Mekari Jinja Wins Runner-up and Strike Awards at 'NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH 2025-2026'; Courtesy Call to Kitakyushu Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi
Mekari Jinja (Kitakyushu City) received top honors at a prestigious national pitch contest for its innovative shrine management and social impact. Priest Kazunobu Takase shared the shrine's reconstruction model and nationwide expansion plans during a meeting with the Mayor of Kitakyushu.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 18:10
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Mekari Jinja Receives Runner-up and Strike Awards at NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH 2025-2026
Mekari Jinja (Religious Corporation, Location: Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Priest: Kazunobu Takase) has won the Runner-up prize and the Strike Award in the finals of the national pitch competition 'NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH 2025-2026,' organized by Nikkei Inc.
In the official list of finalists, Mekari Jinja (Presenter: Kazunobu Takase) is listed as the winner of the Runner-up and Strike Awards for the pitch titled 'Expanding the Possibilities of Shrines.' The final tournament took place on March 8, 2026, where 22 companies advanced from a pool of over 400 applicants nationwide.
Furthermore, on April 22, 2026, a courtesy visit was made to Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi of Kitakyushu City to report on the award and explain the initiatives of Mekari Jinja and SAISHIKI Co., Ltd.
During the meeting, opinions were exchanged regarding business creation based on local resources, the succession of shrines, social issues surrounding end-of-life and funerals, and the potential for expanding these efforts from Kitakyushu to the rest of the country.
Background of the Award
Mekari Jinja is a historic shrine situated at the Kanmon Straits. A special feature article by Nikkei Inc. describes how, when Kazunobu Takase returned to the shrine in 2009, the annual income was a mere 5 million yen, placing the shrine in a dire financial state. Since then, he has driven a reconstruction through initiatives such as marine ash scattering and Shinto funerals based on the shrine's origins, redesigning amulets, and renovating the shrine grounds and gift shops.
The same article also notes that beyond rebuilding Mekari Jinja itself, he has been working to support the management of other shrines through SAISHIKI Co., Ltd., which he established in 2022. This award recognizes that his efforts are not merely about business recovery but represent a successful fusion of traditional culture, history, mourning, and succession as a means of solving social challenges.
Significance of the Strike and Runner-up Awards
In a post-finals feature of NIKKEI THE PITCH, the Strike Award was praised for recognizing the importance of shrine business succession for regional revitalization. The Runner-up prize was also highly commended as an approach that tackles the traditional existence of a shrine with new wisdom and passion.
Winning these awards has provided Mekari Jinja with an opportunity to be showcased nationwide as a model for not only preserving tradition but also re-editing shrine functions to meet community needs and passing them on to the next generation in a sustainable way.
About the Courtesy Visit to the Mayor of Kitakyushu
During the courtesy call on April 22, 2026, in addition to reporting the awards, the history of Mekari Jinja and the shrine support activities of SAISHIKI Co., Ltd. were explained.
Kitakyushu City is a municipality focusing on startup support. According to city publications citing a Teikoku Databank survey on 'Emerging and Startup Enterprise Trends (2023),' Kokurakita and Kokuraminami Wards ranked tied for 1st nationally with an emergence rate of 11.0%, while Yahatanishi Ward ranked 4th at 8.9%. Mayor Takeuchi has stated that Kitakyushu is a city where startups can easily implement social solutions and link up with social issues.
The work of Mekari Jinja demonstrates that challenges by successors and the revitalization of local culture—not just technology—can also be considered 'startups from Kitakyushu,' showing high affinity with the city's context.
Future Outlook
Mekari Jinja and SAISHIKI Co., Ltd. will continue to focus on the theme of 'Expanding the Possibilities of Shrines,' working on shrine succession, end-of-life services, re-editing local culture, and shrine management support.
As a model originating from Kitakyushu, they will broadcast to the nation the concept of business creation leveraging local resources and the role of successor-led ventures in facing social challenges.
Comment from Kazunobu Takase
'I believe this award recognizes not just the work of one shrine, Mekari Jinja, but also the fact that a traditional entity like a shrine can address modern social issues as a viable business.
The opportunity to report this to the Mayor of Kitakyushu also allowed us to return the efforts we've made within the Kitakyushu region back to the community.
Moving forward, we will continue to apply the knowledge gained from the reconstruction of Mekari Jinja to shrines locally and across Japan, contributing to the future of Japanese shrines and regional culture.'
