Table of Contents
- 1 Services that contribute to health through digital sports
- 2 Utilizing vacant space in shopping malls. Creating new value for the city through open innovation.
- 3 Spontaneous community is the catalyst for continued exercise
- 4 The challenge is to collect data that provides evidence that can be judged to be conducive to health
- 5 After monetization & self-starting, the goal is to expand nationwide
Services that contribute to health through digital sports
--Please tell us what kind of business does Air Digital operate?
rice field in front of a temple's main hall Air Digital will procure AI-based simulation competition software, operation panels, sensor cameras, etc. from domestic and overseas sources to create exercise opportunities that integrate online and offline,A company that develops large digital sports facilities with realistic, interactive sports spaces and competition content.It is.
However, in the year following 2019, when the company was founded, the new coronavirus made it difficult to attract customers to real places and events. It became necessary to create an added value that was not simply "a place where you can play sports" or "a place where you can have fun," but something extra that could not be found anywhere else.
This was a difficult time for not only our company, but also for shopping malls in the Corona Disaster area, as vacant floor space increased, mall users decreased, and shopping malls became quiet.
As a result, this environment has led to a rapid increase in the number of inquiries from commercial facilities across Japan about utilizing vacant space. One of these is Ario Washinomiya, a shopping mall facility in Kuki City. Indeed, if we could create killer content targeting the shopping mall's customers, it could lead to both Air Digital's revenue and the shopping mall's customer attraction.
Therefore, we began to think together with Kuki City about whether we could create a service that would not end up being just a fun game or simulation sport, but would be more satisfying and recognized by many people, and that would contribute to good health.
-- Did you apply to the Accelerator at that time?
rice field in front of a temple's main hall Yes. We wanted to work with Ando Hazama to come up with a solution while building a relationship between Kuki City Hall and the shopping mall.
--Please tell us why Ando Hazama adopted Air Digital.
sakakibara (species of evergreen sacred to Shinto, Cleyera japonica) AirDigital is thinking.Novelty of trying to make use of digital sports for healthI was attracted to the idea of working together with Mr. Maeda. In addition, Mr. Maeda already had a partnership with Kuki City, so we were eager to work with him.Challenging specific initiatives that lead to local developmentThe reason for the adoption was that we wanted to
Utilizing vacant space in shopping malls. Creating new value for the city through open innovation.
--What are the specifics of your collaboration with the three parties?
sakakibara (species of evergreen sacred to Shinto, Cleyera japonica) The goal is to,Establishment of health maintenance and frail prevention programs for the elderly using digital sportsIt is. We recognize that the hollowing out of shopping malls, the growing elderly population, and the lack of opportunities for children to exercise are social problems that need to be solved.
We wanted to solve this problem by building and developing an exercise habit program at the Digital Sports Field with the cooperation of sports trainers and physiotherapists.
rice field in front of a temple's main hall Specifically, to find out what kind of response we would get from shopping mall customers, we first held a sports test that would allow customers to check their own muscle strength and other physical conditions, and an event that would allow them to experience sports through digital content.
What we found here is that the clientele is different on weekdays and weekends/holidays. On weekdays, there are more elderly people, while on weekends and holidays, there are more families. Moreover, although families and children enjoyed the experience, the elderly, who were the main target of the frailty prevention program, were less likely to be attracted to digital sports than we had anticipated.
At the same time, we found that the elderly were aware that their muscle strength was declining, so we first consulted with a physical therapist to have them learn about their own physical condition, and then have them experience simple strength training, digital-based training for fun and efficient exercise, Pilates, yoga, etc. The event has evolved into an event that even the elderly can enjoy and participate in. With the cooperation of Ario Washinomiya,New plan to hold a walking event where participants walk around the shopping center with a physical therapist.I did.
For families, we created a space with separate fields for each sport, including competitive baseball, soccer, archery, and bicycle content, a digital ball pool that even young children can enjoy, and e-sports, where children can play on computers when they get tired.
The event content continues to improve each time it is held, and currently attracts approximately 500 visitors each month, half of whom are repeat customers.
sakakibara (species of evergreen sacred to Shinto, Cleyera japonica) In the planning and promotion of such initiatives, we will discuss the establishment of a flail prevention program using digital sports machines in January 2023,Kuki City, Air Digital, and MHI sign collaboration agreementThe project has been a good public-private partnership that is very agile. I feel it is a good public-private partnership that is very agile.
money Kuki City has declared itself a "healthy and sports city," aiming to become a city where everyone can live healthy and active lives through sports and exercise. In November 2022, we will also receive the "Municipality Award for Excellence in Sports and Healthy Community Development" from the Sports Affairs Agency.
In addition, this initiative isSelected by the Sports Agency for the "Sport in Life Promotion Project (a project to create a model for efforts to expand the sports population)" in FY2023.The project is now in the process of being subsidized and various projects are being implemented.
*For more information on the "Ando Hazama New Business Co-Creation Program 2022", please contactthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)
Spontaneous community is the catalyst for continued exercise
--What kind of response have you received from actual users and repeaters?
rice field in front of a temple's main hall In this day and age, there are more and more parks where you can't use a ball, and there are fewer opportunities to practice biking. So many children really want to play baseball but cannot throw or hit a ball, kick a ball in soccer, or ride a bicycle.
