Along with Japan, ASEAN countries are located on orogenic belts around the Pacific Rim (“the Ring of Fire”). Since ancient times, they have been subject to the toll of disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Also, the populations of these countries are expected to experience rapid aging and declining birthrates in the twenty-first century.

From its cutting-edge science and technology, Japan has developed a variety of technologies to bring about “safety and security” for its citizens. It also has experience designing measures such as social welfare and nursing care systems optimized for a rapidly aging society in the twenty-first century. By applying either of these areas of achievement to the ASEAN region, those measures can be enhanced to become assets with greater universality.

At the same time, while ASEAN is a region that is one of richest in cultural diversity in the world. ASEAN countries have kept conflicts between ethnicities and religious adherents to a minimum. The region has a tradition of maintaining relationships of pluralistic co-existence.

A model of a “peaceful society,” constructed from ASEAN as the foundation by integrating understanding of the region’s unique cultural traditions with cutting-edge science and technology and social systems, holds the possibility of opening a grand gateway to the future of global society.