Sakai City Implements Project to Visualize Reality of 'Loneliness and Isolation' Issues and Verify Effectiveness of Multiple Support Methods, Including AI

Sakai City, Omoihito Inc. (Headquarters: Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Moe Kaneko), and Empathy4u Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Soichi Morioka) have signed a three-party cooperation agreement. They were selected for Sakai City's "FY2025 Public-Private Partnership Demonstration Project Promotion Program" (Theme: "Loneliness and Isolation Countermeasures") and implemented a demonstration project (Official Name: "Construction of a New Consultation Support Tool for Loneliness and Isolation Countermeasures in Sakai City and Survey of Loneliness and Isolation Status").

This demonstration project aimed to quantitatively visualize "who is struggling with what, to what extent, and what kind of support is effective" in the context of loneliness and isolation, and to verify the effectiveness of support measures. By establishing and testing multifaceted support channels for potential populations "falling through the cracks" of existing systems, the project aims to lead to policy recommendations.

The Cabinet Office's survey estimates that approximately 40% of the population experiences some form of anxiety or difficulty related to loneliness and isolation. Omoihito Inc., leveraging its expertise in comprehensively solving diverse cross-cutting issues cultivated in the nursing care sector, aims to build a replicable model for local governments nationwide by providing a one-stop service including "AI consultation services," "human consultation by expert counselors," and "chatbot-guided service information." The demonstration period was conducted until March 31, 2026 (Tuesday).

**Project Background and Problem Awareness**

The issue of loneliness and isolation is a significant social challenge, with the "Act on Promotion of Measures against Loneliness and Isolation" coming into effect in April 2024.

However, it is not easy for individuals experiencing loneliness or isolation to connect with administrative service windows or existing systems and welfare services on their own. Traditional administrative consultation services can be vertically structured, making it difficult for affected individuals to seek support until their worries and difficulties become complex and severe. In particular, approaching potential populations "falling through the cracks" who are not eligible for existing support systems remains a major challenge.

Furthermore, established methods for delivering appropriate support information and service window details to affected individuals are lacking, and local governments across the country are still exploring effective public relations strategies. Behind this lies the challenge that the reality and needs of affected individuals – "who is struggling with what, to what extent, and what kind of support is effective" – are not quantitatively visualized.

This demonstration project is a groundbreaking initiative that addresses these challenges by combining multifaceted support channel verification with data analysis, thereby visualizing the reality of individuals experiencing loneliness and isolation and effective approach methods.

Omoihito, based on the representative's experience as a young caregiver, has comprehensively solved complex problems for those "falling through the cracks" by providing integrated, one-stop, accompanying support in the nursing care field, combining decision-making support (family consensus building), practical assistance, and emotional care. With its implementation capabilities to "see through" everything from family consensus formation to various applications and adjustments, and its expertise in cross-sectoral collaboration with government, businesses, NPOs, and individuals, it will play a connecting role in the field of loneliness and isolation.

The system for this project is an evolution of Omoihito's proprietary tool (Care Guide), which is routinely used for internal consultations across various fields (nursing care, medical care, disability, child-rearing, poverty, etc.) and providers (municipalities, prefectures, national government, private sector) to present system and service information. While leveraging existing logic and data structures, it has been optimized into a practical operational specification that connects individuals to "consultation service information / AI consultation / counselor consultation" in the shortest possible time, depending on their situation.

**Specifics and Novelty of the Demonstration Project**

This project verified effective loneliness and isolation countermeasures by combining the following elements:

**Construction and Operation of Consultation Support Tools Responding to Diverse Needs**

A new consultation support tool based on LINE official accounts was constructed and operated. This tool provided seamless support to a wide range of citizens, from potential populations "falling through the cracks" to those with serious concerns, by establishing three support channels tailored to the consultant's situation, severity of concerns, and needs: ① AI-driven information provision tailored to individual situations, ② AI-specialized automated consultation services, and ③ human consultation services by expert welfare counselors.

**Publicity through Online Advertising Utilizing Diverse Channels and Types**

Online advertisements were distributed to guide potential populations in need of support to the consultation service windows. Web advertisements were targeted according to age groups and anticipated issues, leading users to the LINE official account. By utilizing targeted advertising with various SNS and diverse creatives, information was effectively conveyed to potential populations.

**Effectiveness Verification**

Various data obtained through the demonstration project (access status, consultation content, survey results, etc.) were analyzed in detail to quantitatively visualize the reality of loneliness and isolation.