Transforming 'Unreachable Public Relations Magazines': POTETO Design Partners with Konohana Ward, Osaka, to Digitize Municipal Publications

POTETO Design Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Kento Fujita, hereinafter “the Company”) announced on July 2, 2026, the signing of a collaborative agreement with the Konohana Ward Office, Osaka City, aimed at achieving effective and impactful information dissemination. Under this agreement, the Company will utilize its self-developed and operated automated digitalization service for municipal newsletters, “POTETO Smart Koho,” to conduct a pilot experiment on digitizing Konohana Ward’s official newsletter.

Photo of the signing ceremony

Background: Challenges of Municipal Newsletters – 'Hard to Read' and 'Hard to Search'

Municipal newsletters (sometimes referred to as “public relations papers”) are one of the most fundamental means of delivering administrative information to residents. However, traditional digital book formats present several challenges:

- On small screens such as smartphones, the amount of information per page is overwhelming, making content difficult to read. - The absence of keyword search functionality makes it hard to locate specific articles.

These issues have resulted in information failing to reach younger generations and individuals who face difficulties reading printed newsletters.

Osaka City has set a goal of achieving service digital transformation (DX) under its “Osaka City DX Strategy Action Plan,” focusing on optimizing information dissemination. Sharing this awareness of challenges, the Konohana Ward Office and our company have entered into this agreement to deliver ward administrative information clearly and effectively to residents and citizens.

Overview of the Collaborative Agreement

Title: Collaborative Agreement between the Konohana Ward Office, Osaka City, and POTETO Design Co., Ltd. toward Realizing Digitalization of the Ward’s Public Relations Magazine

Date of Signing: July 2, 2026

Areas of Collaboration:

- Conducting pilot experiments on the digitalization of the ward’s public relations magazine - Achieving information dissemination that “reaches and resonates” with the public - Other necessary matters to achieve the objectives of this agreement

Konohana Ward’s “Koho Konohana” will be delivered in a clear, readable format via “POTETO Smart Koho.”

Official Press Release from Osaka City Konohana Ward: https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/hodoshiryo/konohana/0000680597.html

About “POTETO Smart Koho”

“POTETO Smart Koho” is a service that leverages generative AI and other technologies to automatically digitize public relations magazines issued by government agencies.

Key Features:

- Screen-size-adaptive reformatting: Articles are reformatted into web-style content optimized for the screen size of viewing devices such as smartphones and tablets. - Accessibility for diverse audiences: Multilingual support and audio reading functions enable residents, including foreign nationals and individuals with visual impairments, to access information. - Instant access to needed information: Table of contents and keyword search functions allow users to quickly navigate to desired articles. - Encouraging participation: Event calendars and event maps promote engagement in local community events.

- Service Homepage: https://smartkoho.com/ - Service Overview for Municipalities: https://smartkoho.com/municipality/?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=konohana_agreement_202607

Overview of POTETO Smart Koho

Signing Ceremony

On July 2, 2026, a signing ceremony was held at the Konohana Ward Office, Osaka City, where Ward Mayor Masato Nakajima and the Company’s President and CEO Kento Fujita signed the agreement.

Comment from Mayor Masato Nakajima, Konohana Ward:

“In today’s information-saturated era, the key to success lies in whether municipal information can capture attention within three seconds and truly resonate. We had long been concerned about the poor readability of traditional digital books. Receiving this proposal now feels like a long-awaited opportunity. Public relations and information dissemination are highly specialized fields, and it is essential to leverage private-sector expertise and innovation rather than relying solely on administrative efforts. Together with POTETO Design, we will strive to achieve information dissemination that truly reaches our residents.”

Comment from Kento Fujita, President and CEO of POTETO Design:

“There is a great deal of important information in government—such as systems and subsidies—that often fails to reach citizens simply because they were unaware of it. We founded our company with the mission to solve this issue: 'making government understandable.' We are deeply honored to share this vision with Mayor Nakajima and the Konohana Ward Office, especially in Konohana Ward, the host site of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. We will dedicate our full efforts to realizing information dissemination that truly reaches every resident.”

Future Outlook

Based on this agreement, we will advance pilot experiments on digitizing Konohana Ward’s public relations magazine, aiming to improve residents’ ease of access to information. Moving forward, the Company will continue to expand collaborations with municipalities nationwide to ensure government information reaches everyone.

Company Overview

Company Name: POTETO Design Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: 7th Floor, Minami-Aoyama HY Building, 7-3-6 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Representative: President and CEO Kento Fujita

Business Activities: Strategic planning and production of public relations materials for government agencies; development and operation of the automated digitalization service for public relations magazines “POTETO Smart Koho”; and the banner creation service “POTETO Design.”

URL: https://poteto.media/government

Inquiries Regarding This Matter

POTETO Design Co., Ltd. https://poteto.media/contact/