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<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/962799539?share=copy"></oembed></figure>A panel discussion event "Nordic Talks" was held on Tuesday, June 11 at Moon Tokyo Studio. 60+ people from the startup community gathered to discuss how to increase startup success with a large audience of 150+ people watching online via Zoom.&nbsp;Pitch event organizers, VCs, and entrepreneurs shared their experiences and prospects from a variety of perspectives. The entire event was recorded, and you can watch the archive on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfuR0u4pmDY">YouTube</a>.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1600/820;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_7329_1_1_e7c9c68387.jpg" alt="DSCF7329 1 (1).jpg" width="1600" height="820"><figcaption>From left to right: Niklas Karvonen, Antti Sonninen, Tobias Mathiasen, Amina Sugimoto, Shintaro Ishida.</figcaption></figure>Speakers included Niklas Karvonen (Community Director, Nordic Innovation House Tokyo), Antti Sonninen (Co-founder and CEO, Takeoff Tokyo), Tobias Mathiasen (Founding Partner, SKB.vc), Amina Sugimoto (Public Health Phd, CEO of fermata KK), and Shintaro Ishida (COO of Uninomics KK). In addition, many participants, including guests from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), discussed and exchanged opinions on Tokyo's startup environment. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1600/818;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_0607_1_b3931b7f7f.jpg" alt="DSCF0607 1.jpg" width="1600" height="818"><figcaption>At the center in this photo: Yuki Obata (Moon Creative Lab), founder of ISSHO, a Work Tech SaaS tool that visualizes each person's valuable contributions, asked about the expectations and ideals for the startup environment 10 years from now.</figcaption></figure>“We believe that the Nordic startup infrastructure and the Japanese ambition are a match made in heaven." said Reetta Purontakanen, Press Counselor, Finnish Embassy in Tokyo. The discussion heated up, focusing on how the startup environment in Japan has improved so far, and the differences between the global and Tokyo startup environment in terms of the relationship between investors and entrepreneurs. The importance of direct support for seed and early-stage startups when considering global expansion was also a focus of attention.<hr>Moon Creative Lab also hosts many other events. Please check our <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/ja/stories/page/1">Moon Stories Blog</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/moon-creative-lab/">Official LinkedIn Account</a> for latest news!

