New Community for Maebashi: SAY MAEBASHI Aims to Cultivate Local Narratives

Fostering a Community Through Storytelling in Maebashi

In a bid to enhance the connection between locals and visitors, the city of Maebashi, in collaboration with QON Co., Ltd., has launched a new fan community named "SAY MAEBASHI" on August 27, 2026. This initiative is dedicated to not only increasing the number of people who know about Maebashi but also encouraging them to express and share their experiences in their own words.

The Aim of SAY MAEBASHI

"SAY MAEBASHI" seeks to transform merely knowing about the city into actively narrating personal experiences, recommendations, and stories related to Maebashi. This evolution from knowledge to narrative will be facilitated through online dialogues that foster deeper engagement and continual involvement with the community.

By initiating discussions, sharing photos, and offering recommendations within this online platform, the community intends to extend connections to local shops, roadside stations, and real-life experiences in the city. This initiative aims to nurture a community where citizens, business owners, visitors, and anyone interested in Maebashi can share their narratives and form deeper relationships with the area.

Building Relationships that Matter

As the national government aims to achieve a "Relations Population of 10 Million" through its revitalization efforts, the focus is shifting towards creating a sustainable relationship with the region, rather than just attracting temporary visitors. While the visiting population, or exchange population, includes tourists who temporarily experience the locale, the relationship population encompasses those who maintain ongoing connections without necessarily moving to the area. This includes fans of the region, individuals engaged with local issues, and those contemplating relocating in the future.

The government’s "Basic Concept of Regional Revitalization 2.0," articulated in June 2025, stresses the creation and visibility of relation populations to enhance coexistence between urban and rural areas. A target has been set to achieve a tangible relation population of 10 million and an accumulative reach of 100 million over the next decade.

In Maebashi, addressing the challenges posed by declining demographics is crucial for sustaining and elevating local economies and vitality. The expected number of tourists in 2024 is set at 7.8 million, with actual visitors surpassing 10.57 million, which is approximately 32 times the city’s population of 326,282 as of July 2026. The next challenge is transitioning these transient visits into ongoing relationships with the area. "Knowing about Maebashi" or "having visited Maebashi" can evolve into "sharing narratives about Maebashi" — a crucial transformation supported by the community's philosophy.

Creating a Cycle of Engagement with 'SAY MAEBASHI'

At the community's core is the phrase, "SAY MAEBASHI." Participants are encouraged to share their discoveries, favorite places, must-visit shops, memories, photos, and experiences in their unique narratives. By engaging with each other's posts, individuals can develop a deeper connection with Maebashi through shared experiences and dialogues.

Leveraging QON's expertise in community management and data science, the platform aims to draw out authentic narratives from participants rather than solely disseminating information from authorities to the public. This space allows citizens, business entities, visitors, and interested individuals to converse about Maebashi from their unique perspectives. The emotions stirred by the community's discussions will potentially lead to visits to local stores, roadside vendors, exploring the city, or participating in events.

Upcoming Events and Future Prospects

Just 23 days after its launch, on September 19, 2026, Maebashi will host the first "Maebashi International Art Festival 2026" in the city center. Scheduled to last for 80 days, this citywide arts festival will feature a multitude of artistic expressions, including art, architecture, music, poetry, theater, and cuisine, with participation from both domestic and international talents.

The discoveries and experiences gained from the festival can then be narrated within "SAY MAEBASHI," creating a cyclical effect where personal stories inspire further curiosity about Maebashi. By bridging the online platform with real-life events, the community encourages a flow of narratives, connecting the dots between visiting, sharing, and ongoing engagement with the city.

The Road Ahead

Together, Maebashi City and QON aim to cultivate a growing network of individuals narrating their stories and experiences with the region. By utilizing AI agents and data science to understand participant feedback, the initiative will uncover new areas of interest and enhance regional engagement. Plans include creating real events, collaborating with local businesses, and developing initiatives that elevate the community's value collectively.

The ultimate goal is to make "Maebashi" a term that finds its place naturally in everyday conversations across Japan, transitioning individuals from being merely knowledgeable to actively sharing their narratives. With "SAY MAEBASHI," this shift holds the potential to stimulate sustained interest and engagement with the region, creating a fertile ground for new challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.