Gaiax Partners with Hyogo Prefecture to Host Youth Entrepreneurship Workshops at Six Venues Across the Prefecture

Gaiax Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Executive Officer: Yuji Ueda; Securities Code: 3775; hereinafter 'Gaiax'), a provider of entrepreneurship education programs in partnership with industry, academia, and government, will host 'Hyogo Entrepreneurship Seminar for Kids' in collaboration with Hyogo Prefecture. This one-day workshop program is designed for 4th to 6th-grade primary school students living or studying in Hyogo Prefecture.

In this workshop, primary school students in Hyogo Prefecture will learn about the importance of entrepreneurship and the appeal of starting a business by experiencing the entire startup process in a single day—from setting challenges based on everyday problems to generating ideas, creating prototypes, and making presentations.

*Entrepreneurship: The spirit of taking action beyond one's given environment to create new value in the face of various difficulties and changes. While translated as 'entrepreneurial spirit' in Japanese, it has recently drawn attention as a necessary mindset for non-entrepreneurs as well.

Background

Hyogo Prefecture has been developing entrepreneurship education programs for youth to foster entrepreneurial awareness among young people.

Since fiscal 2024, Gaiax has partnered with the Hyogo Prefectural New Industry Division and the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education to provide opportunities for middle and high school students to learn about entrepreneurship through career education and inquiry-based learning. The number of target schools expanded from 13 in fiscal 2024 to 17 in fiscal 2025, and support is scheduled to expand to 22 schools in fiscal 2026.

This fiscal year, the program is being expanded to primary school students, and workshops will be held in six areas across the prefecture to allow students to think of ideas based on everyday challenges and give them shape.

Program Overview

- Name: Hyogo Entrepreneurship Seminar for Kids - Summary: A one-day workshop where students discover 'problems at school,' devise solutions, create prototypes (illustrations or mockups), and present them to their peers. - Objectives: ・Notice surrounding problems and think of solutions independently. ・Experience collaborating with peers to brainstorm and build something. ・Realize that entrepreneurship and shaping ideas are accessible and relevant to themselves. - Target: 4th to 6th-grade primary school students living or studying in Hyogo Prefecture. - Recommended for students who: ・Enjoy making things and crafting. ・Enjoy thinking of ideas and planning projects. ・Want to solve problems and help others. - Capacity: 25 participants per session (first-come, first-served). - Date & Location: ・July 25, 2026 (Sat) 11:00–17:00 at Startup Plaza Hyogo (Kobe City) ・August 1, 2026 (Sat) 10:00–16:00 at Jibasan TAJIMA (Toyooka City) ・August 2, 2026 (Sun) 10:00–16:00 at Tamba-Sasayama Citizen Center (Tamba-Sasayama City) ・August 8, 2026 (Sat) 10:00–16:00 at Startup Plaza Hyogo Himeji (Himeji City) ・August 9, 2026 (Sun) 10:00–16:00 at Amagasaki Research Incubation Center (Amagasaki City) ・August 11, 2026 (Tue, Public Holiday) 10:00–16:00 at Sumoto City Culture and Sports Gymnasium (Sumoto City) - Admission: Free - Organizer: Hyogo Prefecture - Instructors & Operation: Gaiax Co., Ltd. Entrepreneurship Education Division A Tokyo-based startup studio focusing on startup support and investments. It has delivered entrepreneurship experience programs to over 15,000 participants and produced numerous entrepreneurs, including 5 IPO entrepreneurs. Instructors include members active at the forefront of education, including N High School, Benesse, and Katariba.

Schedule of the Day

- 10:00–10:15 Introduction ・Icebreaker for participants ・Review of the schedule and ground rules - 10:15–11:00 Problem Discovery ・Learning that making products/services means solving someone's problems using everyday examples ・Brainstorming problems and choosing one to solve in the workshop - 11:00–11:10 Break - 11:10–11:55 Product/Service Planning ・Learning from concrete examples that new ideas are basic combinations of existing ideas ・Narrowing down solutions to one idea - 11:55–12:25 Prototyping Preparation ・Learning the meaning and significance of prototyping ・Brainstorming what prototype to build - 12:25–13:00 Lunch Break - 13:00–14:00 Prototyping ・Creating a prototype using materials like cardboard and blank paper - 14:00–14:10 Break - 14:10–15:00 Presentation Preparation ・Entrepreneurs pi...