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Moon Creative Lab thrives on building an inclusive and diverse community – it’s what keeps us creative, innovative, and human-centered. And though we celebrate inclusivity all year long, the month of June, which is International Pride Month, was a great opportunity to spotlight our LGBTQIA+ community.Throughout June, our team led learning sessions, discussions, and other fun activities like trivia to celebrate Pride as a company. We also organized a community-based art show where artists could showcase their queer-themed art to the public.Following an open call to digital artists around the world, an art show and pop-up exhibition was held at our Tokyo studio in Omotesando. The event, which was open to all, displayed the beautiful, queer-themed art on windows and walls throughout the office. Visitors were able to admire art that celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community, socialize over drinks, and listen to their peers discuss building a diverse community during an open mic session. “The community and the people that came through were super chill, and we were just chatting. It was a nice event not only for queer people but for their friends, too. And the open mic portion, where anyone could talk about whatever they’re doing or anything they want to share – it was really fun,” says Hoan Phan, who was also chosen as the featured artist during the exhibit.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/PXL_20230619_012117552_1_d94a5829da.jpg" alt="PXL_20230619_012117552 (1).jpg"><figcaption>Featured art piece from artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hoanhoanhoan/">Hoan Phan</a>.</figcaption></figure>Hoan says the inspiration for his art piece came from a traditional Vietnamese dish called bánh bèo, which is also a slang term used to describe queer men. “I thought this could be an interesting concept. This slang in Vietnamese, when used as an adjective, could be a bit negative… I wanted to change this kind of mindset because we are a new generation. It’s not just like, being feminine means being weird.” Aside from using the illustration of bánh bèo, Hoan wanted to instill a sense of confidence to emphasize the reclamation of the slang term. Characters are illustrated in various poses, much like those in the dance style of voguing. One character in particular strikes a strong resemblance to gender-defying, cultural icon Grace Jones. “You can see some Grace Jones there. I love her,” Hoan gushes. “I was thinking of voguing or ballroom culture, which would be a good fit for this because the people in this scene have a lot of confidence, show good energy, and have a lot of freedom expressing themselves. So I thought putting these two pieces together could be fun.”<blockquote>"It’s not just like, being feminine means being weird.”</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Pride_event_photo_ca365a97fe.jpg" alt="Pride event photo.jpg"><figcaption>Hoan Phan at Moon's Pride art show.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Hoan’s work of art is brimming with fantastic detail, allowing the viewer to take notice of something different with each view. But those details aren’t just there to embellish, fill, or adorn – Hoan is much more thoughtful, instilling significance and symbolism into every small aspect, something that he hopes is conveyed to the observer. “My work, generally, is really colorful. Through this piece, I would like people to feel a very positive energy through the poses of the characters. When you look at more details, you see small things, so I would like for them to spend a little bit more time, traveling around, moving their eyes through the piece, looking into the details. Even though it’s small details, it’s simple, but I think it’s fun because each detail stands for some meaning. For example, the nail polish – it’s like a ‘yeah, I’m pretty!’ kind of thing. Or when you see the chili, it’s like being a ‘spicy’ person!”<blockquote>"I would like people to feel a very positive energy."</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Pride_art_show_700ef34dbc.jpeg" alt="Pride art show.jpeg"></figure>Yu Onodera, Senior FP&amp;A Analyst at Moon, sees events that celebrate our diversity, like the Pride art show, as a way of celebrating Moon’s culture and sharing that with the world. “Moon is a place that embodies diversity, and I am sure most of us are proud of the freedom to be ourselves at Moon. So I hope the Pride event was a great opportunity for attendees to see, feel, and experience our culture.”Machi Rezende, Design Lead at Moon, helped create the Pride art show so that he could increase visibility, awareness, and education throughout the company, and embrace our LGBTQIA+ community to show that Moon is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place. “I wanted to create a safe space where not only queer individuals, but also allies could co-exist and learn about each other's stories. Instead of a boring presentation, we wanted to create a space of joy where people could feel free to express who they really are. And allies could engage in that dialogue. There is so much invisibility and ignorance around the existence of queer individuals. Opening spaces and media for discussion brings those people out of the shadows they’ve felt they had to hide in. Queer people exist, they are all over, and their existence has to be acknowledged, protected, and celebrated.”&nbsp;<blockquote>"Queer people exist... their existence has to be acknowledged, protected, and celebrated.”</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Moon_Pride_0e25edb349.jpeg" alt="Moon Pride.jpeg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Machi_Yu_4207208345.jpeg" alt="Machi Yu.jpeg"><figcaption>Machi Rezende and Yu Onodera from Moon.</figcaption></figure>We know that culturally diverse teams transcend homogeneous ones when it comes to innovation and creativity. At Moon, being human-centered is a value that lies at our core. And there is no better way to show and practice that value than to welcome, love, and include all humans, no matter their background, their orientation, or how they choose to identify. Stay connected to get invites and updates on upcoming events by <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">subscribing to our newsletter</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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On June 30, 2023, Yukari Tago, founder of <a href="https://www.lullabysleepbaby.com/">Lullaby</a>, a personalized sleep training service and platform for parents and their newborns, and Dr. Mariko Morita, the platform's supervising physician, spoke at an event held by the Work-X Office, an organization dedicated to improving the office environment at Mitsui &amp; Co. More than 40 Mitsui employees from different departments gathered for the event and participated in roundtable discussions.Yukari and Dr. Morita discussed Lullaby’s success and shared personal stories and challenges experienced when balancing childcare, work, and homelife. They answered questions and offered several tips and solutions for common problems that parents face.Key Learnings<ul><li>Sleep training significantly improves sleep for infants and parents</li><li>Tips on balancing childcare, work, and homelife</li></ul><hr><h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image2_615f8a855f.jpg" alt="image2.jpg"> The Effectiveness of Sleep Training</h3>Yukari Tago: What I am most proud of is Lullaby's performance of a 99% improvement rate in children’s overall sleep. Our app has a feature that allows users to rate the service, and of the 2,300+ paid napping consultations we provide, 99% of those who have used the service have rated it as good: meaning they have found it to be very successful! Users have shared their success stories and we are very proud of the results.&nbsp; &nbsp;Dr. Morita: The problems related to proper bedtime routines are big and are the number one concern for parents in Japan. Those who are troubled feel very strongly about it because they cannot get proper sleep with a newborn. On the other hand, what about children's sleep in Japan? Comparing the total sleep time of children aged 0-3 years old in 17 major countries, Japan ranks last. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that Japan also ranks last among the 38 OECD member countries in terms of sleep for adult males and females. I feel this is a good indicator showcasing Japan's low awareness of sleep. Marital discord, divorce, postpartum distress, and postpartum depression are some of the effects people face due to their lack of sleep and frustration with their children’s sleeping habits. In Japan, there is currently no common methodology on how to improve a child’s consistent nighttime crying.The reason I am confident in the 99% improvement rate is because I have evidence. In a survey that analyzed 52 articles on sleep training, 94% of the articles concluded that sleep training was effective in improving nighttime crying, and the results showed that on average, it improved nighttime crying in more than 80% of children. Although the results are solid evidence that sleep training does in fact improve sleep, it is still not widely used in Japan. Even if you go to medical institutions or midwifery centers, they do not provide guidance or proper sleep training techniques. I think that is a problem.Factors that affect sleep deprivation in adults include the fact that children do not sleep, but also the fact that they will wait for their entire family to return home and eat dinner together instead of utilizing that time for rest. However, the impact of sleep problems on children during infancy, the most difficult time of child-rearing, is still quite significant.It often takes on average 1-2 hours to put a child fully to sleep. Children often wake up every 1-2 hours to feed throughout the night or wake up between 4:00 to 5:00 a.m. Parents often find themselves stressed with these new circumstances and often experience difficulties to increase their own sleep time.Studies have shown that the rate of postpartum depression, estimated to be around 10%, has increased to 25% since the coronavirus pandemic. The lack of sleep has had a significant impact on mental health and it’s no surprise that if people can't sleep, they will be irritable and their mental health will suffer.I want Lullaby to improve nighttime sleep deprivation and help create a society where people are not limited in their choices when it comes to parenting.<h3> Dr. Morita on Weaning, Napping, and Work-Life Balance</h3>Dr. Morita: In the preliminary questionnaire for the Q&amp;A during the event, many participants were concerned about their own sleep, including naps and power naps. We also had many questions about children's sleep and balancing home and work.To answer how I do it myself, first of all, I use Lullaby to put my own children to sleep. This is the punchline – haha!However, I think that putting children to bed and getting a good night's sleep is very important for balancing work and family life. What to do if a child is obsessed with breastfeeding?We received a question from a person who has a 2 1/2-year-old and said that her child is attached to breastfeeding. Regarding this, I think it is possible to stop breastfeeding at night. If you want to sleep at night, there is no problem to breastfeed only during the day with nocturnal weaning.However, at that age, I think the child will resist a lot. Be prepared for that, but I think they will get used to it in a week or two. It would be better to first tell the child that he or she will not drink at night, rather than stop during the day as well. How can someone take an effective nap or power nap?It is very important that naps for adults are only 20 minutes maximum. If you sleep longer than that, you will go into a deep sleep and have difficulty waking up, or you will feel foggy when you wake up. I recommend setting an alarm or having some caffeine before napping. It takes about 30 minutes after you drink it to take effect, which is said to be just right. If it is too bright for you to sleep, try using an eye mask. How do you maintain work-life balance?I recognize that work-life balance may be a matter of priorities. By far, the lowest priority is housework. I think it is important not to do the housework itself. I have three children of my own, so I hardly cook meals anymore. I outsource the preparation of meals.When I was pregnant with my third child, I physically couldn't cook anymore due to the morning sickness I was experiencing, so I asked someone to come every week and prepare a week's worth of meals for me and my family. To be honest, it doesn't last the full seven days, but on the one or two days that remain, I would cook dried fish, vegetables, rice, and so on.We also vacuum only once a week. Sorry if it seems dirty! We hire an outside cleaning service to do the cleaning once a week. This alone is a huge relief.This is a small detail, but serving food from containers is also a hassle in itself, so we put storage containers on the table and make it buffet style. The kids are happy when I tell them they can take whatever they would like. I think it's okay to make it a single-plate meal. It might be another small detail, but I tend to be very sloppy too, like not using chopstick rests.As for work, I really wanted to do both work and provide childcare, so I chose this line of work partly because I wanted to make child-rearing time useful while I was able to work.<h3> Yukari Tago on Balance and Mental Wellness</h3>How do you ensure proper sleep for your children and for yourself in the midst of balancing work and family?Yukari: Let me first give you some basic information about me. My son is 6-years-old now. My parents live in Tokyo, 15 minutes by bicycle from our home. My husband's parents live in Shizuoka [over 100 miles from Tokyo].Typically, I drop my child off at around 8:30 a.m. and pick him up at 6:30 p.m., while my working hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. I have free time at night two-and-half days a week. My husband and I take turns doing this schedule, and we both make sure to have two-and-a-half days of free time each week at night. During that time, I try to spend my free time doing the work I want to finish, meeting people, getting massages, physical therapy, saunas, etc. to refresh myself and take care of my health. By doing this, I maintain my mental health and consciously try to keep myself in a state where I can be happy. How do you maintain your mental health?Mental control is the biggest thing I have learned since I was transferred from Mitsui &amp; Co. to Moon Creative Lab and started working on Lullaby. I always feel like someone is evaluating my work, but that is why I try to maintain my mental health. Of course, there are times when things don't go well, but I think that if my mental health breaks down, my work efficiency will drop very badly.As for work, most of the people working for Lullaby are outsourced, except for me, so the content and volume of outsourcing are clearly defined, and I feel that makes it easy to work efficiently. How do you make time for yourself?I thought it might not be very helpful to know how to generate time, as there are many external factors, but I feel that Moon's flexible working style (core hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.) makes it very easy to work.The scale of the business is still small and I have authority to make most of the decisions. I make decisions on what to do, which I think is one of the main reasons why I can work quickly. Also, since it is a domestic business, there are no overseas business trips.Also, many mothers have a lot of spare time. In order to make the best use of our spare time as mothers, we are gradually preparing useful tools on our app all while consulting with our members. Almost all of our staff members are mothers, and since we are all sleep consultants, our children are all asleep around 9 p.m., allowing us time to catch up and discuss Lullaby. We all have a shared love for the business, so we think about it all the time, 24 hours a day, and I think that is one aspect that allows us to make a lot of decisions quickly.At home, my son is fast asleep by 9:00 p.m., which is a big advantage. Perhaps the most important thing for me is that he’s in good health because of his sleeping pattern. He has attended various preschools, kindergartens, and afterschool programs, and he has received perfect attendance awards to all of them. It may not all be due to sleep, but I still believe it is related to the fact that lack of sleep often relates to getting sick more often.You might be familiar with the book, The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity, and I feel that book is the root of my way of thinking. Life is long, so it is a question of what to prioritize now. I'm not able to save much now, but I've decided that it's one stage in the long run, and I'm outsourcing as much housework as possible, and even if I have to live in a smaller house, my first priority is to generate time for travel distance, work, and family.I can relate to Dr. Morita as I also use a make-and-prepare service and have found it to be very helpful.<hr><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image1_7b2395e541.jpg" alt="image1.jpg">Yukari Tago, founder of Lullaby, is a mother to her son and experienced child rearing years in the United States. While raising her son, she struggled with his frequent nighttime crying and, after practicing a sleep training program she learned while in the U.S., she experienced a dramatic improvement. Using her experience in startup investment in the EdTech industry, she commercialized her idea to improve nighttime crying. She joined Moon Creative Lab from a career at Mitsui to start Lullaby.&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image3_a6318fc14a.jpg" alt="image3.jpg">Dr. Mariko Morita is a mother of three and supervising physician for Lullaby. She worked as an anesthesiologist, but started researching pediatric sleep after facing nighttime crying with her first child. She currently provides counseling as a sleep medicine doctor, trains sleep consultants, and publishes books on pediatric sleep.Lullaby’s founder and doctor share stories and challenges of balancing childcare, work, and homelife, and offer several tips and solutions for common problems that parents face.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/L1530377_93ae1de6ce.jpg" alt="L1530377.jpg"></figure>Moon Creative Lab <a href="https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/501861/moon-creative-lab-expands-venture-programming-to-turn-brilliant-ideas-into-rockstar-businesses">recently announced</a> three new programs that we will be offering to current and future entrepreneurs. One of those offerings is <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/en/orbit">Orbit</a>, a new event series where those interested in creating new businesses can connect with others to learn, network, and collaborate.Currently held at our Spring Terrace studio in Tokyo (and soon to expand to our studio in Palo Alto, California), Orbit events are free and open to everyone who is interested in entrepreneurship, business and design. Each event will focus on different topics focused on startups, technology, human-centered design, corporate innovation, and much more. They’re unique opportunities to learn and connect with others who are passionate about new business creation. And it’s the perfect environment for serendipitous connections to occur. Meeting a future co-founder, collaborating for an experiment, discovering the design research your idea needs – just a few of the wonderful “happy accidents” that could happen at an Orbit event! &nbsp;<h3>Come One, Come All</h3>Our first Orbit event was an Ask Me Anything (AMA) panel with first-time founders. It was the first time Moon invited local business leaders and supporters to share their experiences. The panel of successful founders included Takanori Sato, co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.shippio.io/">Shippio</a>, Japan’s first digital forwarding company; Eriko Suzuki, leader in global venture capital investing and founding director of <a href="https://www.kind-capital.com/home-en">Kind Capital</a>; and Francisco Soares, engineer, community organizer, and founder of management consulting firm, <a href="https://migiude.seefy.co/">SEEFY</a>. They provided valuable insight, gave advice on common challenges, offered tips for building a successful business, and answered questions from audience members.“Events like this are impactful for people connecting in meaningful ways to recognize the challenges of the startup process,” says Jimi Okelana, Moon Design Lead and Orbit events team member. “Through casual conversation, each of the speakers created an environment of motivation and gave insight to navigating the role of a founder. Through Orbit, we are creating a way for Moon to play a more active part in our local startup/venture ecosystem, and this has been a great way to begin that initiative!”<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/852962612"></oembed></figure>Other Orbit events include Thursday Night Sliders and Moon Talk! For those who have discovered a problem they want to solve, are looking for a startup team to support, or want to learn what they need to make their venture ideas happen, Thursday Night Sliders is an opportunity to both pitch your own idea and see pitches from your peers in the startup community. Each presenter gets five minutes to present five slides describing their project, product, or idea. Thursday Night Sliders is a fun, casual event that offers attendees bite-sized tastes of challenging problems and great ideas.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Copy_of_Thursday_Night_Sliders_Master_v1_3a6cad7a3d.png" alt="Copy of Thursday Night Sliders - Master v1.png">Moon Talk! events are casual talks that provide insightful and valuable information for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and others interested in startups and innovation. With a different topic for each event, attendees will hear industry leaders and experts discuss subjects such as business strategies, the latest in corporate innovation, stories of startup founders, and deep dives into design and technology.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/ama_photo_d6a4daabe1.png" alt="ama photo.png">Whether you’re interested in innovation, passionate about startups, or want to learn more about creating new businesses, we encourage you to come to an Orbit event and join our community. You never know – you might meet your future co-founders, team members, partners, and customers!<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/en/orbit">Learn more about Orbit here</a>, and be sure to <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">sign up for our newsletter</a> to stay updated on future events from Moon.

