What's Happening in Aomori? Study Tour 'Aomori Quest 2026' to Experience Reality and Discover Business Opportunities to be Held August 4-6, 2026

We are pleased to announce that from Tuesday, August 4 to Thursday, August 6, 2026, we will invite approximately 100 investors, startups, entrepreneurs, and business companies from across Japan to Aomori Prefecture for the event 'Aomori Quest 2026,' connecting them with key figures in Aomori.

The three-day program combines on-site visits to the prefecture's agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and energy sectors, a networking reception with the governor, and an experience of the Aomori Nebuta Festival, aiming to create new partnerships, demonstrations, investments, collaborations, and proof-of-concept projects. This first-time event is not a tour of successful cases or trending topics, but a quest-style design where participants 'go to discover' business opportunities in Aomori.

What is happening in Aomori?

Aomori Prefecture boasts several '#1 in Japan' statistics. Apple production accounts for about 60% of the national share, ranking first. Garlic and burdock are also number one nationwide. Wind power generation is among the top in Japan, and it is the only prefecture with a concentration of nuclear fuel cycle facilities. In Rokkasho Village, there is a globally renowned fusion energy research hub, and related industries are beginning to cluster.

However, Aomori also faces challenges. Both average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are among the lowest in the country for both men and women. There is also the harsh reality of population decline. Since 1954, net outmigration has continued for over 70 years, with a particular outflow of young people in their 20s and women.

Notably, these '#1 in Japan' achievements and challenges arise from the same conditions. The cold, long winters produce high-quality agricultural products and a deep culture of preserved foods, but also relate to health issues through high-salt diets. Vast land enables wind and energy industry clusters but accelerates population decline and youth outflow. A high proportion of primary industries supports the top food industry, but reliance on outside capital for processing and branding creates a structure where profits do not stay within the prefecture.

In response to these structures, several initiatives are underway. In the energy sector, efforts toward GX (green transformation) are accelerating, with the nation's first renewable energy coexistence ordinance enacted. Furthermore, the 'Next-Generation Energy Park,' where oil storage bases and fusion energy research centers coexist—a unique facility worldwide—is being promoted. In agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, measures such as revising scallop production methods, exporting apples overseas, and restructuring Hachinohe's seafood processing are in progress.

Aomori embodies Japan's challenges and future. A quest to discover new opportunities together.

This tour is designed not as a place to bring answers, but as a place to find questions.

Aomori is packed with Japan's challenges and future. Participants walk the field on their own and discover 'there is an opportunity here' from their own business perspective. The proactive questing attitude is embedded in the event name 'Aomori Quest 2026.'

Across Japan, there are people seeking the next investment destination, next partners, and next market opportunities: investors, entrepreneurs, new business managers, M&A officers. They come from different industries and positions but share a common desire to directly touch what is happening on the ground rather than documents or reports. There is a tactile quality that documents cannot convey, and people you can only meet on-site. This tour offers that.

Three-day design: Explore Aomori along two axes: GX and agriculture/forestry/fisheries.

This event is structured over three days. (Note: This tour is currently being planned. There are capacity limits, and schedules are not guaranteed.)

Visit the forefront of GX and energy in Rokkasho Village.

A day for site visits in the GX/energy sector is planned. Participants will experience the current state of the massive Next-Generation Energy Park, which integrates research institutions such as the Rokkasho Fusion Energy Research Institute, the Japan Nuclear Fuel Cycle Development Center, an oil storage base, wind power, solar power, and the Aomori Quantum Science Center.

Agricultural and fisheries challenges: Experience apple production sites and the food culture of the 'Gourmet City' Hachinohe.

Visits to agricultural and fisheries sites are also planned: from apple farms to processing factories, hearing firsthand accounts. In Hachinohe, the focus will be on fisheries, including visits to fishermen and markets. Hachinohe was selected for the 'Gourmet City Award' in 2026 and is rich in agriculture and livestock beyond fisheries. However, many unresolved issues remain. Candid information exchanges with producers are planned.

Sessions with the governor, networking with key local figures, and experiencing Nebuta!

A networking reception day is planned. Approximately 100 people from outside the prefecture and 50 local key figures, including startups, will gather for a lunch networking session, with a session by the Aomori Governor. After 3:00 PM, interested participants can join the festival parade as 'haneto' dancers.

How to participate

Recruitment for out-of-prefecture participants will be conducted via a dedicated page. Invitations and referrals will be the main methods, and applications will close once capacity is reached. Participants are responsible for transportation to the meeting point, accommodation, meals, and the Nebuta Festival participation fee. The secretariat will secure accommodation for out-of-prefecture participants. Application sites will be provided via individual URLs.

*Room assignments cannot be specified. Individual requests will be handled separately.

Implementation Structure: 'TEAM AOMORI QUEST'

This project is organized by Aomori Prefecture. The planning and recruitment secretariat is 4S Co., Ltd. (Growth Community Design), which handles operations for Japan's largest startup conference 'IVS.' The tour operation partner is Sunbrasso 80V Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Aomori Television. Planning partners include Pono Style Co., Ltd., MintAnd LLC, and Gori-Yaku Co., Ltd. In addition, various local players in Aomori Prefecture, including Aomori-born entrepreneur Yasuhito Sakuraba of Tenchijin Co., Ltd., and other local entrepreneurs, will join us. We are also seeking additional local players in Aomori to join this team.