for—the approach in which healthcare professionals themselves take the lead in community development, redefining local areas and communities to create a society where the “end of life” is supported by the entire community. We look forward to exploring new points of intersection between healthcare and community development that leverage the unique context of Karuizawa, while also examining the potential for expanding this model to other regions.
2. Kodaira Co., Ltd.
<Business Overview>
A regional trading company headquartered in Kagoshima Prefecture with a 113-year history. The company operates in a diverse range of sectors, including energy (LPG, electricity), international trade, IT software development, and gas station operations. It conducts business not only in Kagoshima and Kyushu but also globally, spanning North and Central America, Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the EU.
We have designated the three-year period beginning in 2022—the year we celebrated our 110th anniversary—as our “Fourth Founding Period.” Taking the relocation of our headquarters to the Yunomoto district of Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, as an opportunity, we are also working to forge new relationships between the company and the local community as a “new long-established company.”To transform Yunomoto into a town we can proudly present to the world in collaboration with local authorities, we have also been actively engaged in infrastructure initiatives such as the development of vacant properties and the renovation of facilities.
<Planned Pilot Project Themes>
Set in the Yunomoto district of Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture—a hot spring town where many businesses have shuttered—we will uncover local resources and utilize technology to develop a town concept and new business initiatives.Leveraging Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in urban area development and vision planning—areas where the firm excels—as well as its perspective on social and environmental design, we will jointly demonstrate and build a model for regional management aimed at transforming the entire Yunomoto area into an attractive region that can be proudly showcased to the world.
<Comments from the Selected Company>
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for being selected for the “FUTURE LENS” program. As we mark our 113th anniversary, our company aims—under the banner of our “Fourth Founding Era”—to reimagine Yunomoto through the integration of “local resources and technology” and evolve it into a hot spring town that we can proudly present to the world.With Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in social and environmental design and the hands-on support of Zebras and Company, we will integrate existing assets—including vacant house renovations and energy projects—to demonstrate a model of local innovation that anyone can pursue.We are committed to working with passion and a sense of responsibility to ensure that this initiative, originating in a regional community, spreads to promote sustainable urban development throughout Japan and around the world.
<Comment from Nikken Sekkei>
We saw great potential in the approach taken by this long-established company—with over 110 years of history—to drive urban development with a broad perspective and bold vision.By combining Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in architecture and urban planning with Kodaira Co., Ltd.’s strong execution and implementation capabilities—rooted in deep local connections and trust—we aim to elevate the initiatives undertaken in Hioki City to a new level and jointly create a new model for regional revitalization and local development that can be shared nationwide and globally.
A regional trading company headquartered in Kagoshima Prefecture with a 113-year history. The company operates in a diverse range of sectors, including energy (LPG, electricity), international trade, IT software development, and gas station operations. It conducts business not only in Kagoshima and Kyushu but also globally, spanning North and Central America, Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the EU.
We have designated the three-year period beginning in 2022—the year we celebrated our 110th anniversary—as our “Fourth Founding Period.” Taking the relocation of our headquarters to the Yunomoto district of Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, as an opportunity, we are also working to forge new relationships between the company and the local community as a “new long-established company.”To transform Yunomoto into a town we can proudly present to the world in collaboration with local authorities, we have also been actively engaged in infrastructure initiatives such as the development of vacant properties and the renovation of facilities.
<Planned Pilot Project Themes>
Set in the Yunomoto district of Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture—a hot spring town where many businesses have shuttered—we will uncover local resources and utilize technology to develop a town concept and new business initiatives.Leveraging Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in urban area development and vision planning—areas where the firm excels—as well as its perspective on social and environmental design, we will jointly demonstrate and build a model for regional management aimed at transforming the entire Yunomoto area into an attractive region that can be proudly showcased to the world.