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On March 7, 2023, TennisBear, Inc., a provider of a digital sports platform that brings recreational tennis players together in Japan, held an event at the Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Centennial Hall Arena to announce TennisBear's first amateur tennis tournament. The comedy duo Nishikigoi was invited as one-day PR ambassadors to give a talk session, and wheelchair tennis players, Daisuke Arai and Yuma Takamuro were also invited to demonstrate wheelchair tennis. Nishikigoi tried wheelchair tennis for the first time, and other guests also enjoyed a hands-on wheelchair tennis course.&nbsp;Table of Contents<ol><li>What is TennisBear?</li><li>TennisBear launched its first amateur tournament "TennisBear Cup"</li><li>Wheelchair tennis is so difficult but It's a lot of fun!&nbsp;</li><li>The key is to focus both on the wheelchair and hitting the ball</li></ol><h3> What is TennisBear?</h3>TennisBear is one of the projects being incubated at the Moon Creative Lab, that powers the creation of new businesses for Mitsui &amp; Co., Ltd. and beyond. TennisBear’s online platform allows users to search and book over 3,000 tennis courts nationwide. On October 3, 2022, TennisBear has spun off from Moon to form a new company. Currently, the service has 200,000 monthly active users, making it one of the largest tennis court reservation applications in Japan. It also has an event function that allows users to organize their own tennis offline meetings, private practices, circle recruiting, private lessons, small tournaments, etc., helping to build a community of tennis enthusiasts.<h3>TennisBear launched its first amateur tournament "TennisBear Cup"</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image10_45cf259e70.jpg" alt="image10.jpg">The purpose of this event was to announce TennisBear's first amateur tennis tournament, "TennisBear Cup supported by Mitsui&amp;Co. and Moon Creative Lab," which will be held in the summer and winter of 2023. The purpose of this tournament is to create an opportunity for players of all levels, ages, and experiences to play tennis with a sense of satisfaction and purpose. There are amateur general and wheelchair junior divisions, and the amateur general division is scheduled to be held on July 1st and 2nd, 2023. The wheelchair junior division will be held in early December.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image4_86dea2a8d9.jpg" alt="image4.jpg"><figcaption>From left, Moon Creative Lab COO Shunsuke Kato, wheelchair tennis player Yuma Takamuro, Nishikigoi (Masaki Hasegawa and Takashi Watanabe), wheelchair tennis player Daisuke Arai, TennisBear CEO Kei Ezaki.</figcaption></figure>The TennisBear Cup utilizes TennisBear's new "Ranking Point System" feature, where top point scorers qualify for the competition. TennisBear’s CEO Esaki commented, "We want to create an event that everyone can enjoy, and we plan to add categories such as women's doubles and team competitions in the future.” One-day PR ambassador Nishikigoi's Mr. Watanabe, also commented "It's nice to be able to communicate with many people through TennisBear.” Mr. Hasegawa added "Let’s spread the word about TennisBear! ” and excited the audience.<h3>Wheelchair tennis is so difficult but It's a lot of fun!&nbsp;</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image2_44aa94bc5d.jpg" alt="image2.jpg">At the event, two wheelchair tennis players gave Nishikigoi a demonstration of wheelchair tennis. Daisuke Arai, a Tokyo Paralympic representative and wheelchair tennis player ranked 12th in the world, commented "There are few wheelchair junior tennis competitions, and I would love to contribute to helping wheelchair tennis grow bigger.” Yuma Takamuro, who was the runner-up in the women's singles of the U.S. Open Tennis Junior Wheelchair Division in September 2022, added, "There are not many junior competitions, so I am grateful to have an opportunity to showcase my hard work. I started playing tennis and then became a wheelchair player. What’s great about wheelchair tennis is you can play with or without disabilities." Nishikigoi had only played tennis once before and were surprised by how challenging it is to play in a wheelchair. Mr, Hasegawa commented, "It’s crazy hard to move around in the wheelchair !" Mr. Watanabe added, "It is difficult to operate a wheelchair and play at the same time, but it's a lot of fun."<h3>The key is to focus both on the wheelchair and hitting the ball.</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image84_59b41e1d31.jpg" alt="image84.jpg">During the second part of the event, Mr. Arai and Ms.Takamuro provided the general guests with a chance to try wheelchair tennis. Twelve participants, including university students to working professionals, tried wheelchair tennis. In teams of three, participants practiced turns and slaloms to practice wheelchair operations and hitting the ball while moving the wheelchair at the right time, which many found difficult.&nbsp; Participants were encouraged to enjoy riding a wheelchair like they are on a ride and participated in a three-on-three match with instructor players. Thanks to the support of Mr. Arai and Ms. Takamuro, the hands-on session was a great success. Even those who had never experienced wheelchair tennis before were amazed by the excitement of the sport.&nbsp; TennisBear allows users to search for and participate in various events, including different levels of practice sessions and lessons hosted by professionals, as well as a chat function to invite friends or people they have played with and to notify the meeting place or cancellation. The platform also includes a match table function for event operation and a score recording function.For the latest information on the TennisBear Cup, check out<a href="https://www.tennisbear.net/"> TennisBear's official website</a>.

