WHATS Seminar Vol. 243 [Online] titled above will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026

[Seminar Overview]

●　4:00 PM – 4:50 PM

Structuring Social Issues to Create New Businesses — How to Identify Business Opportunities from Over 400 Social Issues

As SDGs and ESG management become more mainstream, many companies are struggling with how to translate complex social issues into viable business opportunities.
In this seminar, we will introduce Ridilover’s unique methodology for “structuring social issues,” developed through work on over 400 themes. Through real-world examples, we will explain how to identify the core bottlenecks of social issues based on qualitative field data, and how to involve stakeholders such as government agencies, NPOs, and corporations in the business development process.

Using current case studies such as the “experience gap among children,” we will explore key approaches to creating new markets in areas where no market currently exists.

Topics:

1. Reframing Social Issues as Business Opportunities: Ridilover’s business development approach
2. Structuring Social Issues through Case Examples from Ridilover Journal
3. [Case Study 1] Creating Financial Circulation Mechanisms: Impact Fund (tentative)
4. [Case Study 2] Market Creation and Rule-Making: Special Adoption System (tentative)
5. ​[Case Study] “Experience Gap Among Children”: Structural Analysis and Business Opportunity

Speaker:
Mr. Toshiki Abe
CEO, Ridilover Inc.
Representative Director, Ridilover General Incorporated Association

Born in 1987. In 2009, while studying at the University of Tokyo, he founded Ridilover, a platform that communicates and shares social issues through tours.
From 2012 to 2015, he taught social entrepreneurship to first- and second-year students at the University of Tokyo’s College of Arts and Sciences.
His unique skill: catching tuna with his bare hands.
Currently, he leads multiple initiatives including educational travel programs that provide study tours for junior and senior high school students, and corporate training programs that offer cross-boundary experiences in the field of social issues.
In 2018, he launched Ridilover Journal, a subscription-based investigative web media that conveys the structure of social issues.
Since 2020, he has also been engaged in business development and policy planning projects in collaboration with companies, ministries, and local governments, aiming to allocate resources toward solving social issues.
Over the past 15 years since its founding, Ridilover has addressed more than 400 types of social issues through its various projects.
He was selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2017, and in 2024, he was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Publications (Unofficial English Translations of Japanese Titles):

• To Future Leaders (Nikkei BP)
• A Cure for Japan (Discover 21)
• ​Why Is the World Full of Problems Even Though Everyone’s Trying So Hard? (NewsPicks Publishing)

●　4:50 PM – 5:00 PM

　　　Q&A Session

[Seminar Outline]

Date and Time: 4:00PM –5:00 PM (JST), Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Venue: Online Live Streaming

The seminar will be live-streamed through "Deliveru", an online streaming platform provided by Facio Inc.

Fee: 5,000 yen (tax excluded) / 5,500 yen (tax included)
How to Participate:

• After completing your registration, we will send your access ID the day before the seminar.
• The live stream will be hosted on Deliveru, the event streaming platform by Facio Inc. Please click here to log in.
• Recommended System Requirements (in Japanese)
• Test Video Viewing Page
• FAQ

Registration:

 Registration For the Seminar

(You will jump to the registration page in Japanese.)

For inquiries in English, please click here.

Registration Deadline: 5:00 p.m. (JST), Friday, January 9, 2026

Notes:

・This seminar will be conducted in Japanese.
・After your registration, we will send an invoice by E-mail or postal mail.
・Please transfer the participation fee by the day before the event or within one week of receiving the invoice.
・Cancellations will not be accepted after payment.
・This seminar can also be registered via Deliveru, with payment options including credit card, convenience store payment, and Pay-easy.
​・Please note that participation may be restricted depending on the registrant’s industry or job function.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations made after 3:00 p.m. (JST) on the business day before the event or on the day of the event without prior notice will incur a full participation fee charge, regardless of payment status.

Contact:

For inquiries in English, please click here.
Yano Research Institute Ltd.