Creating opportunities for dialogue to nurture the future of children throughout society over a total of 8 days
- The following is content from the press release -
(Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yasuyuki Toki; hereinafter "Unifa"), a company that solves social issues related to childcare and child rearing through the power of technology centered on Childcare AI™, will hold the "What to Do About Childcare Future Conference 2025 AUTUMN" from September 8 (Monday) to 19 (Friday), 2025
Now in its fifth year, the "What to Do About Childcare in the Future Conference" will be held for the ninth time. Under the theme of "Nurture the Smiles and Future of Children by All Societies," experts and specialists in childcare and early childhood education will be invited to the conference, which will be held over a total of eight days. The total number of viewers to date has exceeded 45,000*1.
*As of August 2025 (own research)
About the "What Should We Do About Childcare in the Future Conference?
Background
The childcare industry continues to face a number of challenges, including a growing shortage of childcare workers*1 and a high turnover rate*2. In addition, as the number of dual-earner households increases, there is a need to respond to diverse needs, such as extended daycare and sick child care, while the declining birthrate is beginning to affect the future of childcare facilities themselves.
One of the important policies for childcare in the future is to "ensure and enhance high-quality childcare that meets local needs," rather than "expand the quantity of childcare," which has been the focus of measures for children on waiting lists*3, and various measures are needed at childcare facilities.
The "What to Do About Childcare in the Future Conference" was launched as an online training event at the end of November 2020 to re-create the learning opportunities lost due to the new coronavirus outbreak.
We will continue to contribute to the realization of a society that nurtures the future of children by sharing wisdom across the industry and realizing sustainable, high-quality childcare.
*1: Source "Trends in Effective Job Openings for Child Care Workers" (Administration for Children and Families, April 2025)
*2: Source "Number of Registered Child Care Workers, etc. (by gender)" (Administration for Children and Families, October 2024)
*3: Source "New Directions in Childcare Policy" (Administration for Children and Families, December 2024)
Theme and features of this year's event
The theme of this year's seminar is "Nurturing Children's Smiles and the Future with Everyone in Society. Experts who lead the world of childcare and early childhood education, as well as practitioners in the field who are making progressive efforts, will speak at the seminar.
In anticipation of the full-scale implementation of the "Anyone Can Go to Preschool System for Children" in FY2026, the 8-day program will also focus on sustainable preschool management, securing human resources, and the use of the latest ICT and AI to improve the "quality" of childcare and operational efficiency.
We will also have sessions where specific tips, know-how, and perspectives on how to use "Sukusuku Report™," one of Rukumi's "Childcare AI™" functions, and actual examples of its use will be shared, so that you can immediately put them into practice onsite after the viewing.
Contents of main sessions (excerpts)
- Hope for the Future Nurtured in the First 100 Months: Building a Happy Childhood in Preschool, Home, and Community
- To a childcare facility that attracts people and keeps people - Recruitment and retention techniques realized through the use of social networking services
- Understanding Children Deepened through Dialogue and Recording - Can AI be Used to Enhance Childcare Expertise?
- The Role of Preschools and New Forms of Support for Children and Parents: Optimal Solutions from the Perspective of National Policy The Role of Preschools and New Forms of Support for Children and Parents - Optimal Solutions from the Perspective of National Policies
summary
Seminar Title
What shall we do about childcare?
Schedule
Monday, September 8, 2025 - Friday, September 19, 2025 (8 days in total)
*Except for Wednesday, September 10 during the above period.
List of Appearances (in no particular order)
- Professor, Faculty of Education, TUAT
- Takashi Mutoh (Professor Emeritus, White Bai Gakuen University)
- Ms. Keirina Maruyama, TV personality and former Japanese women's national soccer player
- Mr. Masahiro Hori (Director of Sakura, an accredited children's preschool)
- Toshimasa Kobouchi, Chief of Pediatrics, Tokyo Metropolitan Tama-Hokubu Medical Center
- Yuzen Saito (President, Showa Gakuen Educational Corporation)
- Hiroko Inokuma, Professor, Komazawa Women's College
- Ms. Minako Hinata (President, High Flyers Inc. / Director, Childcare Operation Division, Keith's General Manager, Preschool)
- Nagisa Ishii (Director, Public Relations Department, Business Planning Division, High Flyers Inc.)
- Hideyasu Suzuki, Photographer
- Fuyuma Miyoshi (President, Childcare ICT Promotion Association / Expert, Childcare DX Committee, Kodomo DX Promotion Association / Professor, Department of Psychology and Child Development, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Matsuyama Toonome Women's University)
- Akihiro Nakamura (Deputy Director, Nonaka Children's School, Kakinoki-kai Social Welfare Corporation)
- Hidenori Watanabe (President, Watanabe Gakuen Educational Corporation / Director, Kohoku Kindergarten / Director, Yuyunomori Preschool)
- Hiromi Nagaki (President, Uruki Tree General Incorporated Association)
- Hajime Matsuo (President, Souei Gakuen Educational Corporation / Chairman, All Saitama Private Kindergartens Association / Former Chairman, Saitama City Private Kindergartens Association)
- Tadamichi Ito (Director, Junjoji Children's Preschool, Junjoji Fukushi Kai Social Welfare Corporation)
- Masashi Fujita, President and Representative Director, MJ Co.
target group
Childcare providers nationwide, corporations that operate childcare facilities, and students who want to become childcare providers.
Participation Fee
free
Holding format
Online (Zoom)
Other details
For more information on how to apply and other details, please visit the URL below.
https://info.lookmee.jp/miraikaigi
2. about Lukumi's "Childcare AI™"
Unifa's Lucumi's "Childcare AI™" function provides functions such as "TAYORULEKUN," which assists in the writing of contact sheets and letters, and "Variance Check," which checks whether children are photographed without bias in the photos shared with their parents.
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.
For more information on the "Childcare AI™" service, please click below.
https://lookmee.jp/hoikuai
3. "Sukusuku Report™" (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 go back and search through records, allowing them to spend more time concentrating on the essence of childcare. It also makes it easier to find children's absorbed play, the growth process in childcare, and the individuality of each child, which can be used for dialogue among caregivers, review of their own childcare, and setting the next childcare goal. 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
4. about Lukumi and Unifa
What is Childcare Comprehensive 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 such as attendance, temperature, sleep, meals, and bowel movements, as well as photos taken with Lukumi Photo, and automatically posts them to forms and contact sheets. In addition, Lukumi Sleep Check uses sensors to detect body movements, and the application automatically records body orientation. Lukumi Noon Sleep Check has the largest market share in the industry*1. With the "Lukumi" series, we aim to achieve DX (Digital Transformation) of childcare-related operations and a significant reduction in workload, thereby creating more time and energy 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 system will contribute to the creation of a more rewarding work environment for caregivers and improvement of the quality of childcare services. To date, the "Lukumi" series has been installed in a cumulative total of over 20,000 cases, and has been introduced in approximately 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 statement "to create an innovative social infrastructure that creates happiness for families around the world," Unifa develops and provides a comprehensive childcare ICT service called "Rukumi®" that utilizes the latest technologies, centering on Childcare 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. In addition, it was selected as a J-Startup in 2021 and J-Startup Impact in October 2023. He also serves on the board of directors of the Children's DX Promotion Association, an incorporated association established in February 2023.
*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/
