08/19/2025
We held a co-hosted animal welfare experiential event at WeWork Nogizaka in Minato-ku, Tokyo, in collaboration with WeWork Japan on August 5, 2025.
This event, themed around “Animal Welfare,” aimed to explore the future of sustainable food from a business perspective. It also marked Lively’s first-ever co-hosted, in-person event since its founding.
Participants included 23 representatives from 22 companies across diverse industries such as retail, manufacturing, and AI, including many professionals involved in sustainability-related roles. Please also see the full event report by WeWork Japan here.
Since the 1970s, European countries have implemented laws and regulations on animal welfare, embedding the concept into society. In recent years, awareness and regulatory efforts have been expanding across Asia, making animal welfare an important topic for companies pursuing sustainable business practices, balancing environmental, ethical, and business considerations.
Lively became involved in WeWork’s environmental community activities after participating in We green together Meet Up Vol.2 – Expanding Communities through Environmental Action in June 2025. Through ongoing engagement, we were able to organize this co-hosted event focusing on animal welfare.
The event aimed to provide participants with insights into animal welfare from both food and business perspectives, offering a fresh viewpoint on contributing to a sustainable society.
Event Name: Animal Welfare Dialogue Event
Date & Time: Tuesday, August 5, 2025, 18:00–20:30
Venue: WeWork Nogizaka, GameRoom (1F, 1-24-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo (Google Maps) 1-minute walk from Exit 3, Nogizaka Station, Hibiya Line)
Host Organizations: Lively LLC, WeWork Japan (Environmental Project Team)
Facilitators: Tomomi Miura (Lively), WeWork Japan Environmental Project Team
Guests: Professor Tsuyoshi Shimmura (Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology), Akiko Fukuda (Animal Welfare Corporate Partners, AWCP)
The program was designed to help participants learn the fundamentals of animal welfare and reconsider its significance from a sustainability perspective.
Lecture: “Animal Welfare Basics”
Tomomi Miura from Lively explained the four different laying hens rearing systems, why animal welfare is increasingly important for businesses, and five key steps companies can take, based on sustainability reporting and international standards.
Virtual Tour: “Next-Generation Animal Welfare Model Facility – Unshelled”
Professor Tsuyoshi Shimmura guided participants through the Unshelled facility via a live virtual tour. Attendees explored the four rearing systems, observing differences in laying hens behavior and environment, and experienced the relationship between animal welfare and productivity firsthand.
Group Work and Sharing
23 participants were divided into five groups to discuss animal welfare and the future of sustainable food. Akiko Fukuda from AWCP also joined the discussions, offering insights based on on-the-ground practices and corporate policies promoting cage-free eggs.
Participants shared comments such as:
“It was very enjoyable. I’m looking forward to visiting the laying hens facility.”
“This was the first time I’ve engaged so closely with the realities of raising laying hens.”
“I realized how little attention I usually pay to eggs, even though they are a staple of daily life. It made me want to be more mindful of what I consume.”
“Even after the avian influenza outbreak subsided, egg prices have not gone down, which continues to affect businesses. The impact of extreme heat is also a concern, and we would like to closely monitor future developments.”
A post-event survey showed consistently high ratings, with most participants scoring the program between 8 and 10 out of 10.
This event marked Lively’s first co-hosted, in-person initiative, and we are grateful for the support of the WeWork Japan Environmental Project Team.
Environmental and social challenges, including animal welfare, are best understood not only through knowledge sharing but also through dialogue and exchange among diverse participants. The event offered a valuable space to experience this firsthand. Several participants expressed interest in joining the Unshelled Experiential Tour showcased during the live stream. We will be hosting the tour on September 10, 2025, offering a rare opportunity to deepen understanding through direct, sensory engagement on-site.
We look forward to seeing everyone at Unshelled for the next experience.