Currently, local governments across Japan face various regional challenges, and Kamikawa Town in Hokkaido is one of them.

In recent years, the town has focused on regional revitalization, expanding its external connections by collaborating with outdoor companies from urban areas and recruiting new residents through the "Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team" system, steadily advancing its town development.

Amidst this, in 2023, the "Kamikawa Town Yattemiyo-kka" program was launched as a medium-term business development initiative to address regional challenges through public-private collaboration.

The project sought applications from individuals of any age or background to start businesses in Kamikawa Town. Participants proposed business ideas related to five key areas of town challenges: DX, hometown tax donations, education, area innovation, and well-being.

The initiative involves considering new business ventures with the potential for future implementation, embodying the spirit of "Shall we give it a try?"

For details on regional challenges and the recruitment process, please refer to the article below.

After the application deadline in September 2023, a kickoff event was held in Tokyo, followed by an on-site inspection tour of Kamikawa Town.

Participants from diverse backgrounds formed teams of approximately three people, with local Kamikawa Town members joining each team, creating a total of six teams. These teams pooled perspectives from both within and outside the town to develop business plans addressing the town's challenges.

The business pitch, held in February 2024, was the venue for presenting the business ideas conceived by the teams.

The business pitch, held in Tokyo on February 6, 2024, involved judges evaluating each team's business proposal.

The judging panel consisted of four individuals: Mr. Takano, Section Chief of Kamikawa Town's Regional Charm Creation Department; Mr. Ochi, Section Chief; Mr. Takahashi, Advisor to Kamikawa Town; and Mr. Shimoji, President of TSI Holdings, a company collaborating with Kamikawa Town.

TSI Holdings, a major apparel manufacturer, and Kamikawa Town signed a comprehensive partnership agreement for sustainable regional development in 2021. Leveraging their extensive expertise in brand development within the apparel industry, TSI Holdings is collaborating to solve Kamikawa Town's challenges, including the development of local specialties and experiential products, leading to their participation as judges.

Proposals were evaluated based on five criteria: problem-solving potential, novelty, feasibility, expected impact, and cost-effectiveness. Four awards were presented: "Award for Immediate Action," "Award for Connecting to Kamikawa's Future," "TSI Special Award," and "MYP (Most Yattemiyokka Player)."

After approximately six months of conceptualization since the kickoff meeting, what kind of solutions would emerge from the refined ideas of each team?

In front of the expectant judges and Kamikawa Town officials, the participants delivered passionate presentations, a mix of excitement and nervousness filling the venue.

Here, we introduce the presentation content from each team.

DX Team 1: Developing a Unique Kamikawa Town Community App

Kamikawa Town offers substantial support and budget, and actively promotes its events. However, the team identified the fragmented nature of information dissemination across multiple communication channels as a primary issue.

They also focused on the needs reported to the town's social welfare council, proposing to digitally visualize resident requests. By developing a unique Kamikawa Town app and building an information platform, they aim to enhance communication and information reception for everyone connected to Kamikawa Town.

The app, named "KamikawaWalk," would feature basic functions for posting requests for help, event announcements, and information from the town hall.

Furthermore, the idea extends to utilizing the app as a human resource database and for health support, thereby aiding residents' lives and fostering community connections through DX.

DX Team 2: "GX (Green Transformation)" - A Circular Hometown Nurtured by Forests

Kamikawa Town's greatest asset is its abundant nature. However, due to population decline, the strength of its forestry industry, once a source of pride, is weakening.

The team identified a mismatch in employment: people wanting to work in the town but lacking attractive job opportunities, leading to an outflow of labor to other areas.

As many are aware, the shift towards clean energy and carbon neutrality is accelerating, making "GX (Green Transformation)" a trending keyword. This proposal aims to build a business model that leverages this momentum, circulating funds from government and corporate subsidies, among others, with a focus on the town's forests.

The plan involves utilizing forests as a base for learning, recreation, and work, extending to sixth-sector industrialization.

It proposes creating a system to pass down the appeal of forestry-related employment, starting with high school students who leave town seeking work.

The proposal positions the town as a leader in the increasingly important field of GX, aiming to enhance its brand.

Hometown Tax Donation Team: Building a Brand Through Enhanced Product Development and Promotion

Through on-site research, the team members realized that Kamikawa Town is a treasure trove of agricultural products, commercial goods, and content.

However, they also found that many residents believe the town has nothing to offer, and the town's products and charms are not effectively communicated externally.