Mekari Jinja Overview
Name: Religious Corporation Mekari Jinja
Location: 3492 Moji, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka
Representative: Priest Kazunobu Takase
URL: https://www.mekarijinja.com/
SAISHIKI Co., Ltd. Overview
Name: SAISHIKI Co., Ltd.
Location: 3492 Moji, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka
Representative: CEO Kazunobu Takase
Established: 2022
Mekari Jinja (Religious Corporation, Location: Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Priest: Kazunobu Takase) has won the Runner-up prize and the Strike Award in the finals of the national pitch competition 'NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH 2025-2026,' organized by Nikkei Inc.
In the official list of finalists, Mekari Jinja (Presenter: Kazunobu Takase) is listed as the winner of the Runner-up and Strike Awards for the pitch titled 'Expanding the Possibilities of Shrines.' The final tournament took place on March 8, 2026, where 22 companies advanced from a pool of over 400 applicants nationwide.
Furthermore, on April 22, 2026, a courtesy visit was made to Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi of Kitakyushu City to report on the award and explain the initiatives of Mekari Jinja and SAISHIKI Co., Ltd.
During the meeting, opinions were exchanged regarding business creation based on local resources, the succession of shrines, social issues surrounding end-of-life and funerals, and the potential for expanding these efforts from Kitakyushu to the rest of the country.
Background of the Award
Mekari Jinja is a historic shrine situated at the Kanmon Straits. A special feature article by Nikkei Inc. describes how, when Kazunobu Takase returned to the shrine in 2009, the annual income was a mere 5 million yen, placing the shrine in a dire financial state. Since then, he has driven a reconstruction through initiatives such as marine ash scattering and Shinto funerals based on the shrine's origins, redesigning amulets, and renovating the shrine grounds and gift shops.
The same article also notes that beyond rebuilding Mekari Jinja itself, he has been working to support the management of other shrines through SAISHIKI Co., Ltd., which he established in 2022. This award recognizes that his efforts are not merely about business recovery but represent a successful fusion of traditional culture, history, mourning, and succession as a means of solving social challenges.
Significance of the Strike and Runner-up Awards
In a post-finals feature of NIKKEI THE PITCH, the Strike Award was praised for recognizing the importance of shrine business succession for regional revitalization. The Runner-up prize was also highly commended as an approach that tackles the traditional existence of a shrine with new wisdom and passion.
Winning these awards has provided Mekari Jinja with an opportunity to be showcased nationwide as a model for not only preserving tradition but also re-editing shrine functions to meet community needs and passing them on to the next generation in a sustainable way.
About the Courtesy Visit to the Mayor of Kitakyushu
During the courtesy call on April 22, 2026, in addition to reporting the awards, the history of Mekari Jinja and the shrine support activities of SAISHIKI Co., Ltd. were explained.
Kitakyushu City is a municipality focusing on startup support. According to city publications citing a Teikoku Databank survey on 'Emerging and Startup Enterprise Trends (2023),' Kokurakita and Kokuraminami Wards ranked tied for 1st nationally with an emergence rate of 11.0%, while Yahatanishi Ward ranked 4th at 8.9%. Mayor Takeuchi has stated that Kitakyushu is a city where startups can easily implement social solutions and link up with social issues.
The work of Mekari Jinja demonstrates that challenges by successors and the revitalization of local culture—not just technology—can also be considered 'startups from Kitakyushu,' showing high affinity with the city's context.
Future Outlook
Mekari Jinja and SAISHIKI Co., Ltd. will continue to focus on the theme of 'Expanding the Possibilities of Shrines,' working on shrine succession, end-of-life services, re-editing local culture, and shrine management support.
As a model originating from Kitakyushu, they will broadcast to the nation the concept of business creation leveraging local resources and the role of successor-led ventures in facing social challenges.
Comment from Kazunobu Takase
'I believe this award recognizes not just the work of one shrine, Mekari Jinja, but also the fact that a traditional entity like a shrine can address modern social issues as a viable business.
The opportunity to report this to the Mayor of Kitakyushu also allowed us to return the efforts we've made within the Kitakyushu region back to the community.
Moving forward, we will continue to apply the knowledge gained from the reconstruction of Mekari Jinja to shrines locally and across Japan, contributing to the future of Japanese shrines and regional culture.'
Mekari Jinja Overview
Name: Religious Corporation Mekari Jinja
Location: 3492 Moji, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka
Representative: Priest Kazunobu Takase
URL: https://www.mekarijinja.com/
SAISHIKI Co., Ltd. Overview
Name: SAISHIKI Co., Ltd.
Location: 3492 Moji, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka
Representative: CEO Kazunobu Takase
Established: 2022