～幼児・保育の専門家や有識者と語る、保育AI™の活用による持続可能な保育とは～
- The following is content from the press release -
保育AI™を中心としたテクノロジーの力で保育や子育てに関する社会課題を解決するユニファ株式会社（本社：東京都千代田区、代表取締役CEO：土岐泰之、以下「ユニファ」）が提供する、保育総合ICTサービス「ルクミー」は、2025年5月13日（火）にルクミーご契約園を対象とした、保育AI™と共に未来の保育を考えるイベント「ルクミー 保育の未来サミット2025」を開催したことをお知らせします。
Background
Japan's childcare industry is also undergoing a major period of change in the use of AI. According to the "Vital Statistics" released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare*1, the number of births has decreased by approximately 30% over the past 10 years, and the number of children has decreased for 44 consecutive years*2, making the declining birthrate a serious issue.
On the other hand, in the childcare field, in addition to the increasing workload due to the shortage of human resources, a drastic solution to the urgent issues of reforming work styles and securing human resources is required before the full-scale implementation of the "Anyone Can Go to Preschool System for Children" in FY2026.
The Digital Agency's "Priority Plan for the Realization of a Digital Society "*3 sets a target of 100% adoption of ICT terminals in childcare facilities by the end of FY2025. In the field of childcare, there is a growing need to provide high-quality childcare services tailored to the developmental stage and personality of each child, while streamlining a wide range of paperwork, such as daily records, safety management, and coordination with parents, into DX.
本サミットは、保育・幼児教育の専門家や有識者が集まり、新時代の保育について考えるなかで、保育AI™の活用と可能性について議論するために開催されました。
Lukumi will continue to support childcare providers to focus on warm interactions with children and creative childcare by utilizing AI technology.
*1: "TheVital Statistics Overview" (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: September 17, 2024)
*2: "TheNumber of children in our country" (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: April 1, 2025)
*3: "ThePriority Plans for the Realization of a Digital Society" (Digital Agency: June 21, 2024)
Part I: Panel Discussion "The New Era of Childcare" (2)
In the first part, Mr. Toki, CEO of Unifa, took the stage together with Mr. Soyobuta, Professor at Tamagawa University, Mr. Saito, Advisor of Kodomo DX Promotion Association and President of Showa Gakuen School Corporation, and Mr. Hori, Councilor of Japan Childcare Association and Director of Sakura, a certified childcare center.
In this session, the discussion was based on the following three themes as "The Concept of Childcare in the New Era".
- A review of the past five years: changes that have occurred in the childcare industry
- The Future: Looking Ahead to 10, 15, and 2050
- Importance of Technology and AI
The "Vision for the First 100 Months of a Child's Life "*4 presented by the Administration for Children and Families positions infancy as an extremely important period that is deeply related to a child's present and future wellbeing*5. It aims to support not only parents and childcare professionals but also society as a whole in nurturing children during this period.
Ms. Saito introduced concrete examples of the past five years' efforts, such as the shift from simultaneous childcare to "inquiry-based childcare" that respects children's independence, and the "Connected Childcare Project" that links various local events and childcare.
Mr. Hori shared that childcare facilities will be required to further "create childcare" by themselves and by those involved in childcare, and shared once again the importance of ICT utilization for childcare providers to confront essential childcare. The participants also discussed the future of childcare and the importance of the environment surrounding children, including the possibility of making children's ideas useful to the world by strengthening cooperation with local communities and having childcare facilities work hand in hand with a variety of stakeholders.
Mr. Soyobuta also reiterated the keywords for the next 10 to 20 years: the realization of a "Kodomo-Mannaka Society "*6 and the potential for childcare facilities to become the "core of regional networks.
The first part of this session concluded with a common understanding that the use of AI technology in the new era of childcare is an essential element deeply related to the transformation of childcare facilities, children's growth, local communities, and society as a whole.
