33 years ahead in Japan

Lea Müller

Ms. Misoch, why is your research trip taking you to Japan?

Sabina Misoch: When we look at the demographic trends, we can see that Japanese society is already at a point that we won’t reach in Switzerland until 2050: about one third of Japan’s population is already aged 65+. It is, of course, exciting to see what solutions Japanese society has found to this challenge, especially as some parallels can be drawn with the situation in Switzerland: both countries are highly developed industrial nations that have a large shortage of skilled workers and an increasing shortage of informal care-givers. The situation is accentuated by the fact that life expectancies are very high and rising continuously.

What is the aim of your trip?

Misoch: There are several reasons for the research trip. Firstly, I want to discuss ideas with Japanese scientists and establish ongoing partnerships with research partners. Secondly, I want to take a look at some of the technological assistance solutions and robotic applications for the elderly that are already in use or being developed in Japan. Thirdly, I want to find out more about the technologies that we are testing in our Living Labs and which might be attractive for the Swiss market.

What will the highlights be on your research trip?

Misoch: At the start of my trip, I’ll be participating at the Robo Universe trade fair in Tokyo, where I want to learn about as many innovations as possible and make some new research and industry contacts. Following that, I’ll meet the inventor of the “PARO” therapy robot. The robotic seal is known worldwide in the field of dementia, but it is not without controversy. I have been in contact with its inventor for a while, and we would like to discuss a joint research project when we finally meet in person. I will also be meeting other researchers who are working on technological solutions for an ageing society. At the end of the research trip, I will visit Okinawa, the «Island of Centenarians». I’ll be meeting the director of the centenarians study for a chat. This is very exciting for us and I can’t wait to discuss the structure of the study and its findings so far.

What insights are you hoping to gain from this journey?

Misoch: In very general terms, it is important to me that I make a contribution to the internationalisation of research as a representative of the FHS St.Gallen.

How would you rate the chances of being able to adapt the technological solutions from Japan for use in Switzerland?

Misoch: It has been shown that technological acceptance, not the usefulness of a technology, is the decisive factor for the successful introduction of new technologies. This applies even more in the case of innovations that are to be used by people in the third and fourth phases of life. We want to test promising Japanese innovations in our Living Labs together with elderly people in a real-world context over a longer period (three to six months). The aim is to obtain meaningful data on their acceptance in Switzerland, as well as on the conditions of acceptance.

What are you looking forward to most?

Misoch: I’m really looking forward to talking to Japanese researchers, who are way ahead of us when it comes to technological solutions for life in old age.

What do you have the most respect for?

Misoch: Admittedly, I have the most respect for the language barrier. I already knew beforehand that elaborate planning would be needed in order to hold an in-depth scientific discussion without any knowledge of Japanese.

The Japanese culture is different to ours in many respects. How are you preparing for these cultural differences?

Misoch: I learned a lot about the Japanese culture and mentality from my Japanese teacher, but also from spending three weeks on holiday there during the summer with my husband and children. This stay has helped us all enormously to get a sense for the Japanese mentality and settle into Japanese life. The research trip will be an exciting experience for my whole family, as my husband will also be conducting some research there at the same time. Our eight-year-old twins will be joining us as well and attending the German school as guest students while we’re away. We are hoping we now know enough about the culture to avoid some embarrassing faux pas in autumn.

Picture: provided/Sabina Misoch during her trip to Japan in the summer of 2017