[JR Central / JT] Exploring a New Relationship Between People and Regions Through "Breathing": Launch of Local Co-creation Project "CO-KYU"
JT and JR Central Group's media 'conomichi' have launched the 'CO-KYU' project to enhance well-being through breathing. The first event will be a night walk on Mt. Jinba in Fujino, Kanagawa.
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- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 00:01
- 🔍 Collected: March 30, 2026 at 22:56
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 08:22 (585h 26m after Collected)
Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) and the JR Central Group's co-creation local media "conomichi" are pleased to announce the launch of a local co-creation project "CO-KYU" exploring a new relationship between people and the region under the theme of "breathing," and the opening of its project website.
CO-KYU Project Site: https://market.jr-central.co.jp/conomichi/feature/detail/26
This project is a joint initiative that combines the "value of breathing" explored by JT's corporate R&D organization "D-LAB" and the know-how of "re-reading local resources" cultivated by "conomichi."
As the first step, in collaboration with the "Forest Innovation Lab FUJINO" (Morilab), which is based in Fujino, the "town of forests, lakes, and art" in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, we will implement a special program that adds the perspective of "breathing" to the "Mt. Jinba Night Walk," a program to climb Mt. Jinba while experiencing the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) with all five senses.
■ Background and Purpose of Launching the "CO-KYU Project"
Why "breathing" and "region" now?
Many of us living in the modern age may be breathing shallowly due to physical and mental tension caused by stress such as busyness and information overload, as well as prolonged desk work and poor posture. To address this issue, the JT Group, which has been exploring spiritual richness focusing on breathing, and the JR Central Group, which has re-read local resources as individuality through the "conomichi" business, have collaborated. This collaboration gave birth to the "CO-KYU Project," which aims to explore the impact of familiar local nature, culture, and local resources on "breathing" and their contribution to well-being, and to aim for a new form of local co-creation starting from breathing.
Exploring a new relationship between people and the region
In the "CO-KYU Project," we re-read familiar nature, culture, and local resources from the perspective of "breathing," creating new experiences through the five senses, such as the sounds of the forest and the smell of the wind. Time spent breathing deeply and opening the five senses eases physical and mental tension, serving as an opportunity to regain the mental space and health that modern people tend to lose. At the same time, we aim for this experience to foster a sense of familiarity with the region and bring about gentle changes in the relationship between people and the region.
CO-KYU Project Site: https://market.jr-central.co.jp/conomichi/feature/detail/26
This project is a joint initiative that combines the "value of breathing" explored by JT's corporate R&D organization "D-LAB" and the know-how of "re-reading local resources" cultivated by "conomichi."
As the first step, in collaboration with the "Forest Innovation Lab FUJINO" (Morilab), which is based in Fujino, the "town of forests, lakes, and art" in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, we will implement a special program that adds the perspective of "breathing" to the "Mt. Jinba Night Walk," a program to climb Mt. Jinba while experiencing the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) with all five senses.
■ Background and Purpose of Launching the "CO-KYU Project"
Why "breathing" and "region" now?
Many of us living in the modern age may be breathing shallowly due to physical and mental tension caused by stress such as busyness and information overload, as well as prolonged desk work and poor posture. To address this issue, the JT Group, which has been exploring spiritual richness focusing on breathing, and the JR Central Group, which has re-read local resources as individuality through the "conomichi" business, have collaborated. This collaboration gave birth to the "CO-KYU Project," which aims to explore the impact of familiar local nature, culture, and local resources on "breathing" and their contribution to well-being, and to aim for a new form of local co-creation starting from breathing.
Exploring a new relationship between people and the region
In the "CO-KYU Project," we re-read familiar nature, culture, and local resources from the perspective of "breathing," creating new experiences through the five senses, such as the sounds of the forest and the smell of the wind. Time spent breathing deeply and opening the five senses eases physical and mental tension, serving as an opportunity to regain the mental space and health that modern people tend to lose. At the same time, we aim for this experience to foster a sense of familiarity with the region and bring about gentle changes in the relationship between people and the region.