Mujyo Co., Ltd. Launches Handyman Business 'Yattokuken' in Ama-cho, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture
Mujyo Co., Ltd. started a handyman service in Ama-cho, Shimane, embracing the philosophy of 'Shrink and Fulfill'. It aims to support local livelihoods in a shrinking society and connect urban talent with rural communities.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 22:10
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Mujyo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Yota Maeda) announces the launch of a handyman business in Ama-cho, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture. This business provides services to support minor needs required to continue living in the community, such as dismantling graves, tending graves, collecting unwanted items, mowing grass, light labor, and scrap collection.
Left: CEO Yota Maeda / Right: Ama-cho Representative Shotaro Otokawa
In an era of population decline, our company has continuously questioned how to realize a fulfilling life in a shrinking society, rather than merely aiming for population growth or economic expansion. This handyman business is one of our practical implementations, launching fully in Ama-cho.
The Concept of 'Shrink and Fulfill' Born from Experiences in Ama-cho
Mujyo Co., Ltd. was founded by Yota Maeda in May 2020. Maeda is originally from Suginami-ku, Tokyo, but spent his high school years in Ama-cho, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture.
Through this, Maeda developed an awareness that rightward-rising solutions like 'increase the population' or 'revitalize the economy' against the reality of population decline might not adequately address future society.
Scenery of the port of Ama-cho
The conclusion he reached was the concept of 'Shrink and Fulfill' (Shukuju), which does not universally condemn population decline as an evil, but aims for a fulfilling life even while shrinking.
With this philosophy, he founded Mujyo Co., Ltd. while in university. Although the headquarters is in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Maeda himself began a dual-base life in Ama-cho in April 2024, and registered the Ama branch in January 2026. As the first step in the full-scale business development of that Ama branch, we are starting the handyman business.
Seeking a form of community that cannot be measured only by the 'success model' of regional revitalization
Ama-cho has been nationally known as a pioneer in regional revitalization. However, Maeda felt uneasy that defining a state like Ama-cho—where young people return and revitalization progresses—as 'success' would lead to many other regions being deemed relative 'failures.'
In an era of ongoing population decline, what is truly necessary is not for all regions to aim for growth and revitalization in the same way, but to consider a form of community that can maintain a fulfilling life on the premise of shrinking. The starting point of that question lies in Maeda's own experience in Ama-cho. That is why we are launching the handyman business in Ama-cho as a venture to practice 'Shrink and Fulfill.'
Supporting minor daily troubles and protecting the environment to continue living in the region
The handyman business launching this time handles minor daily troubles such as grave dismantling, grave tending, unwanted item collection, mowing, light labor, and scrap collection.
With the declining population and aging society, things that used to be requested of neighbors or relatives are slowly becoming harder to ask for. For example, replacing screen doors, changing shoji paper, moving heavy items—while small individually, leaving them unattended certainly diminishes the quality of daily life.
Our company believes that an existence supporting such 'minor troubles' is exactly one of the necessary infrastructures for communities in an era of population decline. The handyman business is not just a service that takes on tasks, but plays a role in supporting the foundation for continuing to live in the community.
Also serving as a receptacle to create 'roles' for urban people involved in the region
In addition to the purpose of supporting livelihoods, this business has another aim. It is to become a receptacle that creates 'roles' and 'titles' within the community for urban people who want to be involved in rural areas.
In recent years, policies and systems encouraging urbanites to continuously engage with regions, such as the hometown resident registration system, have been expanding. While this trend itself is very important, from the region's perspective, there is a challenge in not knowing how to engage with outsiders.
For example, if someone working as an engineer or designer in a city comes to the region, it can be hard to know what to ask of them in the context of daily rural life based purely on that title. In that regard, an easy-to-understand role like 'helping with the handyman business' or 'involved in the region as a handyman' tends to be an easy entry point to build relationships with locals.
Through the handyman business, our company envisions functioning as an intermediary receptacle that supports local livelihoods while simultaneously handing specific roles to people coming from the city to the region.
