Human Renaissance Institute, Omron's Future Research Lab, and Obuse Town, Nagano Prefecture, Sign Comprehensive Collaboration Agreement

Human Renaissance Institute, Inc. (HRI), a future research institute within Omron Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Iwao Tateishi; hereinafter 'HRI'), and Obuse Town, Nagano Prefecture (Mayor: Tohru Omiya), together with meguri Inc. (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Ayayo Matsumoto) and Article Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Directors: Yu Kato, Hideyuki Ariyoshi, Dainichiro Kakei), have signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement today, July 15, 2026, to implement a next-generation societal model for 2050.

Photo from the signing ceremony (from left: Hideyuki Ariyoshi, Representative Director, Future Sessions Inc.; Iwao Tateishi, President and CEO, Human Renaissance Institute, Inc.; Tohru Omiya, Mayor of Obuse Town, Nagano Prefecture; Ayayo Matsumoto, Representative Director, meguri Inc.)

1. Background and Social Significance of the Collaboration Agreement

In today's rapidly evolving era of generative AI and digital transformation (DX), the 'SINIC (Synic) Theory (※1)'—a future forecasting framework—has once again drawn significant attention as a tool for understanding societal shifts. This agreement was established to combine theory and practice in Obuse Town as a living implementation field, jointly evolving future societal models.

※1 SINIC (Synic) Theory: A future forecasting theory first published in 1970 by Omron's founder, Kazuma Tateishi. It predicts that science, technology, and society will mutually influence one another, guiding human society through stages of industrialization, informatization, optimization, autonomy, and ultimately, a 'natural society.' It serves as a compass for future creation.

① Practical Implementation in Local Communities Based on a Future Forecasting Theory Using the 'SINIC Theory' as a guiding compass, we will translate it into various practical initiatives aimed at creating a better future within the local community (Obuse Town).

② Merging Obuse Town's 'Regional Philosophy (DNA)' with Theory to Create a Living Lab Since the 1970s, Obuse Town in Nagano Prefecture has been a pioneer in Japan's regional revitalization, implementing unique town development that harmonizes natural and cultural landscapes—such as the construction of the Hokusai Museum and urban beautification projects. Since the 2000s, the town has also championed 'collaboration and exchange,' pioneering open community governance. By leveraging Obuse Town as a stage, the four parties (HRI, Obuse Town, meguri, Article) will combine their strengths to envision a unique future for Obuse, aiming toward a sustainable 'natural society' by 2050—one that shifts away from control-based systems and is grounded in the ultimate self-regulating mechanisms of nature and life—while implementing concrete initiatives.

'Kuri no Komichi' (Chestnut Path), formed through urban beautification projects in the 1980s

'Obuse Youth Conference,' held from 2012 to 2018

2. Overview and Key Features

This comprehensive agreement establishes the following 'Three Regenerations' as guiding principles, aiming to support the advancement of municipal policies across various fields within the real-world setting of Obuse Town, based on the future forecasting 'SINIC Theory.'

● Regeneration of Identity:

To adapt to the rapidly changing social landscape, we aim to re-recognize the town's cherished core values—such as history, culture, and landscape—and cultivate a receptive environment that can harmoniously integrate external trends into various domains.

● Regeneration of Ecosystem:

Leveraging Obuse Town's unique focus on harmonizing cultural and natural landscapes, we aim to concretize social systems that maintain urban infrastructure while enabling humans to coexist as part of nature, enriching both physical and mental well-being.

● Regeneration of Non-Control (Autonomy):

By gathering insights from within and beyond the town, we aim to create co-creation spaces without predetermined conclusions, enabling equal collaboration and designing systems that empower individuals to act based on their intrinsic motivations, fostering autonomous chains (resonance).

3. Three Collaboration Areas and Verification Content

By setting verification objectives based on the 'Three Regenerations' within the following three collaboration areas, we aim to create concrete practical examples through discussions involving diverse stakeholders both within and outside Obuse Town. This agreement combines the strengths of the four parties: HRI's future research, Obuse Town's local field, meguri's consulting for sustainable organizations and teams, and Article's media and co-creation processes—enabling seamless advancement from theory to practice in future design.

(1) Co-Creation Relationship Development

Verification Content: Examination of co-creative relationships between corporate management and local governance based on future visions, institutionalization of collaborative frameworks enabling equal participation among diverse stakeholders from within and outside the town, and verification of updated workstyles for corporate personnel within these frameworks.

(2) Future Visioning

Verification Content: Verification related to creating forums for future visions that harmonize the town's unique identity with external societal changes, anticipating the arrival of the 'autonomous society' and 'natural society' predicted by SINIC Theory.

(3) Local Implementation

Verification Content: Verification related to creating concrete practical examples based on the co-creative relationships and future visions developed through the above initiatives.

(4) Other collaborative matters deemed necessary through mutual consultation among the four parties

4. Comments on the Signing of the Comprehensive Collaboration Agreement

· Tohru Omiya, Mayor of Obuse Town

"Recent years have seen significant changes in our living environment: rapid population decline and aging, increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters due to climate change, dramatic advancements in digital technologies such as ICT and artificial intelligence, and complex, tense international situations. While appropriately responding to these societal shifts, we value the unique 'spirit of Obuse' inherited from our predecessors. To ensure residents continue to live vibrantly and build a diverse, attractive town, we formulated the 'Seventh Comprehensive Plan for Obuse Town' in Reiwa 7. This plan envisions 'a vibrant Obuse where we live actively and shine through the power of connection,' with core principles of [Co-Creation and Collaboration], in which everyone participates in town-building, and [Challenge], promoting new ideas and methodologies beyond conventional thinking to pioneer a new era. Through this agreement, I hope we can realize the 'SINIC Theory,' which has predicted modern society since 1970, and collaborate with diverse companies and intellectuals to jointly create initiatives that contribute to humanity's future, starting from Obuse Town."

· Iwao Tateishi, President and CEO, Human Renaissance Institute, Inc.

"I am very pleased that we have successfully signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Obuse Town, meguri Inc., and Article Inc. toward implementing a next-generation societal model for 2050.

At Human Renaissance Institute, we use the 'SINIC Theory'—a future forecasting framework that Omron has researched for over half a century—as our compass to examine future society and work toward creating a better one. According to SINIC Theory, around 2025, society will transition from one focused on efficiency and optimization to an 'autonomous society,' and eventually to a 'natural society.'