<Comments from the Selected Company>
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for being selected for the “FUTURE LENS” program. As we mark our 113th anniversary, our company aims—under the banner of our “Fourth Founding Era”—to reimagine Yunomoto through the integration of “local resources and technology” and evolve it into a hot spring town that we can proudly present to the world.With Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in social and environmental design and the hands-on support of Zebras and Company, we will integrate existing assets—including vacant house renovations and energy projects—to demonstrate a model of local innovation that anyone can pursue.We are committed to working with passion and a sense of responsibility to ensure that this initiative, originating in a regional community, spreads to promote sustainable urban development throughout Japan and around the world.
<Comment from Nikken Sekkei>
We saw great potential in the approach taken by this long-established company—with over 110 years of history—to drive urban development with a broad perspective and bold vision.By combining Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in architecture and urban planning with Kodaira Co., Ltd.’s strong execution and implementation capabilities—rooted in deep local connections and trust—we aim to elevate the initiatives undertaken in Hioki City to a new level and jointly create a new model for regional revitalization and local development that can be shared nationwide and globally.
3. Suichu Co., Ltd.
<Business Activities>
We are revitalizing the approximately 80,000 snack bars and bars across Japan—nighttime social venues—to create “third places” where a diverse range of people, including young people and women, can feel comfortable stopping by regardless of generation or background. Our goal is to foster connections between people and rebuild local communities within each neighborhood.
Since our founding in 2022, we have been working to improve our branding by documenting the personalized service practices of snack bars through our store operations in Kunitachi City, developing a system for team-managed snack bars, and promoting the new value and appeal of these establishments.
<Planned Pilot Themes>
If a coffee shop is a “third place” that provides “a quiet, self-regulated space,” then a snack bar can be described as a “conversation-generating third place” that offers “a relaxed, emotionally engaging space where people are gently drawn in.”In this project, we aim to visualize community building and achieve social implementation by creating a new model for team-managed snack bars that do not rely on “Mama” personnel.To create new spaces for interaction within local communities, we will collaborate to design buildings that leverage Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in architectural design, standardize and systematize store operations, and develop a new “third-place” model that can be replicated in other regions while taking the entire area into consideration.
<Comments from the Selected Company>
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for being selected for the “FUTURE LENS” program. We are deeply honored to have been given this opportunity to deepen our business based on the expertise of Nikken Sekkei and Zebra & Company, especially as a newly founded company like ours.
With estimates indicating that approximately half of all Japanese households will be single-person households by 2050, we aim to become infrastructure that supports the society of the future by rediscovering and updating the value of “snack bars” as places where people gather, converse, and share laughter. We will use this opportunity as a springboard to further advance our efforts.
<Comment from Nikken Sekkei>
We saw the potential for “snacks”—a uniquely Japanese social cultural resource found nationwide—to serve as a “new public space” in cities by reinterpreting them as urban “third places” and reexamining the connections necessary for modern society.This initiative—which seeks to create spaces accessible to everyone while reconstructing the value of “snack bars” as local resources—is also an experiment that explores what social functions are needed to revitalize urban functions that tend to become uniform and anonymous, and what such spaces should be like as shared assets. We look forward to collaborating on this project, which aims to redefine the relationship between cities and people.
We are revitalizing the approximately 80,000 snack bars and bars across Japan—nighttime social venues—to create “third places” where a diverse range of people, including young people and women, can feel comfortable stopping by regardless of generation or background. Our goal is to foster connections between people and rebuild local communities within each neighborhood.
Since our founding in 2022, we have been working to improve our branding by documenting the personalized service practices of snack bars through our store operations in Kunitachi City, developing a system for team-managed snack bars, and promoting the new value and appeal of these establishments.
<Planned Pilot Themes>
If a coffee shop is a “third place” that provides “a quiet, self-regulated space,” then a snack bar can be described as a “conversation-generating third place” that offers “a relaxed, emotionally engaging space where people are gently drawn in.”In this project, we aim to visualize community building and achieve social implementation by creating a new model for team-managed snack bars that do not rely on “Mama” personnel.To create new spaces for interaction within local communities, we will collaborate to design buildings that leverage Nikken Sekkei’s expertise in architectural design, standardize and systematize store operations, and develop a new “third-place” model that can be replicated in other regions while taking the entire area into consideration.
