Zero Promotion Obligation, Employment Guarantee Included. Launching a New Athlete Support Model

Kuan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, Representative Director: Makoto Hamamura, hereinafter referred to as "Kuan"), which develops diverse regional innovation projects ranging from primary industries to tourism and IT in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, has concluded an "Athlete Support Contract with Employment Guarantee" with Ms. Fumika Kawakami, a sport climber from Tottori Prefecture (affiliated with: Tottori Prefecture Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Association).

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1. Uniqueness of the Contract: Investment in "Future Talent" rather than a Promotional Tool

This contract overturns the conventional wisdom of athlete contracts and entails no promotional obligations for the company. We aim to respect athletes as individuals and build a "life design partnership" that seamlessly connects their competitive support during their active careers with their careers after retirement.

• Pure Support with "No Promotional Obligation": We respect an environment where athletes can concentrate on improving their performance without requiring corporate logo exposure or other promotional activities as compensation.

• "Employment Guarantee" from the Time of Contract Signing: Simultaneously with the contract signing, future employment (as a full-time employee, etc.) at Kuan is guaranteed.

• Vast Business Fields Operated by the Company: Kuan consistently operates a supply chain for regional revitalization in-house, covering agriculture, fisheries, food processing, restaurants, retail, accommodation, and tourism. This diverse field allows us to provide "rewarding work" tailored to the athlete's aptitude.

• Complete Freedom of Career Choice: The employment guarantee is purely a safety net; seeking employment with other companies or starting one's own business is completely free.

2. Kuan's Proposed "Phase-Free Life"

Kuan is extending the concept of "phase-free," which eliminates the boundaries between daily life and emergencies, from disaster prevention to individual life design. Especially in depopulated areas, it is necessary to create an environment where life transitions (phases) such as student, athlete, and working adult are accepted as "natural changes" rather than "disruptions," allowing for seamless transitions. This contract is also a social experiment to smoothly connect the transition to next-generation leaders.

3. Specific Support Details: The "Three Pillars" Supporting Life Design

• "Food": Integrated Food Support from the Company to Maintain Physical and Mental Well-being Even on Expeditions

Utilizing a vertically integrated supply chain from primary industries to retail, we support the athlete's condition. Our privately manufactured retort foods have long shelf lives and excellent portability, making it easy to secure familiar meals even on domestic and international expeditions. By combining these with carefully selected Japanese sweets from our company-operated Japanese and Western confectionery stores, we provide mental reset and satisfaction in harsh environments, multifaceted support for maintaining both physical and mental well-being.

• "Clothing": Challenging a Community Concept Spanning Physical and Digital Worlds

In collaboration with the "San'in Local Font Project (General Incorporated Association COOD CREATORS)," we are planning to produce original wear that incorporates art by people with disabilities into its design. In the future, we will challenge a social experiment to implement a "proof of community participation" that transcends physical distance by linking this wear with Web3-based digital membership cards (NFTs, etc.). As "borderless wear" connecting Ehime and Tottori, we aim to build a new system that fosters a sense of unity with local residents.

• "Work": Opportunities to Participate in Local Businesses and Acquire AI/Digital Skills

In addition to regular career counseling, we offer opportunities for "business experience" at Kuan's diverse business sites, depending on the athlete's wishes. Through daily work experience, athletes can acquire AI utilization and digital literacy, which are essential in the coming era. By deepening their understanding of the mechanisms of local businesses during their active careers, we encourage a smooth transition to a second career after retirement and skill development with a view to future local entrepreneurship.

4. Sub-story: Launch of the Tottori Project and Digital Utilization

• Challenging a New Model Driven by "Inconvenience"

Compared to Uwajima City, which boasts one of Japan's leading concentrations of primary industries, Tottori Prefecture has the smallest population in Japan, making it a "highly challenging field" where it is difficult to envision a regional revitalization vision from the perspective of existing economic rationality. Kuan dares to challenge the construction of a new regional revitalization model based on sports and culture (art) in this region.

• "Necessity is the Mother of Invention": Creation of New Markets Through Digital Technology

By daring to choose both prefectures, which are not easily physically accessible, and connecting digital platforms such as Web3, we aim to create new markets that neutralize geographical constraints. We will build a system ourselves, as stakeholders, where physical distance does not hinder value exchange.

■ About Kuan Co., Ltd.

【Contact for this matter】

Kuan Co., Ltd. web form
https://ku-an.co.jp/contact/