The Finnish Institute in Japan continued its aging themed seminar series in 2023. This year’s seminar focused on Japanese Clinical Art and its Finnish counterpart Encounter Art. Thank you to all participants and speakers! 

Clinical Art, Aging and AI? -seminar 

Finland and Japan are both rapidly aging societies. The researchers are tackling questions like, how to prevent dementia related diseases, the loneliness of the senior citizens, and how to secure a mental and physical well-being with the help of AI, and other latest technological innovations.   

Studies have shown that art can boost mental resilience and help people to face changes with curiosity and creativity. Clinical art can offer a solution, but what exactly is it? How can it be beneficial, and how can it be implemented as a natural part of the aging society? These questions were be discussed by the Finnish and Japanese researchers at the seminar.  

Keywords: Clinical Art, Aging, AI, well-being, creativity, art and technology  

Date: October 12th, 2023, 3-7PM  

Venue: Academy Hills, Roppongi 

and ONLINE (Zoom) 

   
Speakers:   

Taizo Oshiro, Associate professor, Touhoku Fukushi University  
Sari Heikkinen, PhD, Director Research Program, Laurea University for Applied Sciences   
Takashi Ishizuki, PhD, Associate professor, Touhoku Fukushi University  
Anne Eskelinen, Senior Lecturer, Laurea University for Applied Sciences   

Johanna Holmikari, Senior Lecturer, Laurea University for Applied Sciences    
 

Program: 

15:00 Opening words 

Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen,  

Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan 

15:10 “Clinical Art and Encounter Art” 

Taizo Oshiro, Associate professor,  

Tohoku Fukushi University 

15:50 Break 

16:00 “Ageing in Finland and Japan – challenges and opportunities”   

Sari Heikkinen PhD, Research programme director,  

Laurea University for Applied Sciences and  

Takashi Ishizuki PhD, Associate professor,  

Tohoku Fukushi University 

17:30 “Encounter Art promoting well-being”  

Anne Eskelinen, Senior lecturer and  

Johanna Holmikari, Senior lecturer,  

Laurea University for Applied Sciences 

19:00 Closing remarks  

Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen,  

Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan 

19:10 Networking reception 

20:00 Doors close 

Presentation slides are available below: 

 
Clinical Art and Encounter Art 

Taizo Oshiro, Associate professor, Tohoku Fukushi University 

Ageing in Finland and Japan – challenges and opportunities  

Sari Heikkinen PhD, Research programme director, Laurea University for Applied Sciences and  

Takashi Ishizuki PhD, Associate 

Encounter Art promoting well-being  

Anne Eskelinen, Senior lecturer, Laurea University of Applied Sciences and  

Johanna Holmikari, Senior lecturer, Laurea University for Applied Sciences 

Photo: Finnish Institute in Japan

Finnish Institute in Japan
 

The Finnish Institute in Japan offers a working space for a Japanese or Finnish doctoral researcher, whose research topic is related to Japan or to Finland. The researcher’s room can be used for two months between October – December 2023.

An air-conditioned room with an access to kitchen (equipped with refrigerator and microwave) is provided. The room can be used weekdays between 9AM-5PM. The researcher’s room is located at the Finnish Institute in Japan, Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo.  

APPLICATION

Kindly send your application, including description of your research, the timetable of your research, and the name and contact information of your supervisor, in English by September 22nd, 2023 to science@finstitute.jp

Exhibition Long Live Wivi Lönn! celebrates her career and her significance for the generations of female architects who followed afterwards. It presents key designs from Lönn’s career, together with history of female architects in Finland.

Wivi Lönn drawing at her home in Jyväskylä, 1911–13. Photo: Fredrik Wilhelm Lönn / Museum of Central Finland

Year 2022 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Wivi Lönn (1872–1966). She can be considered the first woman in Finland to have worked independently in the field of architecture. Lönn was a pioneer in school design and a virtuoso of spatial composition.

Long Live Wivi Lönn!
31.8.–19.9.2023
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library, 4th floor multipurpose hall
(5-7-13 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Free entrance, welcome!
For opening hours, please visit the library’s website.

The exhibition is produced by the Finnish Museum of Architecture, and it was previously shown at Waseda University.