Therefore, they aim to support businesses that lack sales channels, marketing strategies, or a clear understanding of value, using hometown tax donations as a catalyst. Through sales support, they intend to strengthen Kamikawa Town's brand and increase revenue.

For example, the "Melon Farm Owner for a Day" concept proposes creating a system where purchasers of the return gift become owners from the cultivation stage, fostering a sense of value in the harvested product.

This involves promoting products, including the experience of cultivation, to build a fan base for Kamikawa Town's agricultural products from production to consumption.

The proposal outlines a new model for hometown tax donations, focusing on enhancing product value through experiential approaches, supporting businesses, and creating a virtuous cycle.

Well-being Team: Creating a Structure for Area Management

The team's proposal is to establish an operational body that enables sustainable well-being initiatives, rather than just launching one-off projects.

They propose creating an area management promotion organization to support regional business initiatives.

Kamikawa Town has many businesses, but they operate independently with weak connections. The team believes that by forming an organization comprising neighborhood associations and businesses, various scattered regional issues can be addressed in a coordinated manner.

This team also pointed out that residents are not fully aware of their town's merits. Through the area management organization, they aim to increase related population by focusing on the sentiment "Kamikawa is wonderful," thereby enhancing the town's sustainable happiness.

The proposal suggests supporting issues that the local government cannot handle and guiding mutual problem-solving.

Education: AI Personalized Learning Support

The team tackling educational challenges conceived an idea to provide AI-based e-learning tailored to different learning levels for the town's children.

They believe that opportunities to output what one is passionate about can foster individual abilities.
If these projects also contribute to the local community, it would serve as a solution to the town's challenges.

With this mindset, they propose deepening the connection between the town and its people.

For residents aged 18 and under, the plan involves creating a personal profile that covers not only strong subjects but also interests and passions. Based on this aggregated information, AI-driven e-learning will be provided.

Participants will plan and execute projects related to regional issues in areas of their interest, establishing self-directed learning environments both online and offline.

The project aims to foster proactivity and initiative by discovering the joy of learning together and finding passions, while engaging in social issue projects.

This initiative involves educators and mentors, with the town as a whole, through the collaboration of the administration and local volunteers, nurturing the children.

Area Innovation: Circulating Vacant Homes and Utilizing Them as Educational Spaces

Kamikawa Town has approximately 160 vacant houses.

While over 80% of vacant properties in the town have seen sales transactions in the past, only two are currently registered in the vacant house bank.

It is clear that about half of the 160 vacant homes are habitable with renovations but remain unused due to a lack of circulation, indicating a problem with effective utilization.

The analysis suggests that many tourists visiting Kamikawa Town bypass the urban center not only because the hot spring resort area, Sounkyo, is geographically distant but also due to a shortage of accommodation facilities within the town. The team focused on how to circulate vacant homes and promote area innovation and branding through real estate utilization.

The team's proposal is to brand Kamikawa Town by incorporating education as a content element into the soft aspects of vacant house utilization.

They plan to promote the brand of "Kamikawa, the Town of Education" by leveraging existing educational initiatives, such as a project to create learning spaces inspired by Nordic models.

Furthermore, they added value by suggesting that projects like "half-build construction," where residents complete the final touches of construction themselves, can foster community formation and deepen attachment to Kamikawa Town through vacant house utilization.

The idea is to collaboratively build Kamikawa Town and drive area innovation.

Thus, business proposals from six teams across the five categories were presented.
What evaluation would be given to proposals imbued with passion for Kamikawa Town, developed over half a year?

TSI Special Award: Area Innovation Team
President Shimoji of TSI, who has developed a fondness for Kamikawa Town and has been searching for a residence there, expressed his surprise and discovery, recognizing the future potential in the vacant house utilization proposal.

Award for Immediate Action: Hometown Tax Donation Team
Mr. Takahashi commented with enthusiasm, "We will line up the most hometown tax return gifts in the country within a few months!"

Award for Connecting to Kamikawa's Future: Education Team
The proposal, originating from the first cohort of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team, conveyed a strong desire to invigorate education.

MYP (Most Yattemiyokka Player): Area Innovation Team
Kamikawa Town, which has recently established an environment for adult re-learning, is particularly focused on education.
The team's approach of linking vacant homes, often considered "negative assets," with education was highly praised.

The business proposals presented this time may actually be implemented starting next fiscal year.
The "Kamikawa Town Yattemiyo-kka" initiative is scheduled to continue in fiscal year 2024.

If you are interested, please check the town's information.

Special Page:Kamikawa Town Yattemiyo-kka
Provided by:Kamikawa Town, Hokkaido