#Japan #Tokyo #STUDIO ZERO #CX Mayer's Board #Citizen Experience

STUDIO ZERO Launches CX Mayer's Board

On June 24, 2025, STUDIO ZERO, an in-house startup of Plaid Inc. located in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, announced the formation of the "CX Mayer's Board." This initiative aims to accelerate local government management from the perspective of Citizen Experience (CX).

The board plans to appoint former mayors from approximately 8 to 9 regions across Japan as special representatives. These representatives will conduct interviews with current mayors regarding public relations, community engagement, and digital transformation (DX) initiatives in local municipalities. The insights gathered from these interviews will be systematically organized and published by the board, with the goal of building a repository of knowledge for updating administrative practices rooted in citizen experience.

By having former mayors interview current leaders, valuable real-life examples of both successes and failures will be captured. This effort will allow for the aggregation of unique regional contexts along with universal insights presented in engaging interview articles. The collaboration and networks of appointed former mayors will enhance the dissemination of knowledge regionally and support the formation of a learning community among local governments.

Background of the Initiative

In March 2023, STUDIO ZERO launched the program called ".Gov" to assist local governments in establishing their own systems for CX reform. This program has been implemented in several cities, including Nara and Inzai, focusing on support for public relations and community engagement through the lens of citizen experience, as well as initiatives aimed at increasing population engagement and residency. The program also measures effectiveness to bolster administrative DX.

In August 2024, former Mayor of Maebashi, Ryu Yamamoto, was appointed as the .Gov Advisory Fellow, bringing a wealth of practical knowledge on data-driven governance to the initiative. CX Mayer's Board has been established to further develop these activities, aiming to accumulate and share the experiences of local government leaders nationwide.

Key Themes of Activities

1. Selection of Special Representatives: Former mayors will be appointed as special representatives from 8 to 9 regions across Japan.

2. Collection and Dissemination of CX-based Public Relations Approaches: Special representatives will conduct interviews with mayors about their PR, community engagement, and DX initiatives, transforming this information into publishable articles.

3. Creation and Sharing of Usable Knowledge for Local Governments: By analyzing successful and unsuccessful case studies from various municipalities, knowledge will be developed and shared to implement systematic CX-centric public relations and engagement.

Further details on activities and event schedules will be made available on the STUDIO ZERO website as they are confirmed.

Comments from Key Figures

Ryu Yamamoto, former Mayor of Maebashi and .Gov Advisory Fellow at STUDIO ZERO, stated: "The movement to redesign local governance around 'citizen experience' is urgent. I hope to openly discuss both successes and failures and collaboratively develop replicable models for administrative CX."

Kanade Nishina, the representative of STUDIO ZERO at Plaid Inc., remarked: "Our mission at STUDIO ZERO is to drive societal and industrial transformation. We aim to use the knowledge gained from this board not just for specific municipalities but to realize a vision where local governments across Japan can execute CX-driven public relations and engagement more effectively than ever before."

For more information, visit the STUDIO ZERO website. For inquiries regarding the program, please contact studio-zero@plaid.co.jp (Contact: Nishina).