Code for X Activities (Archive) on Notation LLC

Taito, Tokyo: Operational Support for the Open-Data Ideathon Taito Ideathon 2022

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Code for Tokyo supported the planning and delivery of “Taito Ideathon 2022: An Open-Data Idea Contest for Solving Problems,” organized by Taito City in 2022, as the contracted operational-support provider.

The event focused on regional disaster preparedness and digital services for challenges faced by small and medium-sized businesses. It was held via Zoom on August 28 and September 11, 2022, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. each day.

We supported residents and businesses throughout the process of developing data-informed ideas to address challenges in Taito’s disaster-prevention and industrial sectors.

Main Contributions

Ideathon design and operational support: We proposed and coordinated the timetable, Zoom operations, group-work format, and other technical and content details to ensure smooth delivery.
Facilitator recruitment and coordination: We assembled a facilitation team and used rehearsals to establish roles and a shared understanding of the event flow.
A participant-friendly environment: We advised the city on positive, unambiguous language for participation terms and website provisions concerning copyright and portrait rights. Revisions clarified the benefits for participants and helped create an environment conducive to high-quality ideas.

This project demonstrates how expertise in planning and operating municipal open-data events can promote co-creation between residents and government and lead to meaningful outcomes.

Nakano, Tokyo: Presenting Visualization Methods at an Open-Data Study Session

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

On January 24, 2019, I taught the third session of “Using Open Data for Residents and Government,” a study series co-hosted by Nakano City Office (NAS) and the local Code for Nakano community.

The session, titled “Visualizing Open Data and the Means to Do It,” explained effective ways to use open data to discover and address local issues.

Main Topics

The presentation focused on concrete methods for making open data valuable to both residents and government.

Practicing data visualization: I shared ways to visualize open data so that local conditions and issues could be communicated accurately and compellingly.
Introducing practical methods: I presented specific tools and approaches that participants could use even without technical expertise, helping them take their first step toward working with data.

The session brought local government and the civic-tech community together to share knowledge for resident-led digital development.

Event: Using Open Data for Residents and Government, Session 3: Visualizing Open Data and the Means to Do It
Date: January 24, 2019
Co-hosts: Nakano City Office (NAS) and Code for Nakano

Shiga: Workshop Using Open Data to Address Local Challenges

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In January 2018, I lectured and served as a mentor at Code for Shiga’s “Workshop to Build Useful Web Services with Data: Services for International Residents,” held at the Ima Plus coworking space in Konan, Shiga Prefecture.

The workshop focused on challenges such as language and cultural barriers faced by approximately 25,000 international residents in Shiga. Participants used open data and other materials to develop web services intended to make daily life more accessible.

Main Contributions

Development instruction: I provided technical instruction on building simple web services from data so that people without prior service-development experience could participate, and helped participants turn ideas into working concepts.
Supporting locally focused service development: After participants learned about the realities international residents face in Shiga, I guided them from ideation through development so they could create more practical services grounded in data and design thinking.

The workshop was a concrete example of civic tech: residents, developers, and designers collaborating on locally rooted challenges using open data as shared infrastructure.

Event: Workshop to Build Useful Web Services with Data (Services for International Residents)
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2018
Venue: Ima Plus coworking space, Konan, Shiga
Co-host: Ima Plus coworking space
Theme: Developing services that make life in Shiga easier for international residents

Workshop to Build Useful Web Services with Data | Facebook

Nagareyama, Chiba: Code for NAGAREYAMA Statistical-Chart Workshop for Elementary School Students

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I participated as a facilitator in a workshop organized by Code for NAGAREYAMA in Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture.

Event Overview

Announcement

Data visualization has attracted a great deal of attention, but it can feel difficult to begin. This workshop introduced data visualization methods that even children could use. Children could apply them to summer projects, while adults could develop useful business skills. The instructor was Yuichi Yazaki, founder of Data Visualization Japan.

After seven years as a designer and art director at Business Architects Inc., Yazaki became independent in 2008. He has since worked extensively in the practice and promotion of data visualization and is a co-author of The RESAS Textbook.

Slides

Student Presentations

Shiga: Data Visualization Course for Regional Creators with a Co-Author of The RESAS Textbook

Sat, 15 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In April 2017, I spoke at “Tips for Designers Working with Data, with a Co-Author of The RESAS Textbook,” an event for regional designers and creators held at Tonarimachi Parlor near Maibara Station. It was organized by the International Affairs Office of Shiga Prefecture’s Department of Commerce, Industry, Tourism and Labor.