Future Developments
Through the handyman business in Ama-cho, Mujyo Co., Ltd. will continue to practice new ways of supporting communities in an era of population decline. We aim to realize a society that says 'It is shrinking, but...' by balancing supporting daily troubles and creating roles for people involved from outside the region.
Left: CEO Yota Maeda / Right: Ama-cho Representative Shotaro Otokawa
In an era of population decline, our company has continuously questioned how to realize a fulfilling life in a shrinking society, rather than merely aiming for population growth or economic expansion. This handyman business is one of our practical implementations, launching fully in Ama-cho.
The Concept of 'Shrink and Fulfill' Born from Experiences in Ama-cho
Mujyo Co., Ltd. was founded by Yota Maeda in May 2020. Maeda is originally from Suginami-ku, Tokyo, but spent his high school years in Ama-cho, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture.
Through this, Maeda developed an awareness that rightward-rising solutions like 'increase the population' or 'revitalize the economy' against the reality of population decline might not adequately address future society.
Scenery of the port of Ama-cho
The conclusion he reached was the concept of 'Shrink and Fulfill' (Shukuju), which does not universally condemn population decline as an evil, but aims for a fulfilling life even while shrinking.
With this philosophy, he founded Mujyo Co., Ltd. while in university. Although the headquarters is in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Maeda himself began a dual-base life in Ama-cho in April 2024, and registered the Ama branch in January 2026. As the first step in the full-scale business development of that Ama branch, we are starting the handyman business.
Seeking a form of community that cannot be measured only by the 'success model' of regional revitalization
Ama-cho has been nationally known as a pioneer in regional revitalization. However, Maeda felt uneasy that defining a state like Ama-cho—where young people return and revitalization progresses—as 'success' would lead to many other regions being deemed relative 'failures.'
In an era of ongoing population decline, what is truly necessary is not for all regions to aim for growth and revitalization in the same way, but to consider a form of community that can maintain a fulfilling life on the premise of shrinking. The starting point of that question lies in Maeda's own experience in Ama-cho. That is why we are launching the handyman business in Ama-cho as a venture to practice 'Shrink and Fulfill.'
Supporting minor daily troubles and protecting the environment to continue living in the region
The handyman business launching this time handles minor daily troubles such as grave dismantling, grave tending, unwanted item collection, mowing, light labor, and scrap collection.
With the declining population and aging society, things that used to be requested of neighbors or relatives are slowly becoming harder to ask for. For example, replacing screen doors, changing shoji paper, moving heavy items—while small individually, leaving them unattended certainly diminishes the quality of daily life.
Our company believes that an existence supporting such 'minor troubles' is exactly one of the necessary infrastructures for communities in an era of population decline. The handyman business is not just a service that takes on tasks, but plays a role in supporting the foundation for continuing to live in the community.
Also serving as a receptacle to create 'roles' for urban people involved in the region
In addition to the purpose of supporting livelihoods, this business has another aim. It is to become a receptacle that creates 'roles' and 'titles' within the community for urban people who want to be involved in rural areas.
In recent years, policies and systems encouraging urbanites to continuously engage with regions, such as the hometown resident registration system, have been expanding. While this trend itself is very important, from the region's perspective, there is a challenge in not knowing how to engage with outsiders.
For example, if someone working as an engineer or designer in a city comes to the region, it can be hard to know what to ask of them in the context of daily rural life based purely on that title. In that regard, an easy-to-understand role like 'helping with the handyman business' or 'involved in the region as a handyman' tends to be an easy entry point to build relationships with locals.
Through the handyman business, our company envisions functioning as an intermediary receptacle that supports local livelihoods while simultaneously handing specific roles to people coming from the city to the region.
Future Developments
Through the handyman business in Ama-cho, Mujyo Co., Ltd. will continue to practice new ways of supporting communities in an era of population decline. We aim to realize a society that says 'It is shrinking, but...' by balancing supporting daily troubles and creating roles for people involved from outside the region.