{"id":31,"date":"2024-03-30T02:00:45","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T17:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aatomo.subtonic.jp\/?page_id=31"},"modified":"2025-07-31T12:42:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T03:42:22","slug":"who_we_are","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aatomo.jp\/en\/who_we_are\/","title":{"rendered":"About aa-tomo Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Project Overview<\/h2>\n

Art & Wellbeing \u201caa-tomo\u201d (hereafter aa-tomo) is a joint project being developed by the National Center for Art Research and Tokyo University of the Arts, focused on the theme of art and wellbeing . In collaboration with local governments, the project aims to advance practical initiatives in the field of cultural prescribing, a movement to improve mental and physical health through art and cultural resources, by making use of museums and other cultural hubs. This project is part of the \u201cArts-Based Communication Platform for Co-creation to Build a Convivial Society\u201d initiative, which brings together 41 organizations (as of June 2025) from academia, government, and industry (including universities, national and other museums, local governments, and private companies), with Tokyo University of the Arts at the core. <\/p>\n

Our Purpose<\/h2>\n

In recent years, studies have revealed a correlation between people’s health and their participation in art and other creative activities. If inequality exists in the cultural environment, then there is also inequality in the environment that supports good health. Our project involves conducting research on and developing methods to eliminate this inequality. For example, \u201cunwanted loneliness and isolation\u201d can arise when a person cannot be creative in their own way. Rather than viewing this as an individual problem, we consider it a societal issue. We believe that art and culture can serve as a catalyst to alleviate and even resolve this situation.<\/p>\n

We aim to address such \u201cunwanted loneliness and isolation\u201d through cultural prescribing, a non-medical approach that incorporates art and culture. By collaborating with the medical and welfare sectors and utilizing technology, we can increase people\u2019s access to art and cultural activities and increase opportunities for connections between individuals and society.<\/p>\n

The Cultural Prescribing Approach<\/h2>\n

While grounded in the UK’s \u201ccreative health\u201d and \u201csocial prescribing\u201d approaches, the activities of aa-tomo are being developed in line with Japan’s advanced medical and welfare systems, and we are working in collaboration with a wide range of organizations\u2014such as art museums and other cultural institutions, medical and welfare-related organizations, local governments, citizen groups, and private companies\u2014with the aim of utilizing the power of regional cultural resources to increase the channels through which citizens can actively access society.<\/p>\n

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A New Role for Museums<\/h2>\n

One of our goals is to unite the museum collections and cultural resources of a specific region with technology to create new spaces and foster communication that can bring people together. We are working with local governments, medical and welfare organizations, and local citizens to achieve this goal.<\/p>\n

Museums, which were once considered places to show off treasures, have been evolving in line with changes in society. Especially since 2000, and now after the COVID-19 pandemic, museums are expected to be locations where people can easily exchange opinions, share new perspectives, and rediscover social issues, with the result of fostering connections with others, and even bringing about social change. It is clear that museums are no longer simply places to view treasures. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Implementation Efforts<\/h2>\n
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Enjoying Art through Dialogue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We are creating spaces where people can enjoy various works and cultural resources while engaged in dialogue. Works that pose questions with no correct answers serve as a medium for new communication, creating interpersonal connections.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mobile Museums<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There is no museum nearby… You are experiencing physical or mental health issues… There are various reasons why you may want to go to a museum but cannot. Wouldn\u2019t it be nice if the museum could come to you instead? We will be exploring possibilities for mobile museums.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Development of Museum Tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Modern technologies may bring new ways of interacting with and enjoying museum collections and cultural resources. Such tools might also provide new opportunities for regional connections and community engagement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Creating a Place of Learning for Cultural Link Workers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cultural link workers connect people and society through various activities, especially those related to art and culture. They play an important role in supporting the spread of cultural prescribing. We are working to create a space where cultural link workers can come to learn. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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Operational Structure<\/h2>\n

The core of aa-tomo operations is a joint team consisting of the Learning Group at the National Center for Art Research and the Takashi Kiriyama Laboratory at Tokyo University of the Arts. This joint team works in collaboration with various local governments, medical and welfare organizations, art communicators and more. Members with diverse expertise and backgrounds in the fields of art, technology and museums are working together to co-create a societal design for wellbeing through art.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Project Name<\/h2>\n
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The name of this project is Art & Wellbeing \u201caa-tomo.\u201d The name conveys the meaning of \u201cliving with art\u201d as well as \u201cbecoming friends with art.\u201d It also includes the sentiment of connecting to others with a greeting of \u201cHey, friend!\u201d <\/p>\n

The aa-tomo website is called \u201caa-tomo TODAY,\u201d while the art communicators who participate in the aa-tomo project are called \u201caa-tomo members.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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Creating a Society with Wellbeing<\/h2>\n

Items in museums are preserved because they have universal value for us as human beings.\nThe aa-tomo project aims to develop new ways of sharing these works with people living in the present day from the perspective of cultural prescribing. We believe that such activities will allow individuals to regain an awareness of what it means to live, including consideration of universal values and simply \u201cbeing present.\u201d We feel that museums and the works and materials they house have the power to provide positive affirmation to humans, and we believe that cultural prescribing has the power to create a society of wellbeing, where both mind and body are fulfilled.<\/p>\n

By creating such a place, we aim to realize a society where everyone can live with dignity, without being subjected to unwanted loneliness or isolation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Project Members<\/h2>\n\n\n\"\"\n<\/picture>\n
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Joint team of the National Center for Art Research Learning Group and the Takashi Kiriyama Laboratory of Tokyo University of the Arts, whose members are working on the \u201cArt & Wellbeing aa-tomo\u201d project.
\nPhoto: SAITO Yumi, TAKAHASHI Munemasa<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n
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\u201cArt & Wellbeing aa-tomo\u201d is a project operated within the \u201cArts-Based Communication Platform for Co-creation to Build a Convivial Society,(Open in New Window)<\/span><\/a>\u201d initiative, which brings together 41 organizations (as of 2025) from academia, government, and industry, including universities, national museums, local governments, and private companies, with Tokyo University of the Arts at the core.<\/p>\n

Through Art & Wellbeing \u201caa-tomo,\u201d we aim to create new spaces by linking museum collections and regional cultural resources with technology. The goal is to develop communication spaces centered around art, working in collaboration with local governments and the medical and welfare sectors. By creating such spaces, we aim to realize a society where everyone can live with dignity, free from unwanted loneliness and social isolation.<\/p>\n

The core of the Art & Wellbeing \u201caa-tomo\u201d project is a joint team consisting of the Learning Group at the National Center for Art Research and the Takashi Kiriyama Laboratory at Tokyo University of the Arts. This joint team collaborates with various local governments, medical and welfare organizations, art communicators, and others. Members with diverse expertise and backgrounds in the fields of art, technology and museums work together to co-create a society of wellbeing through art.<\/p>\n

Sawako Inaniwa, Takashi Kiriyama<\/p>\n

*This project is supported by the JST Co-creation Space Formation Support Program JPMJPF2105.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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