The event focused on the Regional Economy and Society Analyzing System (RESAS), an important resource for regional revitalization, and the growing field of data visualization.

Main Topics

Foundations of data use: Practical advice on creating, preparing, and handling the data behind a visualization.
The nature of data visualization: Discussion of how it differs from infographics and the value visualization can bring to a region.
What makes RESAS interesting: Insights into the system’s possibilities, informed by my experience as a co-author of The RESAS Textbook.

The event coincided with the establishment of Shiga University’s Faculty of Data Science and contributed to improving regional data literacy and encouraging data use in creative practice.

Event: Tips for Designers Working with Data, with a Co-Author of The RESAS Textbook
Date: Saturday, April 15, 2017
Venue: Tonarimachi Parlor, Maibara, Shiga
Theme: Data visualization and the use of RESAS
Speakers: Yuichi Yazaki and others

Event page | Facebook

Saga: Code for Saga × Saga University Workshop on Solving Local Issues through Data Visualization

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I gave a presentation at the first “Workshop on Solving Local Issues through Data Visualization,” the inaugural collaboration between Code for Saga and Saga University.

Scenes from the Workshop

Workshop on Solving Local Issues through Data Visualization, Session 1 — Code for Saga

Co-Authoring a Practical Guide to Japan's Regional Economy and Society Analyzing System (RESAS)

Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I co-authored The RESAS Textbook: RESAS Guidebook, published by Nikkei BP in September 2016.

Subtitled Why Does That Town Thrive? Data Accelerates Regional Revitalization, the book explains how to use the Japanese government’s Regional Economy and Society Analyzing System (RESAS) and presents practical applications.

As data-informed policymaking and business development became increasingly important to regional revitalization, the book served as a practical guide for local-government staff and regional business professionals across Japan seeking to make full use of RESAS.

Through the book, I helped share methods for discovering and solving regional challenges with data.

Title: The RESAS Textbook: RESAS Guidebook
Publisher: Nikkei BP
Publication date: September 2016
Co-authors: Nikkei Big Data Editorial Department, Yuichiro Kotani, Mami Enomoto, Yoshiaki Matsuura, and Yuichi Yazaki

Nanto, Toyama: Talk at the Urban Data Challenge 2016 Public-Facilities Ideathon

Sat, 20 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I spoke at the “Urban Data Challenge 2016 in Nanto: Public-Facilities Ideathon” in Nanto, Toyama Prefecture, on using public data and building consensus.

The event addressed Nanto’s urgent need to reduce its stock of public facilities by approximately fifty percent. By visualizing and using public data, it aimed to help residents understand the situation, treat it as their own concern, and develop solutions.

Presentation

Speaker: Yuichi Yazaki (representative of Code for Tokyo / founder of Data Visualization Japan)
Title: “Energizing Consensus Building through Data Visualization”

I discussed the importance of data visualization as a way to raise public interest and encourage constructive dialogue around the complex and consequential issue of reorganizing public facilities. Presenting data clearly helps each participant understand the structure of the problem quickly, exchange views from multiple perspectives, and work toward more effective consensus.

Event Information

Event: Nanto City and Code for Nanto: Reconsidering Nanto’s Public Facilities through Public Data and Data Visualization (Urban Data Challenge 2016 in Nanto Public-Facilities Ideathon)
Date: Saturday, August 20, 2016
Venue: Nanto Creator Plaza

Urban Data Challenge 2016 in Nanto: Public-Facilities Ideathon

Code for X Activities (Archive) on Notation LLC

Taito, Tokyo: Operational Support for the Open-Data Ideathon Taito Ideathon 2022

Main Contributions

Related Links

Nakano, Tokyo: Presenting Visualization Methods at an Open-Data Study Session

Main Topics

Related Links

Shiga: Workshop Using Open Data to Address Local Challenges

Main Contributions

Related Links

Nagareyama, Chiba: Code for NAGAREYAMA Statistical-Chart Workshop for Elementary School Students

Event Overview

Announcement

Slides

Student Presentations

Related Links

Shiga: Data Visualization Course for Regional Creators with a Co-Author of The RESAS Textbook

Main Topics

Related Links

Saga: Code for Saga × Saga University Workshop on Solving Local Issues through Data Visualization

Scenes from the Workshop

Related Links

Co-Authoring a Practical Guide to Japan's Regional Economy and Society Analyzing System (RESAS)

Related Links

Nanto, Toyama: Talk at the Urban Data Challenge 2016 Public-Facilities Ideathon

Presentation

Event Information

Related Links