Imajina to Host Free Inner Branding Seminar in Sapporo on July 10 for Hokkaido Executives Struggling with 58% Labor Shortage and Youth Outflow

Imajina Co., Ltd., a firm specializing in corporate branding and organizational transformation consulting, will host an executive seminar on Friday, July 10, 2026, at TKP Garden City Premium Sapporo-Ōdori in Chūō-ku, Sapporo. The seminar aims to address the critical labor shortage and challenges in cultivating future leaders—such as right-hand managers and executive candidates—faced by companies across Hokkaido.

During the seminar, Imajina will unveil its latest strategic approach to 'investing in people,' combining 'inner branding'—a method that fosters employee empathy and unlocks potential—with the scientifically validated 'ICA (Imajina Cambridge Assessment),' developed in partnership with the University of Cambridge. This initiative responds to Hokkaido’s unique crisis: a net outflow of 5,162 young people due to domestic migration and a staggering 58.3% of companies reporting a shortage of full-time employees.

Sapporo Seminar: July 10 (Fri)

The Hidden Human Capital Crisis Behind Hokkaido’s Glittering Urban Redevelopment

While large-scale redevelopment and infrastructure projects are revitalizing Sapporo and raising hopes for regional economic growth, beneath this shining progress lies a deepening 'human capital crisis' threatening the very survival of local businesses. According to the latest survey by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Hokkaido experiences an annual net outflow of 5,162 people through domestic migration. Particularly concerning is the continuous exodus of talented youth to metropolitan areas on Honshu, from which the region has yet to recover.

This demographic shift is directly impacting the labor market. The latest survey by Teikoku Databank reveals that 58.3% of Hokkaido-based companies feel a shortage of full-time employees—a figure exceeding the national average and marking five consecutive years of severe labor shortages becoming the norm.

Even more alarming is the 'overwhelming shortage of next-generation leaders'—the future right-hand managers and executives who will drive companies forward. Succession is unsecured in 63.6% of Hokkaido companies. Among firms led by young CEOs under 30, this rate soars to 90.5%, and even among mid-career 50s-led companies, 75.5% lack a designated leadership team to carry the company forward.

The root cause of the vicious cycle many regional companies face—'we spend on recruitment but can’t attract talent' and 'newly hired young employees quit quickly'—lies in superficial 'cosmetic whitening' of corporate policies, such as adjusting salaries and holidays, without deeper cultural transformation.

Today’s young professionals are not seeking merely 'comfortable, soft workplaces.' What they truly desire is a 'tangible sense of growth within the organization' and 'genuine alignment with the company’s purpose—why they work here.' The key to winning the fierce talent competition is to transform corporate values and philosophies from mere slogans into personal missions for each employee, systematically cultivating 'self-driven executives' who think and act independently. This is the only sustainable survival strategy in today’s competitive landscape.

From Hiring to Leadership Development: Strengthening Organizations with Science and Data via 'ICA'

At this seminar, Yoshiki Sekino, CEO of Imajina, who has supported revenue growth and organizational transformation for over 3,000 companies, will present cutting-edge solutions to dramatically improve the success rate of 'human investment' for regional enterprises. At the core of this approach is a highly integrated methodology combining the 'Human Axis (ICA)'—which identifies individual essence—and the 'Organizational Axis (Philosophy Understanding Survey)'—which visualizes organizational engagement. Notably, Imajina’s 'ICA (Imajina Cambridge Assessment)' is a world-class platform for assessing personal traits and integrity, developed in collaboration with the Psychometrics Centre at the University of Cambridge.

Three Core Insights You’ll Gain from the Seminar

Designing an organization where young employees stay and become self-driven: A blueprint to eliminate 'soft workplace' complacency and instead deliver a 'clear sense of growth' and 'core purpose (alignment with company philosophy)' to young staff.

How to make managers 'aspirational role models': A method to cultivate strong leaders who embody the company’s values, positively guide subordinates, and effectively delegate their own responsibilities.

Objective, data-driven hiring and placement: A practical process using Cambridge University-affiliated 'ICA' data to identify 'winning talent' who truly fit your company’s needs.

【Seminar Overview】

Title: [Sapporo | July Event] Inner Branding Seminar for Executives

Date and Time: Friday, July 10, 2026, 18:00–19:30 (Doors open at 17:45)

Venue: Conference Room 7A, TKP Garden City Premium Sapporo-Ōdori (Takakura Building 7F, 1-8-2 Minami 1-jō Nishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido)

Admission: Free

Speaker: Yoshiki Sekino (Representative Director and President, Imajina Co., Ltd.)

Target Audience: Executives, board members, managers, and HR leaders

Speaker Profile

Yoshiki Sekino, Representative Director and President of Imajina Co., Ltd.

At age 15, Sekino moved alone to the United States and founded Imajina in New York at 26. While abroad, he realized that globally successful companies excel at empowering employees through effective education. Deeply aware of the importance of 'employee empathy' and 'unlocking potential' in business, he relocated the company’s base to Japan in 2006. Since then, he has supported human resource development and philosophy integration for over 3,000 companies. He currently focuses on leadership development programs that strengthen corporate culture. He is also the author of 'Designing Empathy Value,' with cumulative sales exceeding 600,000 copies, and oversees translations of renowned international business books.

【Inquiries】

Contact: Minami Aoe TEL: 03-3511-5525 FAX: 03-3511-8228 MAIL: info@imajina.com