114 Years of Challenge—Former Miyauchi Department Store Becomes a Hub for Town Revitalization. KOBIRA and Hioki City Sign Partnership Agreement in Kagoshima's Yunomoto Onsen Town. New Complex Facility 'Nekoma-no-mori' Construction Officially Announced
The construction of 'Nekoma-no-mori', a new complex facility, has been announced for the former Miyauchi Department Store site in Hioki City, Kagoshima. Spearheaded by KOBIRA, it features a 'Yojo' concept focused on regional regeneration and nature restoration through business attraction.
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- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 02:59
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 18:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 15:26 (116h 54m after Collected)
114 years since its founding as a blacksmith, Kagoshima's regional trading company, KOBIRA Inc. (KOBIRA), has embarked on an unprecedented challenge on the site of a former department store in Yunomoto Onsen town. On April 14, 2026, KOBIRA, Yunomoto Village LLC, and Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, signed a partnership agreement, officially announcing the construction of the new complex facility 'Nekoma-no-mori' on the site of the former Miyauchi Department Store, once a symbol of the Yunomoto Onsen town where people gathered.
The goal is to realize a circulation model where the town and nature are enriched by companies 'working there,' rather than attracting tourists. Construction is scheduled to begin in late April 2026, with full opening planned for January 2027.
■ Facility Overview
| Facility Name | Nekoma-no-mori |
|---------------|--------------------|
| Location | 3321 Yuda, Higashiichiki-cho, Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, 〒899-2201 |
| Facility Area | Approx. 215㎡ |
| Site Area | 969.74m2 |
| Total Cost | 110 million yen |
| Opening | January 2027 (Full Opening) |
| Construction Start | Late April 2026 |
| Operating Entity | Yunomoto Village LLC |
| Key Functions | Corporate Offices, Co-working Space, Shared Kitchen, Yunomoto Nature Positive Lab (NPL) |
Adopted Project: FUTURE LENS (Nikken Sekkei × Zebras and Company) / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Local 10,000 Project
■ Origin of the Logo and Name
'Nekoma-no-mori' Logo
The name is a combination of three animals associated with Yunomoto: 'Cat' (an anecdote about Lord Shimazu Yoshihiro's cat), 'Fox' (an anecdote about foxes enduring cold and association with Inari shrines), and 'Horse' (Yunomoto Horse-headed Kannon Horse Dance), combined with 'Mori' (forest), signifying a sacred place where people gather.
'Yojo' (Nurturing/Healing) Concept
"Simply by living, one becomes healthy; simply by living, nature recovers; simply by doing business, one's company prospers."
Overview Diagram (Diagram of the Yojo Circulation of People, Nature, and Corporations)
This facility is designed as a place of 'Yojo' that balances human health (Well-being) with nature's recovery (Nature-Positive). It is a hub that embodies an unprecedented circulation model where the daily activities of corporations themselves restore the local nature and enrich the town, without relying on attracting tourists.
This 'Yojo' concept was born from co-creation with 'FUTURE LENS', a co-creation social and environmental design program jointly operated by Nikken Sekkei Ltd. and Zebras and Company. KOBIRA was selected for the first phase of the FUTURE LENS project and has worked with Nikken Sekkei's specialists to develop the concept and future vision.
We will continue to expand the circle of co-creation with various stakeholders involved in the region while collaborating with FUTURE LENS.
■ Adoption into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'Local 10,000 Project'
The development of this facility has been adopted into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'Local 10,000 Project' (Regional Economic Circulation Creation Project Subsidy). This project is a national initiative that supports local startups and new businesses by utilizing regional resources and funds through collaboration between industry, academia, finance, and government. By subsidizing a portion of the private sector's initial investment costs, it aims to promote the circulation of the regional economy and job creation. Adoption after expert review by the government signifies that the advanced nature and feasibility of the 'Nekoma-no-mori's' 'Yojo' and regional circulation model have been officially recognized.
