The 20th International Biophilia Rehabilitation Conference the Conference Co-Chair Director of the Biophilia Rehabilitation Academy Prof. Toshiyuki Tanaka Keio University, Yohohama

My name is Toshiyuki Tanaka of Keio University, and I will serve as the Conference Co-Chair for the 20th International Biophilia Rehabilitation Conference (IBRC 2026). The 2026 conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026, and will be held in person at the Raiosha Middle Conference Room on Keio University’s Hiyoshi Campus, with both on-site and online participation available.
In light of the rapidly aging population in Japan, the Biophilia Rehabilitation Society has long been engaged in a project aimed at enabling as many older adults as possible?particularly stroke survivors, whose numbers continue to rise?to return to their previous daily lives. At the core of this initiative lies the Takizawa Method.
The Takizawa Method is founded on the concept of allowing a single physical therapist to provide rehabilitation to multiple patients simultaneously. This approach helps mitigate the shortage of physical therapists and supports the rehabilitation process for older adults. Physicians, physical therapists, and university faculty members who support this initiative have formed a unified research team and have produced numerous significant findings. These achievements have been recognized internationally, including an invited lecture at the 13th ISPRM.
In recent years, many of the physicians, physical therapists, and professors who have collaborated on this research have themselves reached advanced age, marking a new phase for the Takizawa Method. While the original objective was to promote rehabilitation, it has since been demonstrated that older adults who are not rehabilitation patients can also maintain the muscle strength necessary for standing up by practicing the Takizawa Method. It is said that if older adults are able to stand up independently, the workload of physical therapists can be reduced by as much as 90 percent. Supporting not only stroke rehabilitation but also the overall quality of life (QoL) of all older adults represents the ultimate mission of our society. We have entered an era in which sustaining the health of older adults is of paramount importance.
Comparable benefits to those of the Takizawa Method may also be achieved through agricultural activities?including home gardening?and through various other forms of work that contribute to the health management of older adults. Disseminating these comprehensive solutions, with the Takizawa Method at their center, may indeed constitute the true purpose of our society.
Looking ahead, the International Biophilia Rehabilitation Academy will continue to address themes related to promoting the health and well-being of older adults, with “longevity society” as a central concept, encompassing fields such as rehabilitation and agriculture. It is my sincere hope that the 20th International Biophilia Rehabilitation Conference will serve as an opportunity to present a clear vision for the future direction of the Biophilia Rehabilitation Society.