*4: "TheBasic vision for the child's development through infancy (vision for the first 100 months of development)" (Administration for Children and Families, December 2023)
5: Well-being: A state of being physically, mentally, and socially all-rounded, as advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
*6: "*6Agency for Children and Families Policy DescriptionChildren and FamiliesAgency, April 2023)
Part 2: Case Study Session "Creating the Future of Childcare with Childcare AI
第二部では「保育AI™と創る保育の未来」と題して、玉川大学教授の大豆生田氏、ユニファ代表の土岐、ビジネス本部の浅野が登壇し、保育現場におけるAI活用事例を中心にセッションが行われました。
冒頭では、ユニファ執行役員CPOで人間中心設計専門家（認定HCD専門家）の山口が登壇し、ユニファが提供するルクミーの保育AI™「すくすくレポート（β版）」の具体的な活用方法、今後の展望などが話されました。「すくすくレポート」をはじめとした保育AI™は、保育業務を保育者の代わりに行うツールではなく、保育者のアシスタントとして機能し、人の温かみを大切にした保育をサポートすることを目的していることが改めて共有されました。
Specific examples of the use of the "Sukusuku Report" were shared, and childcare providers were able to create reflections among themselves on childcare that captured children's growth, including discoveries and improvements made through actual use and their thoughts on childcare. Professor Soyobuta of Tamagawa University commented on each case study, emphasizing the importance of bringing new perspectives back to the childcare field and putting them into practice.
本サミットは、保育AI™を活用して保育者の業務負担を軽減し、保育者がこどもとより深く向き合い、本質的な保育の実践に注力できる環境整備を今後もサポートするという明確な目的をもって終了しました。
4. participant's voice
Tenshu Social Welfare Service Corporation Tenshu Uriwahigashien
Dr. Hiromichi Itonaga
The shortage of manpower, a major challenge in the childcare field, has led to a lack of spare time for childcare providers and the field. As the "quality" of childcare becomes even more important in the future, we believe that the workload on the frontlines will increase.
This seminar reminded us that there are limits to what can be done by daycare facilities alone in the future, and that it is essential to urgently establish a system for watching over children in cooperation with the local community.
As a measure to improve operations, we also believe that the use of childcare AI will help reduce the workload of childcare workers and improve their work comfort. We believe that Lukumi's childcare AI can create time for caregivers to reflect on children's growth through support for taking photos and creating records. We hope that Rukumi will continue to play an important role in improving the "quality" of childcare and become a good partner in the future.
Outline of the Summit
name
Lukumi: "The Future of Childcare Summit 2025."
Schedule
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 15:00-17:20
List of Appearances (in no particular order)
~Part I~.
Professor, Tamagawa University
Yuzen Saito (Advisor, Kodomo DX Promotion Association / President, Showa Gakuen Educational Corporation)
Masahiro Hori (Councilor, Japan Childcare Association / Director, Sakura, an accredited childcare center, Social Welfare Corporation Bell-no-Naru Oka Tomonokai)
Yasuyuki Toki (Representative Director and CEO, Unifa Corporation)
~Part II~.
Professor, Tamagawa University
Yasuyuki Toki (Representative Director and CEO, Unifa Corporation)
Akiko Asano (Deputy General Manager, Sales Department 1, Business Division, Unifa Corporation)
Takahiro Yamaguchi (Executive Officer, CPO, General Manager, Product Development Division, General Manager, AI Development Promotion Department, Unifa Corporation)
target group
ICT service "Lukumi" for childcare facilities in Japan
6．「保育AI™」について
ユニファが提供するルクミーの『保育AI™』サービスでは、連絡帳・おたよりなどの文章作成を支援する『たよれるくん』や保護者に共有される写真に子ども達が偏りなく撮影されているかのチェックを支援する『ばらつきチェック』といった機能を提供しています。
These will allow caregivers to reduce the burden of paperwork and increase the time and mental capacity to face the children. In addition, for parents, more careful information sharing will lead to a greater sense of security and trust.
In October 2024, based on the "Guidelines for Publicly Inviting Demonstration Organizations for the Use of Generative AI in the Field of Children and Childrearing" issued by the Administration for Children and Families, we began demonstration experiments using our generative AI technology at childcare facilities in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture; Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture; and Komae City, Tokyo.
There is no need to worry about "mechanical" or "cold" childcare when using Lukumi's "Childcare AI™" service. Childcare is only possible with the thoughts and feelings of the caregivers who are always there to watch over the children. The "Childcare AI™" service assists the childcare provider in the smallest of details, helping to create time with the children.