■ Resident Companies and Organizations
Five companies are scheduled to move in, including ECOMMIT Inc., which builds infrastructure for resource circulation, and Re-public Inc., which specializes in innovation ecosystem research, design, and cultural/resource research. (As of April 2026). Based on the 'Yojo' concept, we will build a circulation model that enriches the town together with all the resident companies.
ECOMMIT Inc.
"We are developing a clothing resource circulation business with the theme of 'Making a society that doesn't discard.' We have moved our headquarters from Satsumasendai City, where we have been established for 18 years, to Hioki City. We want to make this town like a company town. As a company that balances environment and economy, we will transmit our message to the world from here."
The goal is to realize a circulation model where the town and nature are enriched by companies 'working there,' rather than attracting tourists. Construction is scheduled to begin in late April 2026, with full opening planned for January 2027.
■ Facility Overview
| Facility Name | Nekoma-no-mori |
|---------------|--------------------|
| Location | 3321 Yuda, Higashiichiki-cho, Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, 〒899-2201 |
| Facility Area | Approx. 215㎡ |
| Site Area | 969.74m2 |
| Total Cost | 110 million yen |
| Opening | January 2027 (Full Opening) |
| Construction Start | Late April 2026 |
| Operating Entity | Yunomoto Village LLC |
| Key Functions | Corporate Offices, Co-working Space, Shared Kitchen, Yunomoto Nature Positive Lab (NPL) |
Adopted Project: FUTURE LENS (Nikken Sekkei × Zebras and Company) / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Local 10,000 Project
■ Origin of the Logo and Name
'Nekoma-no-mori' Logo
The name is a combination of three animals associated with Yunomoto: 'Cat' (an anecdote about Lord Shimazu Yoshihiro's cat), 'Fox' (an anecdote about foxes enduring cold and association with Inari shrines), and 'Horse' (Yunomoto Horse-headed Kannon Horse Dance), combined with 'Mori' (forest), signifying a sacred place where people gather.
'Yojo' (Nurturing/Healing) Concept
"Simply by living, one becomes healthy; simply by living, nature recovers; simply by doing business, one's company prospers."
Overview Diagram (Diagram of the Yojo Circulation of People, Nature, and Corporations)
This facility is designed as a place of 'Yojo' that balances human health (Well-being) with nature's recovery (Nature-Positive). It is a hub that embodies an unprecedented circulation model where the daily activities of corporations themselves restore the local nature and enrich the town, without relying on attracting tourists.
This 'Yojo' concept was born from co-creation with 'FUTURE LENS', a co-creation social and environmental design program jointly operated by Nikken Sekkei Ltd. and Zebras and Company. KOBIRA was selected for the first phase of the FUTURE LENS project and has worked with Nikken Sekkei's specialists to develop the concept and future vision.
We will continue to expand the circle of co-creation with various stakeholders involved in the region while collaborating with FUTURE LENS.
■ Adoption into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'Local 10,000 Project'
The development of this facility has been adopted into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'Local 10,000 Project' (Regional Economic Circulation Creation Project Subsidy). This project is a national initiative that supports local startups and new businesses by utilizing regional resources and funds through collaboration between industry, academia, finance, and government. By subsidizing a portion of the private sector's initial investment costs, it aims to promote the circulation of the regional economy and job creation. Adoption after expert review by the government signifies that the advanced nature and feasibility of the 'Nekoma-no-mori's' 'Yojo' and regional circulation model have been officially recognized.
■ Resident Companies and Organizations
Five companies are scheduled to move in, including ECOMMIT Inc., which builds infrastructure for resource circulation, and Re-public Inc., which specializes in innovation ecosystem research, design, and cultural/resource research. (As of April 2026). Based on the 'Yojo' concept, we will build a circulation model that enriches the town together with all the resident companies.
ECOMMIT Inc.
"We are developing a clothing resource circulation business with the theme of 'Making a society that doesn't discard.' We have moved our headquarters from Satsumasendai City, where we have been established for 18 years, to Hioki City. We want to make this town like a company town. As a company that balances environment and economy, we will transmit our message to the world from here."