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Lullaby, a Moon Creative Lab venture that offers personalized sleep training services and an app for parents and their newborns, exhibited at a pop-up event in Tokyo called "Papa Mama Boku Watashi," which took place at the main building of the Isetan Shinjuku store Feb.16-21, 2023. Approximately 10,000 people visited the exhibition to see 47 brands selling a wide range of lifestyle items such as clothing, bags, cosmetics and tableware. Lullaby also collaborated with Sandesica on co-branded sleep sacks for newborns and offered gift cards people can use on the Lullaby app.<h3>What is Lullaby?&nbsp;</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_438_c54c862799.jpg" alt="Group 438.jpg">Lullaby is a personalized sleep training service and&nbsp;app for parents and their newborns. Lullaby has welcomed Dr. Mariko Morita, a mother of three children, a physician, and an infant sleep specialist, as a subject matter expert to develop informative sleep support for parents based on scientific evidence of modern daily life in Japan. The app offers three easy-to-use functions for busy parents:<ol><li>Virtual courses provide carefully selected sleep-related resources recommended by physicians according to the baby's age.&nbsp;</li><li>Online schedules keep records of the baby’s sleep and identify the best time for naps.&nbsp;</li><li>In-depth consultation offers a matching service with CISA -certified pediatric sleep consultants when needed.(CISA =&nbsp;Consultant of Infant Sleep Association)&nbsp;</li></ol><h3>Step One: Know Your Baby’s Rhythm</h3>On the first day of the pop-up event, Dr. Morita hosted a fireside chat with special guest&nbsp;Dr.Tomori, a dermatologist. The theme of the discussion was, "Baby’s sleep &amp; Mom's sleep, and the beauty before and after childbirth."<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Lullaby_2_d744c73983.jpg" alt="Lullaby 2先生.jpg"><figcaption>Left: Dr. Mariko Morita, Lullaby app supervising doctor and sleep specialist. Right: Dermatologist&nbsp;Dr. Arata Tomori</figcaption></figure>Most importantly, the doctors shared valuable advice such as learning your baby's rhythm, which is the first step to getting good quality sleep – for mom, dad, and baby.&nbsp;Here’s a snapshot of what they discussed during the fireside chat:&nbsp;Dr. Tomori: "Many moms-to-be experience changes in their skin during pregnancy, some of which is caused by the appearance of additional estrogen, a female hormone that is produced more during pregnancy. Symptoms vary, with some women experiencing smoother skin while others develop acne. These changes are normal, and ultimately, moisturizing is the key.”&nbsp;Dr. Morita: "However, it is medically proven that one of the causes of dryness and troubles of the skin is lack of sleep. Sleeping is very important not only for your baby's growth, but also for your skin and hair."Dr.Tomori "Especially after giving birth, the mother’s hormone balance tends to be unstable, so it is important to have a well-scheduled routine to enable better sleep, both for her and the baby. Iron is also very important because it’s good for skin and hair, and even helps you avoid depression – and it’s good for the baby, too."Dr. Morita: “That’s right, because after 15 months, babies are prone to iron deficiency, and iron is important for a baby's sleep. The good news is that in Japan, baby food with iron supplements is widely available.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Lullaby Merch Was a Hit!</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Lullaby_1top_ebd76042dd.jpg" alt="Lullaby 1top.jpg">In addition to the app, Lullaby collaborated with Sandesica, a designer of sleep sacks for newborns. The co-branded sleep sack – sold exclusively at this event – was a huge success, selling out the available inventory. The Sandesica sleep sack is a “wearable blanket” that provides a safe sleeping environment for newborns, the development of which Dr. Morita directed.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Lullaby_3goods_1514293e09.jpg" alt="Lullaby 3goods.jpg">Lullaby also sold gift cards that parents who have completed Lullaby sleep training could give to other parents interested in Lullaby’s services – the cards were packaged with a multipurpose handkerchief parents could use with their own newborns as a reminder to check out Lullaby’s sleep consultation services, with the aim of lowering the psychological barrier for seeking advice on their baby's (and their own) sleep.<h3>Newborn-tested, Parent-approved&nbsp;</h3>At the Lullaby booth, the sold-out "Sleep Consultation for Baby, Mom, and Dad" session helped pregnant parents and parents with infants aged 0-2 years so they could talk to Certified Infant Sleep Consultants (CISC) who have specialized knowledge in improving sleep habits and infant sleep.&nbsp;Here’s what a few attendees had to say:&nbsp;"I was happy that I could ask many questions.&nbsp;I could tell they are professionals.” (Mom of a 4-month-old)“I asked about my baby’s sleep and also how I can help her take longer naps.&nbsp;I felt better after talking to someone. It’s much better than struggling by myself.” ( Mom of a 5-month-old)&nbsp;"I'm glad I was able to ask a lot of questions! I'd come back again if I have any problems as we continue with the sleep training." (Dad of a 2-month old)"It was very helpful and motivated me to try! I'd like to talk to the professionals again if I encounter any struggles." (Mom of a 10-month old)&nbsp;&nbsp;You can check out Lullaby’s latest information on <a href="https://www.lullabysleepbaby.com/">Lullaby’s official website</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/stories/page/1">Moon Stories Blog</a>.

