The University Of Kitakyushu
the Center for Fundamental Education
Center for Chinese Business Studies

The 20^th Regular Seminar

Theme：Challenge of revitalization of welfare business for the elderly~ Soseikai Group Achievements and East Asia Collaboration Strategy
Speaker：Mr. Tetsuya ABE, General Manager of Business Planning, Corporate Headquarters of Social Welfare Corporation SOUSEIKAI Group (Fukuoka City)
Commentator：Takeharu SAKAMOTO, Associate Professor of the Center for Fundamental Education, the University of Kitakyushu, a member of the Institute for Regional Strategy
Date：March 13, 2021
Place：Mainichi Seibu Kaikan Kitakyushu

　Mr. Tetsuya ABE, a lecturer at this seminar, has served as General Manager of Business Planning, Corporate Headquarters of Social Welfare Corporation SOUSEIKAI Group (Fukuoka City). After having engaged in various tasks such as the administration of daycare facilities and pay nursing homes, marketing of nursing care facilities of the group, and launching of new businesses, his current duties focus on the taking over and reconstruction of businesses acquired by the Souseikai Group.

　Mr. Abe began his lecture by showing the business composition of the Souseikai Group including existing and new nursing care businesses and acquisition / reconstruction businesses, and then introduced the structure of business models of the main businesses. With a practical case study, he explained in detail a series of business procedures from business acquisition, takeover of management and operation, improvement of revenue structure, reform of staff mindset, to the establishment of a long-term business vision.

　He then introduced the group’s overseas business development including that in Australia and China. In particular, he used visual materials taken on-site to explain overseas programs such as a joint training project with China Philanthropy Research Institute of Beijing Normal University as well as the start of a joint venture with the Zhejiang Jincheng Group, and training / guidance on nursing care skills by dispatching expatriates from Japan (Zhoushan Project, Zhejiang, China). Lastly, he took up an ongoing project of remodeling an acquired hotel in Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture into an elderly home, as a model case that is being promoted with support from the local government and the community.

　Associate Professor Takeharu SAKAMOTO at the Center for Fundamental Education, the University of Kitakyushu, a member of the Institute for Regional Strategy, served as commentator. Based on his visits to more than 20 nursing care businesses in the Greater-Kyushu region, he highly evaluated the Souseikai Group’s nationwide development of the service network, as well as outstanding capabilities for innovation and high-quality care management services. 

　He also pointed out the importance of paying attention not only to care service recipients but also to the situation of their families to support them in cooperation with the local community. The beneficiary-first perspective of the management of the Souseikai Group demonstrates a clear commitment to their business goals and the recipients of their business services. Because the Group executives are familiar with the frontline of services, they are able to establish a system fitting to the needs of the service frontline.

　In the Q&A session at the end of the seminar, many questions were asked regarding Souseikai’s business operation in China, the Hagi City project, long-term care insurance, and introduction of IoT technology. Mr. Abe took great care in responding to these questions.

　With the seminar having started by the remarks on behalf of organizers from Prof. Keisuke YAO, Director of the Asian Regional Cooperation Department of the Institute for Regional Strategy, and Dean of the Graduate School of Social System Studies, the University of Kitakyushu. It was concluded by summing up remarks from Prof. Xiaoping WANG, Director of the CCBS. With many participants despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminar was held in a successful manner.

Prof. Kisuke Yao delivered an opening remarks.

Lecture scene of Mr. Tetsuya ABE (1)

Lecture scene of Mr. Tetsuya ABE (2)

Comment scene of Associate Professor Takeharu SAKAMOTO(1)

Comment scene of Associate Professor Takeharu SAKAMOTO(2)

Prof. WANG Xiao-ping summed up the seminar with closing remarks.