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Foreval Accelerates Regional Revitalization Initiatives

Foreval Inc., headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, under the leadership of President Masanori Nakajima, has officially launched the "Kuritoto Ippei Co-creation Project." This initiative stems from the company’s broader regional revitalization strategy, known as the "F-Japan Initiative." The project is centered around a collaborative model that encompasses various stakeholders to enhance the implementation of this initiative, with a focal point in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and expands to Kurihara City, Tome City in Miyagi Prefecture, as well as Hiraizumi Town in Iwate Prefecture.

Understanding the "Kuritoto Ippei" Concept

The name "Kuritoto Ippei" represents a comprehensive regional area, integrating the northern part of Miyagi (Kurihara and Tome cities) and the southern part of Iwate (Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi towns). This collaborative area aims to tackle common issues such as population decline, labor shortages, and delays in digital transformation through the partnership of industry, government, academia, and finance.

Purpose and Background of the Initiative

The four cities and towns involved are home to many small and medium-sized enterprises that significantly contribute to the local economy. Despite this, they face daunting challenges, such as a shrinking population, workforce shortages, issues surrounding successors, and the slow progression of digital transformation. These interconnected challenges call for solutions beyond single-entity support. Therefore, a sustainable framework for dynamically circulating support throughout the entire region is imperative.

To address these issues, Foreval has fostered communication with relevant municipal bodies, financial institutions, educational institutions, and experts. In collaboration with the Ichinoseki Chamber of Commerce and Next IWATE, the company has been developing a prior implementation model termed the "Ichinoseki Model." This model aims to gain a clear understanding of the local businesses, visualizing their management conditions, and providing consistent support to resolve their business issues. All these actions are part of a proactive support system for local enterprises.

This project builds on the experiences gained through the Ichinoseki Model, aiming to establish a new co-creation framework that advances regional support without relying solely on intuition or experience by utilizing data-driven strategies. A distinctive feature of this project is its goal to create a self-sufficient support network within the region, rather than having external companies provide isolated assistance. This approach aims to transition towards a self-sustained, autonomous support model, where local participants can continuously identify and solve their own challenges.

In doing so, Foreval aspires to transform the essence of regional assistance and plans to expand the "Kuritoto Ippei" area to develop a broad-based co-creation model across the regions, encompassing Kurihara City, Tome City, Ichinoseki City, and Hiraizumi Town.

Project Overview

This initiative consists of four main functions designed to build a new co-creation model:

1. Data Co-creation Platform: The "Kizuna PARK Ichinoseki Plaza" will facilitate the visualization of corporate realities and enable data utilization.
2. Development of Corporate Doctors: Training programs for corporate doctors will foster a circular flow of human resources.
3. Execution of Business Support: Hands-on assistance will be provided to local companies.
4. Support System Structure: Establishing a support network through collaboration among industry, government, academia, and finance.

The initiative aims to create a cycle of understanding, visualization, support, and policy application guided by comprehensive data rather than intuition-driven decisions.

Past Activities and Achievements

Up until now, the project has documented a series of significant activities and achievements, including:

• - August 2025: Launch of the Ichinoseki Model in collaboration with Next IWATE.
• - November 2025: Start of on-site surveys of local businesses conducted by Next IWATE, which serves as the project manager.
• - December 2025: A business plan based on the Ichinoseki Model was recognized with four awards, including the Minister of Regional Revitalization Award at the "Regional Revitalization Policy Idea Contest 2025."
• - February 2026: Celebration and debriefing meeting hosted by Next IWATE, co-sponsored by Foreval and Shimada Production.

Next IWATE serves as a collaborative partner in Foreval’s F-Japan Initiative, having visited over 40 local businesses to gather insights directly from business leaders. These undertakings validate the model's feasibility and the recognition it has garnered within the community.

About Foreval Inc.

Founded on September 18, 1980, Foreval Inc. (TSE Standard: 8275) specializes in providing consulting services tailored for small and medium enterprises. Their extensive support services span five essential areas: Information and Communication, Overseas Development, Environmental Solutions, Human Resource and Educational Development, and Entrepreneurship and Business Succession. Leveraging a unique model known as "Corporate Doctors"—next-generation management consultants—Foreval delivers comprehensive support from identifying corporate challenges to implementing effective solutions, thereby enhancing ESG and DX strategies for overall corporate value improvement.

The company continues to advance its regional co-creation model under the F-Japan Initiative, fostering partnerships among local governments, private enterprises, educational institutions, and financial entities.

For more details, please visit their official website.