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As an industry, we’ve been talking about “the future of work” for some time now, but never quite like this. MetaJob, a Moon Creative Lab venture, is a job-matching service for gig workers that goes beyond simply enabling new ways of working without the boundaries of time or physical space.&nbsp;MetaJob is taking the “work from anywhere” concept and adding a twist of crowdsourcing: The company provides job seekers&nbsp;with unique virtual opportunities where they can offer their expertise on a topic or product they know a lot about. Think of it like an interactive version of Yelp! or Amazon’s customer reviews – where the gig worker can offer their knowledge of and experience with a particular topic or product to provide services such as virtual staff that guide people at metaverse event venues, or orchestrating party games in karaoke rooms where gig worker hosts are represented by avatars.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/d60069_105_74d78e997273482aa3b1_13_0fed9a846b.jpg" alt="d60069-105-74d78e997273482aa3b1-13.jpg"><figcaption>“Murder Mystery” game in the JOYSOUND karaoke room. The avatar on the screen is playing the role of the game master. “Murder Mystery” is a party game where participants pretend to be characters in a fictional murder story and try to achieve goals set for each stage.</figcaption></figure>MetaJob aims to develop a casual, online gig workplace where people can make extra income in their spare time simply by using their knowledge and experience for a new type of work MetaJob calls “Word of- Mouth 2.0.”<h3>What does “Word of Mouth 2.0” look like?</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/IMG_0808_2_2767f1c483.jpg" alt="IMG_0808 2.jpg"><figcaption>A pop-up store with no in-person staff at Gotemba Premium Outlets.</figcaption></figure>MetaJob recently collaborated with Mitsubishi Estate and Simon Co., Ltd. to introduce a new men's skincare brand, “BULK HOMME,” via a pop-up store at Gotemba Premium Outlets near Mount Fuji.This pop-up store is unique: It required no in-person staff and displayed only sample products. After sampling products of interest, customers could purchase them online using the QR code associated with the product sample. But most significantly, customers could also talk to "fan staff" who use and love the products to consult and ask questions live via the staff’s avatars.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/IMG_0803_2_ae6df78452.jpg" alt="IMG_0803 2.jpg"><figcaption>Purchases are made using a QR code inside the store.</figcaption></figure>Being able to shop while listening to actual user experiences and points of view – vs. classic “sales talk” – is a major advantage for new customers, especially when a company enters a relatively new market where “sales talk” can feel empty without validation from people who have used the product.&nbsp;This “fan staff” idea is a novel concept of customer service that can help new businesses grow while providing opportunities for gig workers.Another recent MetaJob example is an online consultation service for HIROBIRO, a website operated by Hiroshima Prefecture that provides information for people looking to move to Hiroshima. MetaJob provided HIROBIRO&nbsp; with live, avatar-based counselors who have lived in the prefecture and can provide authentic, individual advice based on their own experiences as Hiroshima residents.People who have actually lived in Hiroshima offer more credibility to potential residents than the staff at local government consultation desks, while the avatar-based counselors can work from home and earn extra income.<h3>What’s next for “Word of Mouth 2.0”?</h3>These two use cases are only part of what MetaJob is doing to reimagine the new future of work.For example, in addition to live, avatar-based reviews or guidance from experienced users, MetaJob plans to implement functions and buttons – such as “Ask a knowledgeable person” or “Hear from users about their experiences” – on various websites, including metaverse content and services. When customers click on one of these buttons, MetaJob will then match them with the most suitable, experienced users according to the product or content the customer is interested in (over time, AI may do this matching work).&nbsp;If both parties agree, the conversation will begin by using avatars so that customers can ask questions and be able to hear about real user’s experiences.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/2023_03_23_15_01_44_321ea59870.jpg" alt="スクリーンショット 2023-03-23 15.01.44.jpg">The future of MetaJob is bright. Do you remember YouTube Japan’s commercial campaign with the catchphrase, “Sukina koto de ikiteku (Live by doing what you like)”? When the campaign began back in 2014, YouTube was not nearly as popular as it is today – but over time, it has become a widely used platform for people to create their dream jobs.Although we can’t predict the future, MetaJob is hoping to build a similar platform that can increase opportunities for a new generation of gig workers to create their dream jobs, too.Check out MetaJob’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metajob.jp/">official website</a> for more information, or read this interview with MetaJob founder Naohiro Hoshino on our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/stories/interview-hoshino">Moon Stories Blog.</a>

