One of the measures to prevent car accidents caused by elderly people is the voluntary surrender of driver's licenses. However, some are hesitant to surrender them because they are concerned that it will make their lives inconvenient. In this study, we conducted an online survey of elderly people who had surrendered their driver's licenses to determine the difference between their impressions before surrendering them and the actual inconveniences in daily life afterward. As a result, we found that the impression before surrendering them was consistent with the actual situation afterward, and there were fewer people who experienced worse situations than expected. Furthermore, the majority of those who surrendered their licenses reported that the actual situation was either equal to or worse than their impressions before surrendering.

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As the domestic market shrinks due to the declining birthrate and aging population, it will become even more important for Japanese companies to consider expansion strategies into Sub-Saharan Africa, where the population is expected to grow over the long term. In this paper, we conducted semi-structured interviews with Japanese firms exporting directly to West Africa, particularly Nigeria. The results of the analysis showed the common features of the Japanese firms interviewed in this study are the selection of partners with a proven track record of local sales and the active employment of local employees who are familiar with the local information. These two points were suggested as potentially important and indispensable for direct exports to Sub-Saharan Africa, where the risk of expansion is high.

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Holding side jobs or changing jobs can be an option when considering career building. However, it is still unclear how career development through holding side jobs and job changes affect the subjective well-being of working people. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of working adults with the aim of clarifying the effects of holding side jobs and changing jobs on subjective well-being. First, we examined side jobs, and found that the subjective well-being of the group with side jobs was significantly lower than that of the group without side jobs. Regarding the reason for the side jobs, only those who answered "to contribute to society" showed higher subjective well-being than those who did not have side jobs, while those who answered other reasons for the side jobs showed lower subjective well-being. Next, we examined job changes. The results showed that subjective well-being and career satisfaction decreased as the number of job changes increased. Subjective well-being and career satisfaction were lower among those who reported that they changed jobs because of dissatisfaction with the company, job content, or interpersonal relationships in the workplace. These findings may help us to think about happy work styles, including holding side jobs and changing jobs.

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Housebound status among the elderly is linked to frailty and health issues, with confinement rates higher in local areas (15%) compared to urban areas (7%). This study explores the impact of the transportation environment on elderly mobility, focusing on those aged 65 or older in Setagaya Ward, an urban area with well-developed transportation infrastructure. The survey targeted individuals who went outside at least two days a week and participated in volunteer activities. Results showed that 73% of those in the pre-housebound group (going out 2-3 days weekly) did so for volunteer purposes. This suggests that social engagement through volunteering encourages elderly mobility. Additionally, the absence of mobility difficulties appears to be more critical than motivation alone in facilitating volunteer participation among the elderly.

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We analyzed the phenomenon of "awareness beyond imagination" occurring in dialogue and verified its structure through qualitative analysis of dialogue data. Specifically, we attempted to verify this phenomenon by comparing qualitative data with quantitative data through interviews with participants and questionnaires about the results. As a result of the verification, it was confirmed that the acquisition of clarity of the theme and the acquisition of a sense of becoming clear are important for awareness that exceeds the imagination. It also became clear that the structure of dialogue that generates such awareness consists of three steps: (1) establishing a base, (2) providing a point of view, and (3) reflecting and reconstructing. It was also suggested that the mode of occurrence of the structure may differ depending on whether it is a one-on-one or multi-person dialogue.

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In regional cities where automobiles are essential for daily life, alternative transportation is being researched to maintain the quality of life for transportation-disadvantaged individuals, particularly the elderly, who face difficulties driving. In recent years, demand-responsive shared taxis have been experimentally introduced in various areas. This study aims to identify the factors hindering their use. A survey was conducted among registered users of the ‘Choisoko Niko-Niko Bus’ in the Kamigo district of Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, to investigate what aspects they find inconvenient and what improvements they desire. Additionally, the study compared the usage patterns of users with other services and examined the challenges for the widespread adoption of demand-responsive shared taxis.

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As corporate competitiveness shifts from tangible to intangible assets, financing for uncertain intangible asset investments has become increasingly important. In this study, using a case study approach, we analyzed the decision-making process of Netflix, which significantly enhanced its corporate value through intangible asset investments, by choosing the issuance of corporate bonds as a means of financing. Two hypotheses were tested concerning the trade-off between financial distress risk and tax benefits, as well as information asymmetry between managers and investors, and both were confirmed. The results show that the financing choice for intangible asset investments aligns with traditional financial theory and emphasize the need for managers to understand these theories and communicate effectively with investors.

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In recent years, increased inbound tourism has caused over-tourism in Japan's nature-rich areas outside major cities. To tackle this, the government enacted the Ecotourism Promotion Law and launched campaigns to promote eco-tourism while preserving the environment. This study surveyed visitors to the Mt. Fuji Aokigahara Forest to assess their perceptions of the value provided by eco-tour guides. The results show that the value eco-tour guides are trying to provide is not only the enjoyment of nature, guest safety management, imparting knowledge on environmental conservation through learning about the natural environment and communicating the attractiveness of nature, but also posing philosophical questions. The value of the tour guide is that it raises philosophical questions. In the area, we can say that the value provided by guides in eco-tourism has been clearly recognized.

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This article scrutinizes the applicability of generative artificial intelligence technologies (generative AI) within the domain of new business creation. Despite an expanding corpus of research on this subject, most previous studies are limited in their scope. In an attempt to address this limitation, the current paper (a) reviews the distinctive attributes of entrepreneurial processes (b) delineates the key features of generative AI technologies, and (c) probes into the contributions of generative AI to entrepreneurial activities. It also presents a theoretical discussion regarding the power-law distribution as a potential index to assess the applicability of generative AI in these contexts.

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Art thinking, a method that encourages questioning conventional wisdom and values to generate innovative ideas, has gained significant attention. This study investigated the actual practices of large companies that implement art thinking, aiming to provide insights for others considering its adoption. The findings revealed that art thinking was primarily practiced in the early stages of business development to generate novel ideas, as well as during the planning of mid- to long-term projects. Additionally, fostering an organizational culture that emphasizes "ownership" and "bottom-up" initiatives, along with the role of management in promoting these practices, was found to be crucial. Furthermore, secondary effects of practicing art thinking, such as increased individual motivation and enhanced organizational knowledge, were also observed.

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In this report, we take up the case of the Credit SaaS BU of TIS Corporation as an example of a workplace that improved its job satisfaction score from 42% to 74% in one year. Consistent with the IPO model, it was found that psychological safety cooperation, and an understanding of procedures were improved in the process, resulting in improved quality and cost. It was also found that leaders' commitment to both performance and psychological safety made workplace more rewarding and growth-oriented.

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