Japanese Startup to Present Rural Eldercare Model at ASEAN High-Level Meeting

Nurse and Craft Co., Ltd., an impact startup based on Osaki Shimojima Island in Kure City, Hiroshima, will participate in the "ASEAN High-Level Meeting on Unlocking the Silver Economy" to be held from June 3-4, 2026, at the PICC Plenary Hall in Manila, Philippines. The company will present its case study from Japan to policymakers, international organizations, and private sector representatives from the Asia-Pacific region.

Background The ASEAN region is experiencing rapid population aging, with projections indicating that 13.5% of the population will be over 60 by 2030 (UN World Population Prospects 2024). Developing responsive policies, services, and business models has become a critical priority for the entire region and is listed as a top priority for the Philippines' 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship under the Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). This meeting will bring together ASEAN member state governments, international organizations such as UNFPA, ESCAP, ADB, and the World Bank, along with national ministers, private companies, and academic institutions. The goal is to establish the "silver economy" as a strategic imperative for sustainable regional growth and improving the quality of life for older persons, and to jointly develop an ASEAN framework for action.

Participation Details ### Case Study Presentation (Scheduled for June 4) CEO Hiroyuki Fukasawa will present "Case Study 7: Promoting active ageing in Japan through technology, social participation, and economic engagement." As part of a cluster session on "Making the Silver Economy Work: Investment, Technology and Financing," he will discuss the challenges of aging and depopulation that Japan's island and mountainous regions are facing, and present a case study on implementing a preventive medicine and community care model that combines human interaction and technology.

### Booth Exhibition The company will host a booth titled "Technologies and People for Care, Community, and Economic Participation of Older Persons in Osaki Shimojima Island, Japan." They will be co-exhibiting with their partner, Yuria Inc., which provides urine test kits that visualize a person's nutritional status.

A Comment from CEO Fukasawa "I am greatly honored to participate in this Asia-Pacific policy dialogue, bringing insights from the front lines of supporting the elderly in Japan's rural and remote islands. Osaki Shimojima is a region where the challenges of depopulation, aging, and a shortage of medical resources have appeared ahead of the rest of the nation. In this community, we have built a system that allows the elderly to live peacefully without being overly dependent on medical care, by combining home-visit nursing, preventive medicine, wearable data, and community activities. I hope our experience can provide insights for the challenges faced by ASEAN countries and spark opportunities for cross-regional collaboration."

About the Company ### About Nurse and Craft Co., Ltd. Nurse and Craft is an impact startup based on Osaki Shimojima Island, Kure City, Hiroshima. By combining home-visit nursing, the STARTWELL service, and health tourism businesses, the company aims to build a social infrastructure where the elderly can live fulfilling lives without excessive reliance on medical care. Corporate site: https://nurseandcraft.io/

### STARTWELL: Bridging the Gap Before Conditions Worsen STARTWELL is a healthcare service that combines daily life data from smartwatches and urine test kits with personalized human support. This preventive medicine and monitoring service helps to detect health changes in elderly individuals living alone at an early stage, facilitating a smooth connection to necessary medical and long-term care services. Service site: https://startwell.nurseandcraft.io/

Major Awards and Achievements Grand Prize, Technology & Innovation Category, Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative Finalist, Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards 2025 Hiroshima Global Unicor