A lecture hosted by the Center for Designed Futures of Kyushu University and co-hosted by the association of Design Departments and Schools in Japanese Public Universities (Design Academia), entitled National Efforts on Design Policy, was held at Ohashi Campus on Thursday, December 12, 2024. This lecture featured talks by Yoshinori Nakamura, Deputy Director of the Design Policy Office, Culture ＆ Creative Industries Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Hinako Nara, Chief of the Design Classification Planning Unit ,Policy Planning and Research section, Design Division, Japan Patent Office.
　Because attendees from other universities who are members of the association of Design Departments and Schools in Japanese Public Universities were expected to attend the lecture, we chose a hybrid approach which enabled both direct attendance and online attendance. A total of approximately 30 people attended the lecture on the day, including online participants from the University of Tsukuba, the University of Toyama, Saga University, and the Akita University of Art, in addition to faculty , staff and students from Kyushu University.
　Nakamura, the first speaker, gave an overview and background to design policy and spoke on the details of specific initiatives under the title, “Recent Design Related Initiatives at METI”. He particularly focused on giving an overview of measures currently being implemented at the Design Policy Office, such as “Research and Guidance on Design Policy”, “Investigative Research”, “Collaboration with Industry Groups and Communities”, and “Awards and Support”, while also touching on the history of design policy until contemporary times, such as the postwar adoption of the G Mark system and the changes thereof, privatization, and design policy recommendations during each time period subsequent to the establishment of the Craft Guidance Office, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in Sendai in 1928. He also touched thought-provoking topics such as changes in the definitions of design and designers and the expansion and specialization of the design domain, and discussed a comparison of design policies in different countries and regions and between the functions of design councils in each country.

Yoshinori Nakamura

　Next, Nara gave a talk entitled, “Design Policy at the JPO – Protecting Designs with Design Rights.” In the talk, Nara gave a basic explanation of the thinking behind design rights and how it works, touching on subjects such as the design of products in daily life and a definition of design, and touched on trends in the application for design rights and procedures for doing so. She also gave specific examples of the use of design rights, deepening the understanding of the participants in a practical manner. She also went into detail with regard to the latest discussions of design policy, such as design policy and virtual spaces (the metaverse) and generative AI, trends in international cooperation, and promotional and edification activities related to design policy, and how those various measures influence the development of design. Finally, she introduced the occupation of Design Inspector, a type of national public employee, which proved to be important information that increased the number of career choices available to participating students.

Hinako Nara

　Design is typically discussed in Japan from the standpoint of promoting industry, but this lecture provided an opportunity to reconsider design from the wider standpoint of design policy. It was also a valuable opportunity for the Center for Designed Futures of Kyushu University and  the association of Design Departments and Schools in Japanese Public Universities to consider current initiatives and future directions. Though time was limited, the thought-provoking talks by the two lecturers proved very meaningful for the participants.

A scene from the lecture