Takaya Tanaka of Hidakara Advances to Finals of 'Rookie of the Year in Local 2026'

Takaya Tanaka (25 at the time) of Hidakara (Location: Hida City, Gifu Prefecture; Representative Director: Kanako Funasaka) competed in the 'Rookie of the Year in Local 2026' national event and advanced to the finals. The competition was held at the Hida City Cultural Exchange Center on Saturday, April 25, 2026. In the preliminaries and the finals, Tanaka presented his passion for the Hida region and his challenges in regional accompaniment-based support. While he did not win the championship, he was recognized for his attitude and practice of returning to his hometown of Hida to work, in contrast to the trend of many young people moving to urban areas for school or employment.

■ About 'Rookie of the Year in Local'
A nationwide event spotlighting young talent active in regional areas. From approximately 80 entries, Tanaka was selected as one of the 14 finalists.

[Event Name] Rookie of the Year in Local 2026
[Date] Saturday, April 25, 2026
[Venue] Hida City Cultural Exchange Center, Gifu Prefecture
[Content] A presentation competition for young talent active in regional areas
[Number of Participants] 14 finalists selected nationwide
[Hidakara Participant] Takaya Tanaka

■ Selected as a young professional continuing challenges in Hida
In the finals, Tanaka passionately spoke about his journey to joining Hidakara, the challenges he perceived in the Hida region after joining, his experience accompanying local businesses, and his future challenges. He concluded by saying he wants to continue supporting locals with the goal that 'every single person living in the region can walk toward a better future with their own hands, rather than leaving it to someone else.'

Comment from Takaya Tanaka
'I am used to speaking in front of large crowds, so I was frustrated to miss the championship. However, learning about the activities of my peers working across the country stimulated me and gave me an opportunity to return to my original intentions. Moving forward, I will continue to support regional self-sufficiency while focusing more on the essence of my work.'

Takaya Tanaka (Leader, Local Government Support and Direct-Sales Business Division)
Born in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, in 2000. After graduating high school, he joined a major company based in Nagoya in 2018. In 2021, driven by the desire to 'make my hometown a place where everyone wants to live,' he resigned and made a U-turn to Takayama City. That same year, he joined Hidakara and was assigned to the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) department. Since 2024, he has been in charge of launching the new business 'Gifumaru' and serves as a team leader.