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<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/815553076"></oembed></figure>Tomopiia, a Moon Creative Lab venture that helps patients with chronic illnesses track their care and communicate directly with nurses, held a symposium entitled, “Future Possibilities of Nursing” at Moon Creative Lab’s Tokyo Studio on Dec. 5, 2022. This event was part of Tomopiia’s skill-up workshops and information events that it provides for nurses.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Tomopiia2_93840f15e4.jpg" alt="Tomopiia2.jpg">More than 60 people gathered for the symposium, both in person and online. Attendees were excited for this rare opportunity to have a conversation with well-known guests in the nursing field, including Dr. Suga Sakamoto, vice president of Tokyo Healthcare University and a professor in the Department of Nursing.Junichiro Shigemura, founder of Tomopiia and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at Moon Creative Lab, kicked of the symposium, and Ayano Toshinai, Tomopiia’s executive manager and a nurse, expressed her gratitude for attendees:&nbsp;“I feel Tomopiia is truly challenging the 'future of nursing.'”&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Tomopiia3_a964ea6e3a.jpg" alt="Tomopiia3.jpg">Dr. Sakamoto gave a keynote speech in which she looked back on the history of nursing in Japan, confirmed the industry’s current situation, and talked about where nursing is headed in the post-COVID world.Dr. Sakamoto stated that “chat = dialogue” is the key to the future of nursing in a society where contactless or remote options are more common:&nbsp;“The future of nursing will not be created by technology, but rather by the dialogue that we humans engage in.”&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Tomopiia4_27d1a25256.jpg" alt="Tomopiia4.jpg">Dr. Masahiro Yoshioka, director emeritus of&nbsp; Eiseikai Medical Corporation’s Minami Tama Hospital, then kicked off the symposium discussion with speakers Hideo Ishida, CEO of Tekix, Inc.; Tatsunari Morimoto, executive officer of CHCP Home Nursing and president of N Field Inc.; and Dr. Sakamoto. &nbsp;This discussion was a lively exchange of opinions, with “dialogue” being one of the major keywords. “Dialogue” requires understanding one another while also understanding ourselves. In addition to dialogue between patients and nurses, the event led to conversations between managers and staff as well as among staff members.At the end of the session, our guest speakers responded to the many questions and comments we received from participants, demonstrating the passion nurses have for this topic.Tomopiia plans to continue providing events around the future of nursing and nurses' careers. You can check the latest information about Tomopiia on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tomopiia.com/">Tomopiia's official website</a>.

