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Monthly Highlights of Research Activities: March 20 is the International Day of Happiness

2026.03.18

Photo: JICA / Kenshiro Imamura

March 20 is the International Day of Happiness , designated by the United Nations to recognize happiness as a universal human goal and to encourage the creation of inclusive and equitable societies that promote the happiness and well‑being of all.

This idea is closely linked to the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to build a sustainable society where no one is left behind.　In recent years, there has been growing global recognition that the scale of economic growth—measured solely by GDP—cannot fully capture the richness of a society. As a result, discussions on “Beyond GDP” have expanded worldwide, drawing attention to frameworks that emphasize people’s well‑being, the environment, and the quality of society. At JICA, efforts have begun to incorporate new evaluation perspectives that better capture people’s well-being.

Fresh perspectives in evaluation｜JICA Magazine

These values align closely with the principles of the JICA Ogata Research Institute, which places great importance on human security—protecting the lives, livelihoods, and dignity of every individual. Below, we introduce some of the Institute’s initiatives that relate to people’s happiness and well-being contribute to these goals.

Interview With Distinguished Fellow Csaba Kőrösi: Beyond GDP and How We Measure Progress

The long-standing over-emphasis on economic growth as measured by GDP has distorted our assessment of sustainable development in an era marked by climate change, widening inequalities and environmental degradation. Csaba Kőrösi , a Hungarian diplomat who served as President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, talks about the origins, challenges and future of the “Beyond GDP” agenda.

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Working Paper | No.76 Happiness in Thailand: The Effects of Family, Health and Job Satisfaction, and the Moderating Role of Gender

This research investigates the association between family, health, and job satisfaction, and happiness in Thailand. The analysis results indicate that all three types of satisfaction have positive effects on happiness, while gender has little influence as a moderator in Thailand.

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Working Paper | No.79 Interdependent Happiness: Cultural Happiness under the East Asian Cultural Mandate

In order to examine how socio-economic status might undermine cultural happiness shared among East Asian cultural members, the concept of interdependent happiness - harmony with others, quiescence, and ordinariness - was measured using representative adults from Thailand living in both rural and urban areas. While objective socio-economic status showed negative correlation with the interdependent happiness, it showed a negligible correlation with general happiness.

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Discussion Paper | No.36 Does Infrastructure Improve Human Well-being? Analysis of Japan's Subnational Human Development Index (1960–2020)

This paper examines the impact of infrastructure on the level of human well-being by analyzing long-term panel data (1960–2020) on the newly constructed Human Development Index (HDI) for each prefecture in Japan. The analysis shows that infrastructure generally has a positive impact on HDI.

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Learn more: Research on the applicability of Japan’s infrastructure development experience to developing countries

Revisiting Human Security from the Human-Centered Perspective: Results of a Perception Survey in Five African Countries

By looking at human security from the perspective of individuals’ perceptions of security/insecurity―i.e., their sense of insecurity regarding the future―this article examines the possibilities of using human security as an analytical concept.

‘Human Security, Politics and Society under Compounded Crises’—the Second Issue of the JICA Ogata Research Institute Report ‘Human Security Today’

Revisiting Human Security from the Human Centered Perspective: Results of a Perception Survey in Five African Countries

Interview with Research Fellow Solomon Haddis Teklehaymanot: Exploring the Impacts of Conflict on Children and Land Tenure Security’s Role in Structural Transformation

What impact does conflict have on children? Is there a relationship between land tenure security and structural transformation? Research Fellow Solomon Haddis Teklehaymanot introduces his research projects that aims to answer these critical questions facing Ethiopia.