Inspired by his own unique perspective on biomolecular mechanisms, Dr. Sugano introduced life’s distinctive feature of self-propagation and the presence of a high density of proteins in the cell to support complex life activities. He also reflected on the history of molecular biology, represented by the discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure and the proposal of a “central dogma,” and elaborated on advances in gene-analysis technology that led to discovering that cancer is caused by a genetic anomaly. His presentation went further to the Human Genome Project to map the massive pool of human genes, started by the strong collective desire of researchers (especially those in cancer research). In addition to the common course shared by the two countries, while the United States focused on developing the new sequencing technology, Japan took a different path, focusing attention on “the development of cDNA gathering and analysis technology”. In collaboration with Dr. Kazuo Maruyama, Dr. Sugano developed the “oligo-capping method” which brought dramatic progress in full-length cDNA analysis and catapulted research in Japan to the top level in the world. At the same time, he talked about the controversy that surfaced over genome data that had been acquired under an open international project, when the US and other countries attempted to patent cDNA expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and Japan counteracted with the industry-academia-government Full-Length Long Japan (FLJ) initiative under Japan’s then Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and the subsequent revision of patent guidelines. Lastly, Dr. Sugano spoke of the growth of genome research in disease-related analysis and systems biology and the integration of life sciences with information science which is opening up new research areas.

Professor Oguchi gave a presentation on the progress of research aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and resolving environmental issues in road traffic, while also reflecting on the background to his career in the field of traffic engineering. The presentation highlighted specific research achievements concerning the relationship between traffic conditions and declining fuel economy, the mechanism behind congestion occurring at sag sections of expressway and optimization of traffic signal control. He also referred to the Japanese government’s automated driving policies, including the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) of the Cabinet Office, explaining that driver assistance up to Level 2 is fundamentally different from autonomous driving at Level 3 and above. He argued that for social implementation, comprehensive consideration covering not only technology but also legal frameworks and social acceptance is essential. Building on this, he emphasized that “the mobility of the future cannot be achieved through technological advancement alone.” He believes that if automated driving is limited solely to improving transportation comfort, it could instead accelerate uncontrolled urban sprawl into suburban areas. He stated that what is necessary is agile traffic management utilizing massive amounts of traffic data to predict and optimize traffic conditions. He also emphasized the importance of pedestrian-focused community development in achieving this goal. In conclusion, Professor Oguchi stressed that to build a human-centered and sustainable mobility society, we should appropriately integrate high-speed transportation, urban public transportation, last-mile mobility, and automated driving technology into cities, tailored to the culture and characteristics of each region.

In the face of rapid advances in AI and the increasing aging of society, Dr. Kano presents three factors that are vital in achieving “Successful Aging” and attaining a sense of happiness and fulfillment for as many people as possible: (1) physical health (diet, exercise and sleep), (2) mental health and (3) ties with society. Backed by his experiences in clinical medicine, he stated that the criteria for developing a feeling of “having led a good life” in the final days of one’s life are not founded on external success such as social status or property, but on personal awareness and perception, represented by self-integration (whether one has satisfactorily achieved one’s goals in life), self-determination and insight into “the meaning of life.” He also pointed to his observation that regret over one’s life during the final days consists chiefly of remorse for “not leading an honest life,” “having overworked,” “not having shown one’s feelings” and “not having maintained ties with friends.” He emphasized the role of diet and exercise, preventing dementia and the importance of ties with society in extending one’s expectancy for a healthy life. He suggested a “backcasting” approach to life, reflecting on life from the final days backward, as a way to decide what to do in the present. He stated that experiences shared among generations – not only experience of success but also of failure – will foster stronger ties with society and as a result increase the chances of embracing one’s final days with a sense of fulfillment. Lastly, he spoke with passion about the need to create a new framework for society that accepts a wide variety of lifestyles and that will lead to the well-being of, not only specific age groups, but of all generations.