Lukumi has developed a childcare method that combines the "Childcare AI™" service and the wishes of childcare providers, and has worked with childcare providers at facilities in 47 prefectures across the country. With the "Childcare AI™" service, Lukumi aims to realize childcare that firmly embodies human warmth, and aims to provide childcare that is overflowing with love and that is closer to children.
『保育AI™』サービスの詳細等は以下よりご覧ください
https://lookmee.jp/hoikuai
7. "Sukusuku Report
Caregivers keep daily records of children's growth in the form of individual records and photographs.
Sukusuku Report" summarizes the child's growth for a specified period of time from these enormous past records and visualizes impressive events from among the photos, along with AI functions. It is also possible to search for the records of the whole class from a huge number of photos without any hassle.
This function reduces the burden on caregivers to search backward through records, allowing them to focus more on the essence of childcare. It also makes it easier to find out what children are into, the growth process in childcare, and the individuality of each child, which can be used for dialogue among caregivers, reviewing their own childcare, and setting the next goal for childcare. The reports can also be used in childcare plans and records.
Sukusuku Report" was developed to help caregivers deeply understand the growth of each child and to support "high quality" childcare. This service allows you to realize that every record left in the past is a valuable value that will expand the future of your child.
For more information on the "Sukusuku Report" service, please click below.
https://lookmee.jp/hoikuai/sukusuku-report.html
You can also watch the video below
8. about luxmy and unifa
What is ICT Lukumi ＜https://lookmee.jp/>
The duties of childcare workers are extremely diverse, ranging from managing children's arrival and departure from preschool, watching over them during naptime (nap time), preparing daycare diaries and plans, preparing documents to be submitted to parents and the local government, and managing shifts of childcare workers.
The "Lukumi" series automatically collects data on attendance, temperature, sleep, meals, bowel movements, etc., as well as photos taken with Lukumi Photo, and automatically posts the data to forms and contact sheets. In addition, with Lukumi Sleep Check, the sensor detects body movements and the application automatically records the orientation of the body. Lukumi Noon Sleep Check has the largest market share in the industry*1. This system aims to achieve DX (digital transformation) of childcare-related operations, significantly reducing workloads and creating more time and mentality for childcare workers. The time created will also allow caregivers to spend more time with their children, which is important for them, and the provision of a photo documentation function will create an environment in which caregivers can easily share their observations of children's growth with each other, thereby increasing rich communication. Through these efforts, the service contributes to the creation of job satisfaction for caregivers and the improvement of the quality of childcare services. To date, the service has been used by a cumulative total of more than 20,000 people, and has been introduced in about 70 municipalities*2.
1: From "MIC IT Report Monthly," MIC Economic Research Institute, Deloitte Tohmatsu, October 2023, "Comparative Analysis of Introduction Results of Leading Vendors in the Noon Sleep Check Sensor Market"; ranked first in terms of cumulative number of sensors shipped, cumulative number of children using sensors, and cumulative number of facilities introducing sensors in FY2022.https://mic-r.co.jp/micit/
*2: As of September 2024. In-house research.
Unifa Corporation <https://unifa-e.com/>
Unifa is a startup in the Childcare-Tech domain that aims to solve social issues related to childcare and childcare. With the company's mission of "creating an innovative social infrastructure that creates happiness for families around the world," Unifa develops and provides a childcare support service called "Rukumee®" that utilizes the latest technologies such as IoT and generative AI. Through the concept of "Smart Nursery School®, Smart Kindergarten®, and Smart Childcare Center®," we are contributing to the creation of an affluent society in which it is easy to work while raising children. -Startup in 2017 and J-Startup Impact in October 2023. He also serves as the President of the Impact Startup Association, established in October 2022, and as a board member of the Children's DX Promotion Association.
*Smart Nursery School®, Smart Kindergarten®, and Smart Children's School® are registered trademarks of Unifa.
About Us
Company name: Unifa Corporation
Representative Director & CEO: Yasuyuki Toki
Established: 2013
Location: Sumitomo Fudosan Nagatacho Building 1F, 2-17-3 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Company URL: https://unifa-e.com/