Main photo: Tampere Fire Station, 1908. Museum of Finnish Architecture / Aukusti Heinonen

The Finnish Institute in Japan (FIJ) promotes Finnish science, culture and higher education supporting and enabling co-operation and dialogue between Japan and Finland. The Institute identifies and recognizes trends and co-operation possibilities connecting potential collaboration partners. The Institute is part of Team Finland in Japan, and belongs to the network of 16 Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes.

The Finnish Institute in Japan is now hiring an Office manager starting August 1^st, 2023, or according to agreement.

As the Office manager you will organize and coordinate office administration and procedures, in order to ensure organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Other tasks include administrative and executive support related tasks, and coordinating FIJ’s activities such as events, meetings and seminars. The office manager will work under the guidance of the Director of the FIJ.

In order to manage the task successfully, the applicant should have

* An academic degree

* Fluency in written and spoken English

* Native-level Japanese language skills

* Ability to work in a small but dynamic organization where tasks and duties may vary

* Knowledge of Finnish culture

The employment contract will be made for a period of three years.

Warmly welcome to send your application.

Please send your motivation letter and CV, in English, to anna-maria.wiljanen@finstitute.jp by May 21st, 2023.

Inquiries and more information:

Director Anna-Maria Wiljanen, anna-maria.wiljanen@finstitute.jp, +81 (0)80 4069 7846

Available for phone inquiries on Tuesday May 9th, at 5-6PM.

The Finnish Institute in Japan continued its AI-events with AI & Ethics ­seminar, held March 2nd at 3–6 PM onsite at Roppongi Academyhills and online on ZOOM. The seminar was the second part of the Finnish Institute in Japan’s seminars on the topic of AI and ethics and brought together experts on AI from both Finland and Japan. 

Date: March 2nd, 2023, 3–6PM
Onsite venue: Roppongi Academyhills
Online venue: Online (ZOOM)

Program:
3:00 Opening words
Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen
Director, Finnish Institute in Japan

3:15 “Japan – Society 5.0 & AI Ethics”
Dr. Lorenz Granrath
IXP – Institute for Experimental Psychophysiology, CONTACT Software, Kienbaum JAPAN, Waseda University – Energy NEXT

4:00 “Use of Telepresence, Experiences and Ethical Questions”
Dr. Sari Heikkinen (online on Zoom)
Laurea University of Applied Sciences

4:45 Break

4:50 “Issues with AI-based talking robots”
Dr. Graham Wilcock
University of Helsinki

5:30 “Conversational Agents and Trustworthy Interaction”
Dr. Kristiina Jokinen
AI Research Center, AIST Tokyo Waterfront
University of Helsinki

6:10 Closing words – Dr Anna-Maria Wiljanen

Finnish Institute in Japan

Photo: pixabay.com

The Åland Islands is an autonomous, self-governing, Swedish-speaking part of Finland. The League of Nations granted Finland sovereignity over Åland in 1921. Furthermore, Åland is also a demilitarised region as confirmed in the Paris Peace Treaty in 1947. How to structure and build up a functional autonomy? What are the legal parameters and what does it require from governing Parliament and the region involved? How to ensure that local language is preserved? These topics were be discussed by the experts at the conference organized by the Finnish Institute in Japan and the Embassy of Finland, Tokyo. The conference was a part of the Finnish Institute’s 25^th Anniversary program. Thank you to all participants!

Date: February 16^th, 2023
Time: 3PM (doors open 2:30PM) – 6PM, followed by a networking reception
Participants: 40 persons
Place: Embassy of Finland, Tokyo

Program

3:00 Opening words
Anna-Maria Wiljanen, Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan

3:15 Greetings
Tanja Jääskeläinen, Ambassador of Finland to Japan

3:35 “The Åland Example – A Success Story”
Mats Löfström, MP, Parliament of Finland

4:05 “The Åland Example – 100 years of Experience, The Åland Islands Peace Institute – 30 years of Peace Work”
Sia Spiliopoulou-Åkermark, Director, The Åland Islands Peace Institute

4:40 Coffee break

4:50 “The Åland Islands’ Legal Status and Its Implications”
Kaija Suvanto, Director General, Legal Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland

5:20 “The Åland Examle: A Japanese View”
Fujio Ohnishi, Associate Professor, University of Hokkaido

5:50 Closing remarks
Anna-Maria Wiljanen, Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan

6:00 Networking reception at the Embassy of Finland, Tokyo

7:45 Doors close

The program may be subject to changes.

Organized by: