Must-See for Companies Wanting to Connect Disability Employment to Corporate Growth! Symposium "Corporate Growth Connecting Individuality to Strengths ~Starting New Talent Strategies with Neurodiversity~" to be Held on July 28 (Tue)

Tokyo Metropolis aims to promote diversity that contributes to corporate growth as a management strategy, keeping in mind labor shortages and the response to digitalization. We will hold a symposium "Corporate Growth Connecting Individuality to Strengths ~Starting New Talent Strategies with Neurodiversity~" that introduces the concept of neurodiversity and concrete forms of employment with abundant examples!

We invite companies to participate in this opportunity!

Event Overview

Date

July 28, Reiwa 8 (2026) (Tue)

Time

Lectures: 1:30 PM - 5:25 PM (Reception opens 1:00 PM) Consultation Booths: 2:50 PM - 6:00 PM

Format

Hybrid event: In-person and online

Venue

Nikkei Hall 3F, Nikkei Building, 1-3-7 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

[Access] Directly connected to Exit C2b from Otemachi Station (Subway)

How to Participate

◆Free Admission, Pre-registration not required

[In-person Participation]

Please come directly to the venue.

[Online Participation]

On the day of the broadcast, please click the "Participate in Symposium" button at the top of the page at the link below. (You will be redirected to YouTube Live)

https://www.shougai-portal.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/special/symposium/202607.html

*The participation button will become active at the start time.

Special Page

Please visit the TOKYO Support Portal for Persons with Disabilities.

You can download the flyer for this symposium from here

d52467-6694-314446eae2c3bc8289e938d31c070191.pdf

Program

Time

Content

1:30 PM - 1:35 PM

Opening Remarks

1:35 PM - 2:05 PM

Talk Show

"Thinking with Rui Kurihara about How to Face 'Developmental Disabilities' and Find a Place Where You Can Shine"

[Speaker] Rui Kurihara (Actor/Model)

▶Rui Kurihara, active as an actor and model. How has he faced his own characteristics and built his career since being diagnosed with a developmental disability? In a dialogue format with clinical psychologist Naoto Muranaka, an expert in neurodiversity, we will offer hints for anyone, regardless of disability status, to find a place where they can thrive as themselves.

2:05 PM - 2:50 PM

Lecture 1

"Basic Knowledge of Neurodiversity ~From the Perspective of Japanese Neurodiversity Based on the Stone Wall Model~"

[Speaker] Naoto Muranaka (Representative Director, Neurodiversity at Work Co., Ltd.)

▶This lecture will explain the concept of Japanese neurodiversity from the perspective of the "stone wall model," which utilizes individual differences, rather than the uniform "brick model," after organizing the origins and meaning of neurodiversity. It will present the possibilities of new ways of working, including employment for persons with disabilities, through the two perspectives of inclusion and cultivation.

3:05 PM - 3:50 PM

Lecture 2

"Beyond the Image of Employment for Persons with Disabilities ~Three Employment Support Organizations Talk About the Possibilities of Active Engagement~"

[Speakers] Jumpei Ohno (Kaien Inc.)

Naoki Shinoda (General Partner Inc.)

Ryosuke Fujii (Persol diversely Inc.)

▶What kind of work do you imagine when you hear "employment for persons with disabilities"? In reality, many individuals with disabilities are active as valuable employees after receiving training at employment support organizations. This lecture will provide specific details from three employment support organizations on training content, skills acquired, and tasks that can be undertaken at companies, offering a perspective that overcomes the preconception that "it's difficult for our company."

4:05 PM - 5:25 PM

Panel Discussion

"Practical Knowledge and Forms of Active Engagement in Employment for Persons with Disabilities ~The Journey and Future of Companies Practicing This~"

[Panelists] Panelist: Kotodokei Management Co., Ltd.

Panelist: LIXIL Advanced Showroom Inc.

Panelist: Fullon Inc.

[Facilitator] Yu Kageyama (Kaien Inc.)

▶What led companies engaged in employment for persons with disabilities to take the first step, and what efforts have they made? In this panel discussion, companies that are putting this into practice will share their journeys, on-site efforts, the active roles of individuals, and messages for companies considering this in the future. We will offer hints for thinking about taking the first step at your own company.

2:50 PM - 6:00 PM

Consultation Booths

[Participating Companies]

(Employment Support Organizations)

Kaien Inc.

General Partner Inc.

Persol diversely Inc.

(Panel Discussion Participating Companies)

Kotodokei Management Co., Ltd.

LIXIL Advanced Showroom Inc.

Fullon Inc.

▶You can ask questions and consult directly with employment support organizations and companies participating in the panel discussion. Please take advantage of this opportunity if you have any concerns about putting the symposium's content into practice.

*Consultation times with participating companies may vary by company.

Contact

Neurodiversity Symposium Secretariat (Contracted Business Operator: Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.)

Email: neuro_symposium_r8@nri.co.jp

Contact Persons: Takehara, Wakabayashi

This project is part of the "2050 Tokyo Strategy" initiative.

Strategy 9: Inclusive Society "Realizing a Society Where Everyone Can Shine, Regardless of Disability"