On that note, you can throw and hit safely without worrying about anyone else's eyes.Digital sports, which can be used for a variety of things, are very popular with children themselves and their parents.Many people come to the center throughout the day to play soccer or baseball, and when they get tired, they play e-sports and make friends with the people they meet there. We often see such scenes.
Elderly people,Experience strength training and a decline in muscle strength.I am glad to see that you have decided to do so, and that you have enjoyed riding the bicycles and experiencing yoga. Like your children, you have made friends with the people who gathered there, and when you are tired, it is nice to see them taking a break to have a cup of tea together.
--A good and healthy initiative all around.
rice field in front of a temple's main hall As you say, it is a very healthy initiative. However, I also feel the difficulty of having to create services for each of them.
money Formation of community is important for sports continuity and habituation.It is. Air Digital's service is more of a game than a sports-specific service, and since it is fun and enjoyable to continue, we believe that it will spontaneously create a community that will encourage people to continue exercising.
The challenge is to collect data that provides evidence that can be judged to be conducive to health
--It sounds like the project is progressing very quickly, but have there been any difficulties or barriers to collaboration among the three parties?
rice field in front of a temple's main hall There are no barriers in collaboration, but the clientele that comes to the shopping mall on weekdays and weekends/holidays are different,How to communicate the store's appeal to different customer segments is a major challenge.The theme of the project is the prevention of frailty among the elderly. Since the theme is to prevent frailty among the elderly, we need to give them a sense of security to attract them, but we cannot draw too close to that.
While space is limited and we cannot incorporate all wishes, we are still in the process of improving the way we create space and PR.
sakakibara (species of evergreen sacred to Shinto, Cleyera japonica) In terms of PR, Mr. Kanazawa has been very cooperative, posting event information in the Kuki City newsletter and producing posters. In addition, we have also enlisted the cooperation of a university in order to promote a stronger sense of security to our customers,Need data to provide evidence that contributes to healthI also believe that Since evidence building requires attracting customers, I would like to focus more on that aspect.
money As Mr. Sakakibara mentioned, we believe that data as evidence is very important in developing this initiative. Because this is a unique and advanced case, we need to obtain proper data.In the future, we would like to make this case study a model case for the rest of the country.I feel that this is a good thing.
After monetization & self-starting, the goal is to expand nationwide
--Finally, what are your plans for the future?
rice field in front of a temple's main hall This business can only be a positive thing for its users, and we are proud to be able to provide a healthy service to all generations. However, it will not be a viable business unless we can make it profitable and self-sustaining at the earliest possible time. What is needed there is,Service development for self-startingIt is.
For example, if we can develop a system for families on weekends and holidays, for the elderly during weekdays, and for after-school hours in the evening, with day service content for school children and children with developmental disabilities, we may be able to create a system that can run on its own. Once we have this system in place, we would like to expand it nationwide.
sakakibara (species of evergreen sacred to Shinto, Cleyera japonica) Yes, that's right. We are working to create a "Kuki City model" that combines a sustainable business with the promotion of community health, with the help of the local community.From Kuki City to the rest of the country, developing programs for preventing frailty and contributing to good healthI wish I could.
money We believe that digital sports are very powerful content that everyone can enjoy, with low hurdles to use. I think it is a developed version of e-sports, where people actually move their bodies while thinking. It may take time for awareness to spread, but by making it a substantial content,Providing an opportunity for many people to get physically active.I wish I could.
Mr. Aihaku Maeda Representative Director, Air Digital Inc.For the past 10 years, he has been involved in launching new games and new businesses at a foreign game developer.
In 2017, he joined his former company, Legend Baseball, Inc.
He was in charge of launching the business of Legend Baseball, a screen-based baseball system, in Japan, as well as brand strategy, corporate alliances, and store development for experience-based sports theme parks.
With the closing of Legend Baseball, Inc. he founded Legend Sports Heroes, Inc. in 2019.
In July 2020, the company name was changed to Air Digital Inc.
Takeshi Kanazawa Belongs to Sports Promotion Division, Health and Sports Department, Kuki City HallAfter working at a department store, he joined Kuki City Hall in 2013. After working in city promotion and public relations, he assumed the position of deputy chief of the Sports Promotion Division in 2022. Based on the concept of sports promotion through collaboration within companies and the community, he is working on the establishment of a frail prevention program using digital machines in cooperation with companies and the creation of a multi-generational community centered on the 3X3 three-person basketball game.
'Local officials are truly amazing! Local Public Servant of the Year Award 2023".
With zero budget and no precedent, he led a 3-player basketball "3X3 High School Event" to great success in collaboration with civic groups, businesses, and high schools. The cookie dance video he planned and performed in received 670,000 views!
Tsubasa Sakakibara Manager, Innovation Department, Corporate Strategy Division, Ando & Hazama Co.Joined the company in 2006. She has built up her career in the corporate sector through her experience in recruitment in the Human Resources Department, the Branch Administration Department, and in the Overseas Department, where she was stationed in Thailand.
After being transferred to a startup and developing new business, he is currently in charge of investment and startup support operations and regional development operations.
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