<Comments from the Selected Company>
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for being selected for the “FUTURE LENS” program. We are deeply honored to have been given this opportunity to deepen our business based on the expertise of Nikken Sekkei and Zebra & Company, especially as a newly founded company like ours.
With estimates indicating that approximately half of all Japanese households will be single-person households by 2050, we aim to become infrastructure that supports the society of the future by rediscovering and updating the value of “snack bars” as places where people gather, converse, and share laughter. We will use this opportunity as a springboard to further advance our efforts.
<Comment from Nikken Sekkei>
We saw the potential for “snacks”—a uniquely Japanese social cultural resource found nationwide—to serve as a “new public space” in cities by reinterpreting them as urban “third places” and reexamining the connections necessary for modern society.This initiative—which seeks to create spaces accessible to everyone while reconstructing the value of “snack bars” as local resources—is also an experiment that explores what social functions are needed to revitalize urban functions that tend to become uniform and anonymous, and what such spaces should be like as shared assets. We look forward to collaborating on this project, which aims to redefine the relationship between cities and people.
Comments from Those Involved
Comments from Nikken Sekkei Ltd. Executive Officer Principal, Innovation Design Center Takayuki Ishikawa
To all the selected companies, rather than saying “Congratulations,” I feel it’s more sincere to say “Thank you.”
I am thrilled to think that such a wonderful collaboration is about to begin, addressing themes, challenges, and communities that we have rarely been able to tackle through our day-to-day work. I look forward to taking on the challenge of shaping the future of our town together, drawing on the experience we have cultivated in architecture and urban planning. I look forward to working with you all.
I am thrilled to think that such a wonderful collaboration is about to begin, addressing themes, challenges, and communities that we have rarely been able to tackle through our day-to-day work. I look forward to taking on the challenge of shaping the future of our town together, drawing on the experience we have cultivated in architecture and urban planning. I look forward to working with you all.
Comment from Yohei Azagami, CEO of Zebras and Company
Congratulations to all the selected companies. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to meet these three companies that are tackling regional challenges in the fields of healthcare, regional management, and community development. Through the two-year FUTURE LENS program, I hope we can explore and implement ways to connect business with solutions to social issues, and together envision new possibilities for our cities and daily lives.
About the “FUTURE LENS” Social and Environmental Co-creation Program
About Nikken Sekkei
Nikken Sekkei is a professional services firm engaged in architectural and civil engineering design and supervision, urban design, and related survey, planning, and consulting services.For 120 years since our founding in 1900, we have been committed to creating value through “Social and Environmental Design,” which seeks solutions to both apparent and latent social issues, in order to meet the needs of society and the diverse requests of our clients.To date, we have been involved in a wide range of projects in Japan, China, ASEAN, and the Middle East, and in recent years, we have expanded our operations to India and Europe. In March 2021, we issued a “Climate Emergency Declaration” as part of our efforts toward a decarbonized society.
About Zebras and Company, Inc. (Zebras and Company)
Under the theme “Different Scale, Different Future” (If we have a new yardstick, new growth will emerge and a new future can be created), we are a company that provides investment and management support with the goal of creating a “kind, healthy, and joyful society” where everyone can take on the challenge of solving social issues and achieving sustainable, healthy corporate management.Through investment and management support, collaboration with government agencies and financial institutions, and research and outreach regarding “Zebra Companies,” we are systematizing Zebra-style management. Our goal is to create a world where the concept of “Zebra Companies” is implemented across all businesses, thereby expanding the possibilities for new business models.
Contact Information
株式会社日建設計 広報室 TEL：03-5226-3030（代表） E-mail：webmaster@nikken.jp
SHARE
