Announcement of the “Special Program” to be held in 2025

The winter “Ishizaka Sangyo Presents Special Program” will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025.

This program will feature two special guests, Noriko Ishizaka, who will hold a cross-talk on the theme of well-being.

[Ishizaka Sangyo Presents Special Program]

Friday, December 5, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Theme: What is the “Cycle of Happiness” Envisioned by Organizations? – Co-creating Well-being and Sustainability –

While economic growth and material wealth were considered symbols of happiness, modern society has come to place greater importance on spiritual richness, self-realization, and mental fulfillment, as many people experience loneliness and anxiety despite having income and material possessions.
This time, we will invite Takashi Maeno, a leading researcher in well-being and Dean of the Faculty of Well-being at Musashino University, and Kazunari Taguchi, social entrepreneur and CEO of Borderless Japan, Inc., to hold a cross-talk from various perspectives on the nature of “happiness” for modern businesspeople and organizations.

The morning of the program will include a tour of Ishizaka Sangyo’s resource recycling factory, which boasts a 98% reduction and recycling rate, and the restored satoyama. A special lunch featuring vegetables from Ishizaka Organic Farm will be served. Enjoy a meal unique to this region.

The social gathering following the lecture will be held at the Kunugi Forest Communication Plaza, where the chefs of Mitomi Past and Present Village will serve a buffet-style selection of dishes incorporating organic vegetables and herbs from Ishizaka Organic Farm and wild plants from the satoyama.
Please use this opportunity to chat with Noriko Ishizaka and to network with other participants. The speakers will also be participating in the social gathering.

<Special Program Overview>

◆Date:
Friday, December 5, 2025, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Theme: What is the “Cycle of Happiness” Envisioned by Organizations? – Co-creating Well-being and Sustainability

◆Venue:
Ishizaka Sangyo Co., Ltd. ,
Mitomi Konjaku Mura
(1589-2 Kamitomi, Miyoshi-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama Prefecture)

◆Participation Fee:
38,500 yen per person (tax included)
*Includes all program participation fees.
*Prepayment is required. (See “How to Apply” below.)
*Participation fees will be used for “Kuugi Forest Conservation Activities.”

◆Maximum Participants
: 80 people
*Registration will close once the maximum number of participants is reached.

◆Timetable
9:30~ Registration begins
　　　　　　*If you are using the shuttle bus, there is a 9:30 AM shuttle bus departing from Fujimino Station on the Tobu Tojo Line. You will arrive at Kuugi Forest Plaza. 
10:00~ Orientation and tour of the field where people, satoyama, and technology coexist; 
　　　 Visit to the “Resource Recycling Factory” where thorough hand sorting is carried out ;
　　　 Visit to Mitomi Past and Present Village, which connects people and culture through restored satoyama; 
　　　　Lunch 
13:00~ Lecture by Maeno Takashi 
13:30~ Cross talk and Q&A with Maeno Takashi, Taguchi Kazunari, and Ishizaka Noriko 
15:30~ Reception atIshizaka Organic Farm “Satoyama Buffet to Enjoy the Blessings of the Season” 　　　　　　(All-you-can-drink alcohol and soft drinks) 
17:00  Ends
*For departure, a dedicated shuttle bus will depart after the reception has finished. 

◆Profile Maeno Takashi
Dean of the Faculty of Well-being, Musashino University Graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology (now Tokyo University of Science) in 1984 and completed his master’s degree at the same university in 1986. After working at Canon Inc., a visiting researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, a professor at Keio University, and a visiting professor at Harvard University, he is currently Dean of the Musashino University School of Well-Being and a professor emeritus at Keio University. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering. His numerous publications include “Management of a Happy Workplace” (2019), “The Mechanism of Happiness” (2013), and “Why the Brain Created the Mind” (2004). His specialties include happiness studies and innovation education. 

Kazunari Taguchi
CEO of Borderless Japan, was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1980. He studied business in the United States while attending Waseda University. After graduating, he worked for Misumi Corporation before founding Borderless Japan at the age of 25. He has attracted attention both domestically and internationally as a pioneer of social business, and appeared on the TV show “Cambrian Palace” in 2020. His book “90% of Social Problems Can Be Solved by Business” became a bestseller. His TEDx talk has been viewed over 1.18 million times. 

Noriko Ishizaka
Representative Director, Ishizaka Sangyo Co., Ltd. With a vision of “Zero Waste Design,” the company has achieved a 98% recycling rate and industrial waste reduction through thorough recycling. The company is also involved in the “30by30” initiative to conserve land and sea, and is using 100% renewable energy. The nearby village of Mitomi Past and Present has been regenerated from satoyama, and has received AAA certification for biodiversity and been certified by the Ministry of the Environment as a “place for experience opportunities,” providing environmental education. Received the 2020 Japan Management Quality Award. 

◆ Organizer of this program: Ishizaka Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Celebrating its 59th year since founding, the company strives to create a workplace environment where employees feel fulfilled as an intermediate treatment company for industrial waste. In 2024, the company will be certified as a “Bright 500” Health and Productivity Management Outstanding Corporation. The company also promotes environmental education activities and farm activities through organic farming. Believing that health and safety are based on a healthy global environment, the company is actively involved in preserving the local satoyama (satoyama) forests.
https://ishizaka-group.co.jp/

◆How to Apply:
Please apply via the application URL below by 4:00 PM one week prior to the event. Your application will be completed upon successful prepayment.
November 21st Update: The application period has been extended until November 30th (Sunday) at 11:59 PM.
Special Program Ticket Purchase Site for December 5th (Friday)
*User registration (Mitomi Past and Present Village registration) and prepayment are required to apply.
<Payment methods available> Credit card payment (3D Secure 2.0 compatible), PayPay, PayDee (postpaid)

*Please complete the check-in 10 minutes before the start time on the day.
*If you wish to cancel, please contact the Mitomi Konjaku Mura Office.
*For access to our company, please check the access page on the Mitomi Konjaku Mura website

. <Contact details>
Mitomi Konjaku Mura Office
TEL: 049-259-6565
Email: santome.dantai@ishizaka-group.co.jp
Opening hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: Tuesdays