TOKYO FORUM 2025

Welcome to Tokyo Forum 2025.

This year’s theme is “Rethinking Capitalism.”

Capitalism shapes our economies, our businesses, and even our daily choices. In a time of global uncertainty, it is important to pause and ask: how can this system evolve to better serve our shared future?

Over two days, we will explore capitalism’s diversity, contradictions, and possibilities. Sessions will also look ahead to building sustainable futures, exploring the opportunities of space development, democracy’s future, and reimagining higher education. A special highlight will be student voices from Korea and Japan, reminding us of the vital role of the next generation.

Tokyo Forum, co-hosted by the University of Tokyo and the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, is more than an academic gathering—it is a platform for open dialogue and bold ideas.

We look forward to welcoming you to Yasuda Auditorium!

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Tokyo Forum 2025, convened under the theme of “Rethinking Capitalism.”

Japan and Korea alike face profound challenges that are reshaping our societies: declining birthrates, aging populations, regional depopulation, and widening inequality. Yet these are not concerns for our nations alone; they are shared global challenges that compel us to reconsider the very foundations of capitalism and envision how it can evolve to better serve future generations.

This year’s Forum is designed both to reflect on these challenges and to explore solutions. The Business Leaders’ Session will share insights from those shaping today’s economies, while the Youth Session will highlight the aspirations and perspectives of the next generation. Together, they embody the Forum’s mission of bridging experience and ambition.

As 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of Korea–Japan diplomatic normalization, Tokyo Forum 2025 takes on added significance as a platform for our two nations to address common challenges and pursue joint solutions.

I warmly welcome you all, and I look forward to the ideas, collaborations, and friendships that will emerge here in Tokyo.