Furusato Nozei for Good Launches Social Startup Support Project in Mitoyo City

Borderless Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; CEO: Kazunari Taguchi), which operates the crowdfunding-based Furusato Nozei platform "Furusato Nozei for Good," has partnered with Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture, for its "Mitoyo City Social Startup Support Project." As of July 1, 2026, the platform will feature crowdfunding projects from six organizations working to solve regional issues.

This initiative establishes a new system connecting businesses tackling regional challenges with donors who wish to support their efforts. Six projects addressing diverse local issues, including vacant house utilization, shopping street revitalization, maintenance of abandoned bamboo forests, reuse of closed schools, support for young people returning to rural areas (UI turn), and creating community spaces through art, will be seeking donations nationwide.

A New System to Support Businesses Tackling Regional Issues Through Furusato Nozei

Regional challenges, such as declining populations, increasing vacant houses, and a shortage of workers in local industries, are becoming more complex each year. Meanwhile, local businesses striving to solve these issues face hurdles in fundraising and raising awareness.

Mitoyo City is implementing the "Mitoyo City Social Startup Support Project" to support small and medium-sized enterprises and organizations working on these regional challenges. Under this system, certified businesses can solicit donations from across the country using crowdfunding-based Furusato Nozei. Subsidies are then provided based on the amount of donations collected, fostering solutions to regional issues and the creation of sustainable businesses.

Furusato Nozei for Good will serve as the partner platform for this project, handling project listings and donation solicitation, and broadcasting local initiatives nationwide.

The Six Featured Projects

1 [From Mitoyo] The Challenge of an Art Bank to Create a Culture of Drawing

"Art Bank Mitoyo," renovated from a former bank in Nio Town, collaborates with Gekkosha, a long-established art supply store in Ginza, to create a space where children can freely draw after school and a system for circulating unused art supplies within the community.

Project URL: https://furusato-forgood.jp/projects/000457

2 [Nio Town Shopping Street Revitalization] Creating a System Where Mitoyo Fans Can Become "Companions"

A "Japan's First DAO-Type Town Development" initiative connecting tourists visiting Chichibugahama with the nearby Nio Town shopping street. With investments from 200 people nationwide totaling approximately 20 million yen, a vacant house will be renovated into a multi-purpose facility called "Kacchan Tei," set to open in July 2026.

Target Amount: 2,000,000 yen

Project URL: https://furusato-forgood.jp/projects/000456

3 [A Model to Spread from Mitoyo Nationwide] Towards a Town Where Young People Can Return Home

Addressing the structural issue of young people leaving their hometowns without understanding what work entails, this project establishes a workplace experience event connecting junior high and high school students with local companies, and an online platform "Shigoto Zukan" (Work Encyclopedia) to directly connect local human resources with students.

Target Amount: 2,000,000 yen

Project URL: https://furusato-forgood.jp/projects/000455

4 [From Prefectural Staff to Bamboo Forest Maintainer] Regenerating Abandoned Bamboo Forests into Attractive Satoyama

Addressing the issue of expanding abandoned bamboo forests due to the decline of bamboo shoot production, which contributes to damage from wild animals and landslides, this project aims to recycle bamboo through cutting and chipping, and establish the livelihood of "bamboo forest maintainers."

Target Amount: 3,000,000 yen

Project URL: https://furusato-forgood.jp/projects/000454

5 [With Views of the Seto Inland Sea] Transforming a Vacant House into a Place to Work, Live, and Connect!

In the Setouchi region, facing population decline and an increase in vacant houses, this project will renovate a vacant house with sea views to create "Setouchi Base," a hub for new residents and workation users. It has a track record of being used as a satellite venue for Google I/O for the past three consecutive years.

Target Amount: 1,000,000 yen

Project URL: https://furusato-forgood.jp/projects/000451

6 [Hakoura Elementary School, Where the Memory of the Sea Remains] Making Mitoyo's Closed School a Hub for Creators

Using the former Hakoura Elementary School (operated by Hakko Inc.), which closed in 2014, as a base, this project aims to re-edit the history and nature of the Shonai Peninsula and implement a residential monitoring program for creators and those wishing to live in two locations. In the future, it plans to expand into a creative retreat business for corporations.

Target Amount: 2,000,000 yen

Project URL: https://furusato-forgood.jp/projects/000450

About the Mitoyo City Social Startup Support Project

This is a unique system developed by Mitoyo City that provides subsidies funded by crowdfunding-based Furusato Nozei to small and medium-sized enterprises and other organizations engaged in businesses that contribute to solving social and regional issues.

【Key Features of the Project】

・Solicits donations nationwide through crowdfunding-based Furusato Nozei.

・Provides subsidies equivalent to 50% of the collected donations (100% for corporate Furusato Nozei) up to a maximum of 2 million yen.

・Subsidies are provided based on the amount of donations collected, regardless of whether the target amount is achieved.

・Eligible projects are those that contribute to solving social and regional issues and can set measurable performance indicators.

【Comment from Mitoyo City Representative】

Mitoyo City is extremely pleased to be able to launch the crowdfunding for the "Mitoyo City Social Startup Support Project Subsidy" in collaboration with ForGood. To solve regional issues, the diverse ideas and vitality of private companies, not just government, are essential. This project is an innovative mechanism that directly delivers the warm support of people nationwide to regional challenge-solving projects through Furusato Nozei. We expect your donations to become the driving force for co-creating Mitoyo City's future and sincerely request your understanding and support from all those interested in social contribution.

About Furusato Nozei for Good

Furusato Nozei for Good is a crowdfunding-based Furusato Nozei platform aiming to be "Japan's Most Social Good Furusato Nozei." Unlike traditional Furusato Nozei focused on return gifts, it highlights the "purpose" of the challenges and initiatives undertaken in regions, providing a system that connects donors who resonate with those aspirations.

URL: https://furusato-forgood.jp/

【Contact Us】

Borderless Japan Inc.

Furusato Nozei for Good

Email: contact@furusato-forgood.jp

About Borderless Japan Inc.

Established in 2007 as a company that exclusively engages in social businesses that solve social issues through business. It operates over 50 businesses in 14 countries worldwide, addressing various social problems such as poverty, environment, education, and gender, with sales reaching 10 billion yen in fiscal year 2024. Its ecosystem for nurturing successive social entrepreneurs has been recognized with awards including the Good Design Award (Business Model Division, 2019), the "Companies to Cherish" Award (Special Jury Prize, 2019), and the "CSA Award ~Company Creating 'Next-Generation Talent' Recommended for 20s~." In October 2023, it announced its new purpose, "SWITCH to HOPE: Transforming Social Issues into Everyone's Hope," to advance social issue resolution to the next stage. It aims to create systems for more people to collectively strive for a better society.

Company Name: Borderless Japan Inc.

Location: Tenjin Futata Bldg. 4F, 3-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Established: 2007

Representative: CEO Kazunari Taguchi

Business: Operations aimed at solving social problems

(Herbal tea business, leather goods business, crowdfunding business, social business school business) URL: https://www.borderless-japan.com/