Azuma Shikoku Signs Regional Revitalization Partnership Agreement for Tokushima with LIFULL ArchiTech

Azuma Shikoku Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture; CEO: Meiji Yoshioka), a construction and renovation company, will conclude the 'Tokushima Regional Revitalization Partnership Agreement' with LIFULL ArchiTech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter 'LIFULL ArchiTech'), a group company of LIFULL Co., Ltd., starting April 2026. This agreement aims to utilize 'Instant House' and its applied technologies to collaborate on and support regional revitalization, sustainable community development, utilization of regional resources, and creation of 'relational populations' in Tokushima Prefecture. By leveraging the strengths of both companies, they aim to co-create a rich future for the region through the development of community exchange bases and the effective use of vacant houses.

Background and Purpose: For the Sustainable Future of Local Tokushima

Azuma Shikoku is a renovation company celebrating its 50th anniversary based in Tokushima Prefecture. Under the concept of 'Comfortable and Rich Daily Life,' it has supported local living for half a century. Currently, while Tokushima boasts rich nature and traditional culture, it faces serious issues such as population decline, vacant houses, and maintenance of regional communities. Through this collaboration with LIFULL ArchiTech, which provides free and comfortable spaces quickly, the companies will promote the sustainable revitalization of the Tokushima area. The 'Instant House' to be introduced can be set up in just a few hours yet offers high insulation, soundproofing, and simplicity. It functions as 'creation of new tourism resources' in peaceful times and as 'disaster shelters' in emergencies. By utilizing this technology in Tokushima, they will contribute to solving regional issues and building a disaster-resilient town.

Outline of the Agreement: Multi-faceted Community-based Support through Instant House Utilization

Key Initiatives:
1. Matters related to the development of community exchange bases using Instant Houses and Instant Products.
2. Promotion of regional revitalization support activities using Instant Houses and Instant Products.
3. Promotion of support activities for creating relational populations using Instant Houses and Instant Products.
4. Dissemination of information on housing technology applying Instant House technology, and regeneration/effective use of vacant houses.
5. Dissemination of information and PR activities related to the above.

Future Developments

Through this agreement, the two companies will leverage their strengths to sequentially proceed with community-rooted efforts as a regional support model for the whole country, aiming to solve regional issues and realize a sustainable society.

Comment from Tsukasa Yamanaka, Director COO of LIFULL ArchiTech / Joint Researcher at Nagoya Institute of Technology:
'Through this agreement, I feel very encouraged to work with Azuma Shikoku, who has continued to face housing and living in Tokushima. By combining their community-rooted lifestyle proposals and expertise with our Instant House technology, we believe it becomes possible to design initiatives that integrate everything from introduction to operation in areas such as regional revitalization, vacant house utilization, and disaster prevention. Instant House is a product that has been used in various ways according to needs without fixing its purpose, and it is characterized by being able to respond flexibly even in situations where new initiatives are born or space is required under limited conditions. In this agreement, based on these characteristics, we will proceed with verification and implementation of use cases in Tokushima, expand that knowledge to the Shikoku area, and lead to ripples in other regions.'

Comment from Meiji Yoshioka, CEO of Azuma Shikoku:
'Our company has been sincerely facing our customers' homes as a community-based renovation company for 50 years since our founding. The "Instant Products" introduced through this first partnership in Tokushima have insulation performance and mobility that overturn conventional construction common sense. At the construction demonstration held the other day, I personally felt its performance as it was completed in just a few hours, and I am convinced that this technology will change the living environment of Tokushima even more richly. In peaceful times, it delivers new experiences in leisure and saunas, and in emergencies, it protects the region as a disaster shelter utilizing its insulation technology. On our 50th anniversary, we will combine this innovative technology with our construction know-how to co-create a richer and more comfortable future for Tokushima.'

Reference Information:
About Instant House (URL: https://instantproducts.lifull.net/house/)
Instant House is based on the research of Professor Keisuke Kitagawa of the Nagoya Institute of Technology Graduate School, which was triggered by support for the disaster-affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, and was developed by LIFULL and Nagoya Institute of Technology Graduate School.