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Mateus Rezende, Senior Design Lead at Moon Creative Lab, reports on a recent meetup event held in February 2023 in collaboration with&nbsp;<a href="http://canvas.co.com">Canvas Tokyo</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.figma.com/">Figma</a>. What can someone do in three minutes? What about in three hours? In early February this year, Moon was happy to host our first public event directed at the creative and entrepreneurial communities in Tokyo. The formula was simple. We had a three-hour gathering, where the entire Moon team and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence could commingle with other designers, artists, developers, and entrepreneurs who live and work around Tokyo. The core of the event was an open mic session where anyone could present their portfolio, their personal projects, or pitch their startup in three minutes on stage. This gave presenters the opportunity to quickly share their passion to the entire audience for further collaboration and gather potential feedback.&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/machi_event_4700c763cf.jpg" alt="machi event.jpg"> This event was organized in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="http://canvas.co.com/">Canvas Tokyo</a>, an online platform where creatives can share their work, create discussions on an online forum, and find work on their recently launched Jobs page. We also had support from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.figma.com/">Figma Japan</a>, a widely known tool for UX and UI design. While Canvas Tokyo invited their community of creatives to bring physical works to be displayed on a gallery wall during the event, Figma gifted swag to those who were brave enough to take the mic for three minutes on stage. On the opposite wall from the gallery with displayed artwork there was a six-meter wide projection screen with an online white-board powered by FigJam where creators could place the digital version of their artwork. This wall contained lots of different real-time interaction which created an even greater engagement and unforgettable experience for attendees! &nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/PXL_20230203_113522584_2_4e996a721f.jpg" alt="PXL_20230203_113522584 2.jpg"> Overall, it was an evening full of great conversation, endless laughter, and networking opportunities. Everyone had an opportunity to talk and meet with someone new.&nbsp;The only moment there was&nbsp;silence was when the open mic session had started. We heard from one of our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, Satoshi Yoshida, presenting his venture GORIL, and even&nbsp; professionals&nbsp;in the business world who are also artists. Using only one illustrated image and a microphone in hand, those who did choose to present inspired the crowd at the event. &nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Event_photo_c6fc8854c6.jpg" alt="Event photo.jpg"> This Open Creative Night was the first public event that Moon hosted, in partnership with Canvas Tokyo and Figma, hosted. The intention is to make this event into an ongoing series of gatherings. Our goal is to create a space in the heart of Omotesando where creatives, entrepreneurs and all ofMoon can commingle, learn, become inspired, and connect with people old and new.&nbsp; Be sure to check out our <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/ja/stories/page/1">Moon Stories</a> for upcoming events!&nbsp;Matheus Rezende Senior Design Lead&nbsp; <a href="mailto:mateus@mooncreativelab.com">mateus@mooncreativelab.com</a>

