Changemakers Unplugged Vol. 1 – Longevity by Design: Building for Japan’s Ageing Future

​Japan is entering a super-aged era, where one in three citizens will soon be over 65. This demographic transformation brings complex social and economic challenges, but also immense opportunity for innovation in health, care, and community life.

​This event will explore how startups and ecosystem partners can address the realities and opportunities of Japan’s ageing society through the lenses of longevity innovation, medtech, workforce reinvention, and community design.

​The talk session with 3 inspiring speakers will examine how Japan can serve as a global testbed for ageing-related innovation, helping founders understand where the largest unmet needs lie, and how to design solutions that are human-centered, scalable, and sustainable.

​Event Overview

​🗓️ Date & Time: November 12th (Wednesday) 18:00-20:30 (Doors open 17:30）
📍 Location: Google for Startups Campus Tokyo 5F (In-person event only)
🗣️ Language: English
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Speakers

• ​Tomoe Ueyama, CEO of Project MINT

• ​Akira Higuchi, CEO of Cogsmart

• ​Sachiko Kamiyama, CEO of Shosabi

​Agenda

​17:30 Doors Open
18:00 Opening Remarks + Speaker introductions
18:10 Panel Discussion
19:10 Q&A
19:35 Networking & light refreshments
20:30 End

Speaker Profiles

​Tomoe Ueyama, CEO & Founder of Project MINT

​Tomoe Ueyama is the founder and chief executive officer of Project MINT, an organization that empowers mid- to late-career professionals to redefine their personal and professional paths by discovering their ikigai (sense of purpose). Since launching Project MINT in 2020, Tomoe has designed and led workshops that promote intergenerational collaboration and authentic leadership. To date, Tomoe has trained over 200 professionals, with 70 percent transitioning into more fulfilling roles. Currently, Tomoe is piloting a new platform that enables professionals beyond retirement to engage in meaningful second careers. Inspired by her grandmother, a dedicated elementary school teacher who encouraged students to believe in their potential, Tomoe is passionate about empowering older adults to lead social change. Her work challenges conventional thinking by demonstrating that age is an asset and a powerful force for creativity, contribution, and leadership in a changing world.

​LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomoe-ueyama-4109336/ 
Website: https://www.projectmint.net/   

​Akira Higuchi, CEO of CogSmart

​Akira Higuchi is the CEO of CogSmart, a Tohoku University spin-off biotechnology company advancing innovations in cognitive health and longevity, backed by more than 25 years of dementia prevention research by their co-founder, Prof. Yasuyuki Taki. Akira began his career as an Attorney-at-Law (Bengoshi) in Japan and later qualified as a Solicitor in England & Wales, bringing legal and business expertise to his leadership role. After transitioning into life sciences, he now leverages his multidisciplinary background to deliver impactful biotech solutions that support healthy aging.

​Drawing on collaborations with Tohoku University and its partners, Akira will share research learnings and pragmatic deployment models across healthcare and community settings. Beyond "adding years," CogSmart focuses on "adding better years": exploring how measurement-guided interventions can support flourishing—autonomy, purpose, relationships, and wellbeing—alongside longevity.

​Akira holds a BA in Law from the University of Tokyo (2005), a Juris Doctor from the University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics (2007), and an MSc in Law and Finance from the University of Oxford (2015). He also serves as a Research Fellow at Tohoku University's Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC).

​LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akirahiguchi/ 
Website: https://www.cogsmartglobal.com/

​Sachiko Kamiyama, CEO of Shosabi

​Sachiko Kamiyama is the Founder and CEO of SHOSABI Inc., a Tokyo-born health deep-tech startup spun out from Mitsubishi Chemical Group. With a foundation in molecular biology and a career bridging science, design, and strategy, she leads SHOSABI in redefining how humans learn and restore movement. Bad form moves you, but breaks you. SHOSABI was created to solve this universal problem by returning movement to its natural harmony. It is an intelligent body navigation system that detects and corrects subtle misalignments before they cause strain—bringing the body back to its natural design and restoring freedom, balance, and the joy of movement.

​Powered by Cognitive Motor Intelligence, SHOSABI integrates patented 3D motion-sensing with AI-driven motor-learning algorithms to transform movement data into actionable health insights. Today, SHOSABI is deployed as a paid proof-of-concept in prestigious gyms and wellness clinics across London, Dubai, and beyond, establishing a new category of health innovation rooted in the science of body function. Before founding SHOSABI, Sachiko led healthcare R&D and strategy at Mitsubishi Chemical, managed large-scale wellness projects with the University of Tokyo, and earned her MBA before launching SHOSABI as the group’s first official spin-out.

​LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachiko-kamiyama-9aa8a4232/
Website: https://shosabi.jp/

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Who is this event for?

• ​Startup founders and innovators exploring healthtech, medtech, ageing, or community-focused ventures

• ​Investors and corporate partners interested in longevity and ageing-related innovation

• ​Policymakers, researchers, and ecosystem builders, and anyone else interested in shaping the future of wellbeing and care in Japan

​About Google for Startups Campus
Google for Startups Campus (map) is one of six global hubs designed to support startups. The Google for Startups Japan team established a campus in Shibuya in 2019, beginning its mission to support startups across Japan.

​Selected startups receive technical training and mentoring, along with business support from Google. They also benefit from a diverse community of entrepreneurs and startups. Campus Tokyo, located in the central Shibuya district, serves as a hub for innovation throughout Japan.

​Campus Tokyo also hosts public events with various startup ecosystem builders. For the latest updates on these events, upcoming Google programs, and startup news, we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter.

​About Event Partner – Hub Tokyo Co., Ltd.
This event is hosted in partnership with Hub Tokyo Co., Ltd. Hub Tokyo Co., Ltd. designs programs and provides consulting services for organizations seeking to advance social impact, sustainability, and entrepreneurial education. Through facilitation, research, and community co-creation, the company helps businesses and institutions build ecosystems that empower changemakers and accelerate social innovation. Hub Tokyo also operates Impact HUB Tokyo, part of the global Impact HUB network—one of the world’s largest communities for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Since its opening in Meguro in 2013, Impact HUB Tokyo has served as a coworking and incubation space in Meguro, bringing together startups, freelancers, artists, and NPO leaders from Japan and abroad. Accredited as an incubation center by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2022, it continues to provide support for early-stage entrepreneurs through incubation programs and community initiatives. In 2023, they opened Communita Café, a neighborhood café that functions as a gathering place where locals and members can meet, exchange ideas, and build meaningful connections.