Partnership Agreement Signed Between DMO GATEWAY Takanawa-Shinagawa and Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau on March 13 (Friday)

DMO GATEWAY Takanawa-Shinagawa (Secretariat location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Yoshinori Inoue) signed a partnership agreement with the Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (Location: Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Representative: Hirokuni Tanigawa) on March 13, 2026, aiming to enhance international competitiveness in MICE attraction.

Through this agreement, MICE city Fukuoka and the next-generation MICE area of Takanawa-Shinagawa, which is close to Haneda Airport, will collaborate. This partnership aims to improve Japan's international competitiveness in MICE through content development, joint promotion by Tokyo and Fukuoka, MICE attraction, and MICE human resource development.

"DMO GATEWAY Takanawa-Shinagawa" Official Website
https://dmo-gateway-takanawa-shinagawa.tokyo/

## Background to the Agreement

The MICE market, encompassing international conferences and exhibitions, has high economic ripple effects and is considered a crucial opportunity for fostering business innovation, leading to fierce competition among countries worldwide to attract such events. However, in Japan, competition is intensifying with other Asian countries like Singapore and South Korea in terms of facilities, content, and promotion. One of Japan's challenges in the global MICE market is the limitation of attracting events solely by a single region.

Fukuoka boasts a geographical advantage close to Asia, well-equipped convention facilities, and rich food culture and historical assets. It ranks third nationally in the number of international conferences held (according to JNTO International Conference Statistics 2024 ※1), accumulating achievements as a MICE hub in Western Japan.

On the other hand, the Takanawa-Shinagawa area will see the grand opening of the international exchange hub "TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY" in March 2026. This area is uniquely positioned near Haneda Airport, functioning as a smart city where cutting-edge technologies like autonomous driving are actively demonstrated. It also boasts a concentration of numerous contents leveraging the area's characteristics, such as unique venues utilizing cultural assets, traditional culture, diverse food culture, and nightlife.

It was determined that by mutually complementing the distinct strengths of both regions and actively co-developing MICE programs that encourage multi-city tours, Japan's appeal to MICE organizers can be maximized, leading to the conclusion of this agreement.

※1 https://mice.jnto.go.jp/document/statistics.html Reference Material 1 List of International Conference Venues by Domestic City