Soma City Endorses Three Declarations to Promote Work-Style Reform Toward Becoming a 'Preferred Community'

Work-Life Balance Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yukie Komuro; hereinafter 'the Company'), which has provided work-style reform consulting services to over 3,600 companies, announced that Soma City (Mayor: Katsuhiro Abe) has endorsed its three declarations: the 'Work-Style Reform Acceleration Declaration,' the '100% Paternity Leave Declaration,' and the 'Support for Women's Re-Employment Declaration.'

In response, a press conference was held on June 16, 2026, during which Mayor Abe explained the background of the endorsement and future initiatives. Additionally, Yukie Komuro, President and CEO of the Company, shared insights on the importance of advancing work-style reform, promoting paternity leave, and supporting women's re-employment amid ongoing population decline and labor shortages.

Capitalizing on this endorsement, Soma City will launch the 'Reiwa 8 Soma City Work-Style Reform Promotion Project,' aiming to evolve its regional employment policies by not only increasing job opportunities through business attraction but also transforming local companies into workplaces preferred by youth, women, and parenting generations.

▲ Mayor Abe of Soma City and Yukie Komuro, President and CEO of Work-Life Balance Co., Ltd. (at the press conference on June 16, 2026)

■ Background of Soma City's Initiative

To date, Soma City has promoted business attraction to industrial parks within the city as part of its population decline countermeasures, aiming to secure employment opportunities. As a result, many companies have established operations in the city. However, citizen surveys indicate concerns about a lack of job opportunities, while locally attracted companies report labor shortages, leading to mismatches in the local employment market.

To address these challenges, Soma City will strengthen its efforts beyond traditional business attraction by transforming existing local companies into workplaces preferred by youth, women, and parenting generations, thereby evolving its regional employment policies.

Specifically, the city will comprehensively implement lecture sessions on work-style reform, leadership development programs for driving reform, and hands-on support from specialized consultants to assist local companies in advancing work-style reform and enhancing their recruitment capabilities.

■ Vision of the Project

The project aims not merely at reducing overtime or establishing policies. Instead, it seeks to transform companies within Soma City into workplaces that diverse talent—including youth, women, parenting and caregiving individuals, and those who have experienced career breaks—actively choose as places where they want to work.

While Soma City has previously focused on securing jobs through business attraction, it will now enhance the appeal of existing local companies, transforming them into employers of choice in the job market, thereby advancing a new regional industrial policy suited for an era of population decline.

Soma City and the Company will jointly advance initiatives from awareness-building and practical implementation to sharing results and disseminating outcomes both within and beyond the region, starting from the three declarations. The goal is to build the 'Soma Model,' linking work-style reform not only to employee benefits and reduced overtime but also to improved recruitment, talent acquisition, retention, and productivity.

■ Specific Components of the Project

1. Hosting Lecture Sessions on Work-Style Reform

Lecture sessions on work-style reform will be held for local company executives, HR and labor management staff, economic organizations, support groups, and citizens. The sessions will share the necessity and effectiveness of work-style reform, case studies of SME transformations, and key points for advancing work-style reform as a business strategy, creating opportunities for local companies to proactively address organizational challenges.

▼ Kickoff Lecture and Panel Discussion (held on June 24)

"Work-Style Reform That Solves Labor Shortages and Delivers Results—The Secret Lies in Creating Workplaces Chosen by Youth and Women"

Speakers: Mikiko Futsubin and Masahiko Kazama, Consultants, Work-Life Balance Co., Ltd.

https://work-life-b.co.jp/public_event/20260624-2

2. Implementation of a Leadership Development Program for Work-Style Reform

To ensure work-style reform does not become a one-time initiative, the program will cultivate internal talent capable of driving reform within companies. Through three consecutive sessions, participants will practically learn how to identify their company's challenges, explore solutions, communicate and gain consensus internally, and establish promotion frameworks, ensuring continued efforts beyond the program's completion.

3. Hands-On Support by Specialist Consultants

The Company's work-style reform consultants will provide approximately four to five months of hands-on support to two local companies. Beyond introducing policies, the consultants will delve into the companies' organizational culture and management strategies, engaging leadership in organizational transformation. The goal is to achieve sustainable reforms that enhance work comfort, job satisfaction, and performance, helping supported companies realize their desired future state.

4. Public Relations and Outreach to Local and External Audiences

In addition to coordinated outreach with the city, the Company will utilize its website, various media, and social media platforms to publicize local companies' work-style reform initiatives and achievements both within and outside the city. Efforts will focus not only on securing participants from local companies but also on outreach to job seekers considering employment with local businesses.

■ Statement from Soma City Mayor Katsuhiro Abe

Soma City faces serious challenges, including rapid population decline and the outflow of young people to areas outside the city. To overcome this situation, we have identified transforming into a 'preferred community' for youth and women as our top priority and are fully committed to achieving this goal.

As part of this effort, our city positions work-style reform as an 'investment for growth' and will further accelerate related initiatives.

In particular, within Soma City Hall, we aim to create a workplace environment where men can actively participate in childcare and promote the vision of '100% paternity leave' throughout the entire region.

Furthermore, we will actively support the re-employment of women who have left their careers due to marriage, childbirth, caregiving, or other reasons, promote U-turn employment for youth, and establish a flexible and comfortable working environment where diverse talent can thrive.

Our city will take the lead in action, collaborating with local businesses to create 'preferred workplaces' where everyone can work with peace of mind. Through public-private collaboration, we will build a Soma City filled with pride and smiles for all.

■ Statement from Yukie Komuro, President and CEO of Work-Life Balance Co., Ltd.

We are deeply encouraged by Soma City's endorsement of our three declarations.

Soma City is addressing common regional challenges such as population decline and talent acquisition by positioning 'work-style reform' not merely as policy establishment but as management and organizational reform that supports the region's future, actively supporting the transformation of local companies. We find great significance in the city's approach of not only increasing job opportunities through business attraction but also transforming local companies into 'preferred workplaces.'

The philosophy of 'Fueki Ryūkō' (constant change) advocated by Mayor Abe, along with the spirit of Hōtoku Shihō, shares deep commonalities with the Work-Life Balance理念 we have promoted. Preserving regional values and human connections while evolving work styles and organizational structures in line with the times is essential for sustainable regional development.

Through this initiative, we hope to see an increasing number of companies and communities where diverse talent, including youth and women, want to work and live. Our company will also work together with the people of Soma City toward realizing a regional society where everyone can work and continue living with peace of mind.

▼ Related Press Release

Fukushima Prefecture officially launches proactive work-style reform through public-private collaboration—Governor, economic organizations, and municipal leaders declare acceleration to advance human capital management—targeting young women