NTT Docomo Business is testing a voice-based community service in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, using ElevenLabs’ ElevenAgents platform. The project, run with Takeda Health Foundation and cooperation from the city, is intended to support older residents who can find it difficult to leave home during heavy winter snow.
The assistant, called CONN, provides local information and everyday conversation through spoken Japanese. NTT Docomo Business said natural intonation and emotional expression were important in selecting the voice technology, because synthetic Japanese speech can sound stilted. Field trials began in autumn 2025, and the company described early user feedback as positive.
This is a local pilot rather than a broad commercial rollout. The source does not provide participant numbers, health outcomes or an independent evaluation, so its practical effect has not yet been established. It also presents the deployment as conversational support, not medical care or emergency assistance.
NTT Docomo Business sees possible later uses in its telephony systems and in multilingual services for tourism. For now, the Aizuwakamatsu trial is a test of whether more natural voice interaction can make a community information service easier for older people to use.