#Japan #Sapporo #Imajina #Seminar #Employee Shortage

Tackling Hokkaido's Workforce Crisis with Imajina's Innovative Seminar

Imajina Co., Ltd., headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is gearing up to host a groundbreaking seminar from June 30 to July 3, 2026, at Access Sapporo. This event will form part of the largest exhibition dedicated to back-office professionals in Hokkaido, known as the "Back Office DXPO Sapporo '26." This will mark Imajina's inaugural participation, following their massive success at a previous exhibition in Tokyo, where their seminars attracted a staggering 1,277 attendees who were left standing due to overwhelming interest.

With over 58.3% of businesses in Hokkaido reporting a critical shortage of full-time employees—an alarming statistic that has persisted for five consecutive years—the situation in the region's job market continues to worsen. This issue has been highlighted by the rise of "employee-retirement bankruptcies," where companies collapse due to key employee turnover. In this distressing scenario, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas face an alarming exodus of mid-career and young talent, threatening the very survival of their organizations.

To combat these issues, many local companies are attempting to leverage digital transformation (DX) for efficiency and automation. However, the neglect of employee engagement and effective retention strategies has resulted in a trend called "nominal DX," where costly tools fail to integrate effectively into the workplace. The stark reality is evident in Hokkaido, where 37.8% of new university graduates and 45.3% of high school graduates leave their jobs within three years, jeopardizing the sustainability of the local economy.

Imajina believes the key to breaking this cycle lies in fostering a sense of internal branding rather than merely pursuing partial optimizations such as recruitment promotions or tool implementations. The company aims to help organizations embed their core values in the workforce and inspire proactive behaviors among employees. Consequently, the upcoming exhibition will offer essential insights into organizational transformation, emphasizing the importance of these methods for Hokkaido's business leaders and HR professionals.

Breaking Down the Invisible Barriers: Special Seminars by President Yoshiki Sekino

Throughout the event, President Yoshiki Sekino will be presenting six distinct sessions aimed at addressing the prevalent concerns surrounding employee development and retention faced by management teams and executives. These sessions will employ scientific methodologies grounded in organizational behavior theories and emotional intelligence (EQ).

Here’s the schedule for the sessions:

• - June 30, 12:30 - 13:00: "Why Doesn't Training Change Organizations?" - Common traits of companies where education fails.
• - July 1, 11:40 - 12:10: "Are Employees Really Unmotivated?" - The underlying barriers that hinder organizational potential.
• - July 1, 12:30 - 13:00: "Breaking Free from Companies That Fail to Develop Their Employees" - The significance of human investment as a business strategy.
• - July 2, 15:00 - 15:30: "Are You Wasting More Than Half of Your Advertising Spending?" - Identifying wasteful expenditures through data and psychological analysis for dramatic improvement.
• - July 3, 12:30 - 13:00: "Put an End to Meaningless Advertising Investments!" - Understanding target psychology for maximum marketing ROI.
• - July 3, 14:10 - 14:40: Duplicate of the session above.

All sessions will take place in Seminar Room A, are free of charge, and require prior registration.

A Stampede for Scientific Organizational Design in Tokyo

At a recent exhibition in Tokyo, Imajina's booth drew cumulative interest from 1,277 executives and HR professionals over three days, leading to standing-room-only attendance for Sekino’s seminars. Many attendees showed a keen interest in the interconnected challenges of management training, reshaping the mindsets of younger employees, and preventing early attrition—three critical issues currently faced by modern organizations.

These challenges are intricately linked to what is termed the "trap of white companies," where an overly conducive work environment leads to a lack of growth experience for younger staff, prompting them to leave. Hence, Imajina’s approach, rooted in emotional intelligence, shares techniques such as delegation skills, visualizing corporate purpose via vision maps, and psychological profiling tools developed in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. Many businesses reported significant shifts in their organizational building concepts as a result.

For attendees at the Sapporo event, Imajina's booth will offer a hands-on experience with these tools, personalized diagnostics for organizational challenges, and advisory sessions regarding employee retention. In light of the increasing incidence of bankruptcies due to labor shortages and high turnover rates among new graduates, this event promises to be an invaluable opportunity for Hokkaido's business leaders to gather actionable insights.

Event Details for Back Office DXPO Sapporo '26

• - Dates: June 30 - July 3, 2026
• - Location: Access Sapporo, 4-3-55 Ryutsu Center, Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
• - Organizer: Butix Co., Ltd.
• - Imajina Exhibit Area: Within the Back Office DXPO

About Imajina Co., Ltd.
With the motto, "Brands are created by the employees working there," Imajina focuses on organizational transformation and workforce development through internal branding. The company boasts over 3,000 successful implementations across a diverse range of sectors including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and government.
Official Website

Contact for Inquiries
Person in Charge: Minami Aoie
TEL: 03-3511-5525
FAX: 03-3511-8228
MAIL: [email protected]