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Moon Creative Lab, Canvas Tokyo, Figma event 

On February 16, 2023, ILLUMINATE was held at Moon Creative Lab's Tokyo studio. This pitch event invited seven select Idea Owners to share their new business idea to the Moon Committee in hopes to be selected for incubation. The event was live-streamed live for Mitsui employees all over the world.<hr><h3>What is ILLUMINATE?</h3>ILLUMINATE is an event series that shines a light on the next generation of business creators to create something that’s never been done before.All Mitsui employees are encouraged to submit their ideas to Moon, and if selected they will get a chance to pitch their ideas at the ILLUMINATE event. If they are chosen by the Moon Committee after the pitch, they are seconded to Moon, where they will become a Entrepreneur-in-Residence to work on creating their business while receiving support from Moon.Since some Idea Owners participated remotely in other countries, the event was held in a hybrid format by connecting Moon's Palo Alto studio, Tokyo studio, and the locations of some Idea Owners.Each team was given five minutes to pitch followed by a Q＆A session with&nbsp; Moon Committee members.&nbsp;<h2><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/ILLUMINATE_report_1bcda39f3e.jpg" alt="Moon Event Illuminate 2023"> &nbsp;</h2><h3>Discover ideas that will change the world!</h3>Seven individual ideas and their Idea Owners from around the world participated at this ILLUMINATE event.&nbsp;<ul><li>Eureka: an innovative space education program incorporating satellite development.&nbsp;</li><li>EcoTour: allows tourists to find and book ecological experiences in Japan.&nbsp;</li><li>LightningCare: a new choice for in-home care.&nbsp;</li><li>Pandora: uses AI for data visualization of car service diagnoses.&nbsp;</li><li>Artemia: improves the production of aquatic feed to keep up with demand.&nbsp;</li><li>Minutes Database: tracks meeting minutes to help collaboration.&nbsp;</li><li>Fulfiller: a curry-based weight loss meal program.&nbsp;</li></ul>Each team shared their pitch and passion as the event was live-streamed to Mitsui &amp; Co. employees around the world. The event had a very active and in-depth Q&amp;A session, with great questions, words of encouragement and support sent worldwide via the chat.&nbsp;Moon Creative Lab is always looking for new business Idea Owners to participate in the ILLUMINATE event series.

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Nordic Talks Event Report

Celebrating Our Queer Community Through Art, Voguing, and Coming Out of the Shadows

Lullaby: Helping Parents Find More Balance in Their Busy Lives

Widening Our Orbit: A New Series of Events for Tokyo’s Growing Startup Community

TennisBear Launches Its First Tennis Tournament!

"Lullaby" Pop-Up Helps New Parents Manage Their Newborns’ Sleep Patterns – and Their Own

MetaJob Uses Crowdsourcing To Propel the Future of Work for the Gig Economy

Tomopiia Hosts Symposium To Shape the Future of Nursing

Moon × Canvas Tokyo × Figma Open Creative Night

ILLUMINATE 2023 Pitch Event Report

In The News

Moon Welcomes Community of Individuals, Corporations, and Startup Teams To Build Innovative New Businesses

Moon Opens Doors to Palo Alto Startup Community

What Does Artificial Life Reveal About Us?

Our Programs

About Moon

Our Stories

event - Moon Stories Blog

Nordic Talks Event Report

Celebrating Our Queer Community Through Art, Voguing, and Coming Out of the Shadows

Lullaby: Helping Parents Find More Balance in Their Busy Lives

Widening Our Orbit: A New Series of Events for Tokyo’s Growing Startup Community

TennisBear Launches Its First Tennis Tournament!

"Lullaby" Pop-Up Helps New Parents Manage Their Newborns’ Sleep Patterns – and Their Own

MetaJob Uses Crowdsourcing To Propel the Future of Work for the Gig Economy

Tomopiia Hosts Symposium To Shape the Future of Nursing

Moon × Canvas Tokyo × Figma Open Creative Night

ILLUMINATE 2023 Pitch Event Report

In The News

Moon Welcomes Community of Individuals, Corporations, and Startup Teams To Build Innovative New Businesses

Moon Opens Doors to Palo Alto Startup Community

What Does Artificial Life Reveal About Us?