Mirai Inc.(Headquarters: Hiroshima Prefecture; President & CEO: Akira Senoo) has entered into a partnership agreement with the Town of Abira, Hokkaido (Mayor: Shuichiro Oikawa), the Abira Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman: Masamichi Kobayashi), Awae Inc. (Headquarters: Tokushima Prefecture; CEO: Motoharu Yoshida), Dentsu Hokkaido Inc. (Headquarters: Hokkaido; President & CEO: Taira Kimura), FoundingBase Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Kenji Yamamoto), WHITE Inc. (Headquarters: Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative: Takashi Yokoyama), and LIFULL Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; President & CEO: Yuji Ito) to jointly promote the “Abira Smart Work Promotion Project.”

Under this agreement, the eight parties will collaborate to drive regional revitalization through public-private partnership.

■ Projects Implemented Under This Initiative

(1) Smart Work Industry Development

By implementing IT reskilling initiatives, this project aims to create new smart work industries. This will enable women raising children to utilize spare time or work flexibly, allowing work to be performed remotely without constraints of location or time. This will help resolve the balance between child-rearing and work, alleviate economic anxieties related to child-rearing, and provide a supportive working environment where families can safely give birth and raise children.

(2) Attraction of Companies (Satellite Offices) and Promotion of Business Relocation

By attracting IT and digital-related companies that appeal to young people and students who have left the town for higher education, this initiative aims to create new employment opportunities and encourage U-turns, I-turns, and J-turns among Abira natives, while curbing the outflow of young residents and fostering local retention.

(3) City Promotion × Creator Development

By localizing creative industries such as content production and information dissemination, this project will secure new employment opportunities and contribute to regional economic growth. This effort will also serve as a new form of city promotion, enhancing awareness and further attracting IT and digital-related companies.

(4) Branding Promotion

The initiatives from (1) Smart Work Industry Development, (2) Company and Business Attraction, and (3) Creator Development will be collectively branded as the “Abira Smart Work Promotion Project.” By addressing challenges identified in previous population retention strategies, the project aims to establish Abira as a leading municipality nationwide for “child-rearing and education.”

■ Overview of the Partnership Agreement

Date of Agreement: April 24, 2024

Purpose: To promote activities based on mutual cooperation and collaboration, aiming to realize regional revitalization through public-private partnership.

Areas of Cooperation:

(1) Development of smart work industries
(2) Promotion of company and business attraction
(3) City promotion and creator development
(4) Branding promotion
(5) Other activities contributing to the achievement of the above goals

■ Selected Comments (Excerpt)

＜Shuichiro Oikawa, Mayor of Abira＞

Achieving the future vision set forth in this project is a challenging path, but we believe that having many stakeholders with diverse expertise will foster momentum and enable the construction of a solid promotion system. We also have high expectations for the significant insights brought by many out-of-prefecture companies on key themes such as creating local jobs, facilitating human flow, realizing hopes for marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing, and building attractive communities.

＜Masamichi Kobayashi, Chairman of Abira Chamber of Commerce＞

We expect this project to promote smart work, including fostering and securing digital talent, contributing to the development of local businesses and the regional economy. Through collaboration with all parties involved, we are committed to advancing toward the project’s envisioned future.

＜Toru Yoshida, Senior Director, Consulting Division, Mirai Inc.＞

Through this project, Mirai Inc. aims to promote diverse work styles and employment creation, especially for young people and women raising children, and to establish a sustainable system for job supply. At the same time, we will accelerate digital transformation of local businesses in Abira and promote digital localization. After the project ends, we plan to build a self-sustaining private-sector system, practicing our motto: “Creating the future of Abira through digital.”

■ Official release by Abira Town:
https://www.town.abira.lg.jp/oshirase/8/18237

■ Contact
Consulting Division (Contact: Yoshida)
contact@go-mirai.jp