[Kyogoku Town, Hokkaido] 28 Participants from 9 Municipalities Attend Exchange Event for Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team Members and Those Interested in Regional Revitalization

Alyawmu Inc. (Headquarters: Sapporo City, Representative Director: Hiroaki Hatanaka), which promotes regional revitalization through NFTs, hosted the first exchange event, 'Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team Exchange Event in Kyogoku,' on Friday, April 24, 2026. This event, under the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team DAO Solution developed by Alyawmu Inc., was organized by Yamachu-san, the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team DAO Manager of Kyogoku Town, Hokkaido, and targeted regional revitalization cooperation team members, regional revitalization entrepreneurs, and individuals interested in these activities. At the venue, 'Roadside Station Meisui no Sato Kyogoku Meisui Plaza,' 28 people (including 2 preschoolers) gathered from 9 municipalities in Hokkaido: Kyogoku Town, Yoichi Town, Akaigawa Village, Hokuryu Town, Mori Town, Fukushima Town, Furubira Town, Kutchan Town, and Kimobetsu Town. Comments such as 'Time was not enough' and 'Please hold it regularly' were received one after another. This article will convey the background of the event, the day's activities, participants' feedback, and future prospects, based on survey responses from the organizer, Yamachu-san. **The impetus for the event — Seeking 'simple horizontal connections'** Many of the exchange meetings and training sessions held for regional revitalization cooperation teams so far have primarily focused on themes such as 'startup support' and 'sharing success stories.' Yamachu-san said that while participating in them, he continued to feel a certain sense of unease. 'Many of the cooperation team exchange events I attended focused on 'startup support' or 'sharing success stories,' which didn't truly empathize with the vulnerable, or discussed future plans too early for those not planning to start a business or those in their first year of tenure. I just wanted a simple exchange meeting that focused on creating simplified horizontal connections.' (Yamachu-san) 'People who might start as cooperation team members,' 'people interested in the field of regional revitalization,' 'people who simply want to talk to members from other regions'—it is believed that there are actually many such people, yet there are surprisingly few places where they can gather casually. Yamachu-san's starting point for planning this exchange event was this sense of an unmet need. **The day's activities — 28 participants from 9 municipalities gathered at Kyogoku Town's Meisui Plaza** The venue was 'Roadside Station Meisui no Sato Kyogoku Meisui Plaza' (45-1 Kawanishi, Kyogoku-cho, Abuta-gun), a representative roadside station in Kyogoku Town. It is located in Fukidashi Park, where the 'Yotei Spring Water,' selected as one of the Ministry of the Environment's 100 Famous Waters, gushes forth. The 28 participants (including 2 preschoolers) came from the following 9 municipalities in Hokkaido: Kyogoku Town Yoichi Town Akaigawa Village Hokuryu Town Mori Town Fukushima Town Furubira Town Kutchan Town Kimobetsu Town The composition of participants was also diverse, not limited to active regional revitalization cooperation team members and regional revitalization entrepreneurs, but also included those interested in these activities. What was impressive about the day's operation was the mechanism of organizing tables according to requests from participants, such as 'I want to talk about this,' which were submitted in advance. By seating people with shared interests together, an 'unusual buzz' was created at each table. Additionally, participants spontaneously picked up the microphone provided for announcements in the venue and began speaking about their activities and affiliated municipalities. By intentionally minimizing the role of the moderator, the scene unfolded where each participant took the lead and became the protagonist of the event. **Participants' feedback: 'Time was not enough,' 'Please hold it regularly'** All feedback received from participants confirmed the positive reception of this exchange event. 'It was very stimulating to have the opportunity to talk with members from other municipalities, which is rare.' 'It was a good opportunity to visit Kyogoku Town.' 'I hope similar exchange opportunities are provided regularly.' 'It was so fulfilling that I felt time was not enough.' Furthermore, on the day of the event, there were 3 participants who attended thinking they were eligible for the 'Regional Revitalization Entrepreneur' system without knowing what it was, which led to insights regarding the system's recognition. While seemingly an accidental occurrence, it also demonstrates that there is a real segment of 'people who are interested but do not accurately understand the system.' **Benefits for Kyogoku Town — From a 'pass-through' town to a 'town people want to visit'** Yamachu-san perceives the benefits this exchange event brought to Kyogoku Town from both 'value seen from outside the town' and 'value seen from inside the town.' 'The neighboring town is also about 20 minutes by car, about 13 kilometers away, and in the Shiribeshi region, Kyogoku Town is said to have an image of being a 'pass-through' or 'independent' town. The opportunity to stop by, talk, and feel the potential was significant.' (Yamachu-san) In the Shiribeshi region, Kyogoku Town has often been seen as a town to be passed through. This time, the fact that 28 people from 9 municipalities in Hokkaido specifically visited, stayed in the town, and experienced it firsthand, served as an opportunity to update that impression. 'The Meisui Plaza is changing, and...