Professor, College of Sustainability and Tourism
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Tackling Social Problems in Regional Japan through ICT and Wisdom
Categories:
Information ScienceSociologyEducational technology
#Regional revitalization#Transmission of agricultural techniques#International human resources#ICT#AI
Overview
Using information and communication technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to connect people with one another and with field expertise, and unlock new solutions to address problems surrounding regional agriculture
Japan as a whole is facing issues such as population decline, a low birthrate coupled with an aging population, and resulting shortages of workers and business successors. Many of these issues are overlapping and manifesting concurrently, particularly in the field of regional agriculture, which is also contending with a diverse range of challenges such as the transmission of technical skills, the preservation of local communities, the employment of international workers, and the management of abandoned farmland.
I have lived and conducted research in Japan for roughly 25 years, and maintained an interest in the aforementioned issues during this period. As an IT researcher with agricultural experience in Sri Lanka, my native country, I have engaged in deep exchanges with Japanese farmers on many occasions. Drawing on the insights gained from such experiences, I have continued to research core issues affecting regional agriculture that cannot be resolved through digitalization or ICT alone.
At present, I have commenced practical research for a new project, in which I am harnessing the expertise, technology, and human network cultivated in different fields throughout this research to date. The project, which is based in the Osumi Peninsula of Kagoshima Prefecture, aims to create a new agricultural framework that connects people, communities, agricultural techniques, and field expertise through ICT and AI solutions. It brings together seasoned farmers, young overseas personnel from Sri Lanka, and Generation Z youth from the local community.
In this new project, ICT is utilized as a tool to facilitate these connections. The tacit knowledge of seasoned farmers is carefully digitalized to enable its transmission, thereby transcending the boundaries of language and culture. The insights of overseas experts are also shared in real time to support new ventures. The goal is to nurture international and young talent, and provide an environment where these human resources can engage in agriculture with confidence. ICT solutions tailored to such settings are being developed.
In this environment, outstanding farmers in their late 70s are welcoming international human resources in their twenties as new apprentices, and transmitting their techniques and field expertise. Furthermore, the nurtured young talent put their skills into practice at new farmlands that were turned from abandoned fields. Such developments are beginning to unfold, accompanied by a tangible sense of progress.
This initiative has already garnered the attention of other regions, and is beginning to take root in new areas. Going forward, the potential of this project will continue to expand as a new model for regional revitalization that shines a light on various social problems affecting Japan’s regional areas.
Sensor-based and AI solutions support precision agriculture. They are utilized to monitor cultivation environments, and the resulting data is analyzed while cross-referencing with practical insights accumulated by seasoned farmers. In this way, the tacit knowledge of such experts is digitalized, and transmitted to the younger generation, thereby transcending the boundaries of language and culture.
Novelty/Originality
Developing a new methodology for regional revitalization by fusing the latest technologies with field expertise
The originality of this research project not only lies in the research, development, or implementation of ICT solutions, but also stems from its comprehensive approach to solving various social issues manifesting in regional areas and striving to achieve revitalization and sustainable development while aligning closely with the perspectives of local residents.
To this end, ICT solutions are introduced with a deep understanding of on-the-ground realities. For example, IoT-based sensor technology is utilized to monitor cultivation environments, serving as a complement to the keen observations of seasoned farmers. The resulting data is analyzed while cross-referencing with practical insights accumulated by such experts. Furthermore, tacit knowledge accumulated over years of experience through analysis of agricultural journals and observational data is codified and transformed into transferable knowledge that transcends linguistic and cultural barriers. In addition, I provide technological support through the establishment of an expert network, taking advantage of crowdsourcing. This has enabled the incorporation of insights from international agricultural experts into the cultivation of new crops.
On the human resources training front, I am also developing unique initiatives. I utilize ICT and AI solutions in job placement support for, and training of, international talent in Japan. As for Japanese language education, which is a crucial factor for long-term settlement and retention, I have jointly developed a Japanese language education platform with a venture company. I have already attracted tens of thousands of users, and target further growth in the future. I aim to have the platform serve not only as a tool for language learning, but also as a space to deepen understanding of Japan’s farming culture and techniques.
Another distinctive feature of the research project is that, as the principal investigator, I have a broad perspective on Asia and am proactive in my research. Rather than addressing Japan’s regional and agricultural challenges from a solely domestic perspective, the goal is to provide solutions through exchanges of human resources, technologies, and agricultural products across various Asian countries. This illustrates the breadth and reach of the project.
I have jointly developed the Japanese language education platform, WoW Academy, with a venture company. Japanese language education is critical to ensure the long-term settlement and retention of international human resources, and we aim to provide education that is tailored to each international worker.
Efforts towards Community Outreach
New agriculture and regional revitalization are emerging through industry-academia-government collaboration, ICT, and AI
In order to implement the outcomes of this research project in society, I am actively pursuing the following types of partnerships.
In terms of collaboration with local communities, I am conducting a pilot project in the Osumi Peninsula of Kagoshima Prefecture, building on the deep trust cultivated with local farmers to welcome agricultural human resources from Sri Lanka (Specified Skilled Workers [Agriculture]). I am conducting comprehensive initiatives leveraging ICT and AI solutions, including the transfer of techniques from seasoned farmers, the introduction of new crops, cultivation management with the help of IoT, and support for the settlement of international workers.
This model has garnered attention from other regions, and I have commenced a new government-collaborative project in Sukumo City, Kochi Prefecture. I am moving forward with a plan to offer assistance in both technology and personnel development, focusing on the cultivation of buntan (also known as pomelo: a citrus fruit)—the city’s principal crop—and strawberries as a new crop. Going forward, I aim to deploy such collaborative initiatives to regions that face various challenges nationwide.
I have also already started collaborating with a venture company. Through a partnership with WoW SPACE Corporation, a venture company with roots in Keio University, I am raising capital through crowd funding and training and supporting international human resources. I am also collaborating on the development of educational content and human resource training programs.
In terms of partnerships with educational institutions, I am working to hold collaborative online international learning (COIL; remote learning) class and develop methods for recording and transmitting agricultural techniques with Kyushu University, and develop an e-learning system for the agricultural field and build a vocational education program with Ehime University. I am also considering collaboration with high schools and other educational institutions in the future, and planning initiatives to foster interest in agriculture among the younger generation. Finally, I am also collaborating in ICT development with the University of Peradeniya and the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka.
I am collaborating with a venture company to train and employ the international human resources that have traveled from Sri Lanka to Japan as Specified Skilled Workers (Agriculture). The image on the left shows such a worker, who is the team leader at a papaya farm in Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture. This type of initiative is grounded in a strong relationship of trust with the local farming community (image on the right).
Principal Investigator
NISHANTHA Giguruwa
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I came to Japan roughly 25 years ago. Ever since, I have worked to develop frameworks to solve various social issues—particularly, challenges related to work and society—through ICT solutions and other means.
Prompted by exchanges with farmers while living in Japan, and based on my personal experience in agricultural management, I am pursuing new practical research in the field of agriculture, harnessing the research outcomes, technical expertise, and professional connections I have accumulated to date.
While Japan’s regional areas face many challenges, they also offer great potential. My hope is that the practical research we are engaged in can help unlock that potential.
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Faculty Information
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