Declaration of 'Nomad Policymaker' — Policy with Everyone
Kumanomics declares 'Nomad Policymaker,' aiming for a symbiotic economy where policy is co-created by all of society through design and collaboration.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 21:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 6, 2026 at 14:48 (118h 0m after Collected)
Our company endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day for announcing dreams. This press release represents the dream of Kumanomics Inc.
◾️Kumanomics' Dream
It's not merely about business success or project completion.
It's about creating a safe haven for children who refuse to go to school in a town of 8,000 people.
It's about government officials and businesspeople discussing dreams for a future society at the same table in the heart of Tokyo.
It's about university students diving into local communities and thinking about policies together with residents.
Through the accumulation of these small co-creations, we aim to fundamentally redesign the very nature of Japanese society—that is our dream.
It is a grand ambition, yet it began from a deeply personal curiosity: "Society can surely be made more interesting."
Nomad Policymaker Naoki Hashimoto
After graduating from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, he joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2010. As the first national public servant to study at an art graduate school (Parsons School of Design in the U.S.), he completed an MFA (Master of Fine Arts). He was involved in promoting design management, planning and operating JAPAN+D (a project for policy formulation using design methods), and introducing service design methods at the Digital Agency. He launched the Japan Patent Office's I-OPEN project, which solves social issues through intellectual property rights, and received a Good Design Award. In 2024, he retired from METI and founded Kumanomics. As a "Nomad Policymaker" who transcends organizational boundaries, he has undertaken numerous projects, also serving as a co-creation coordinator for Toranomon Hills Glass Rock and a part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy.
While policy is indispensable for improving society, we believe that policies should not be created solely within government offices. Policies crafted solely by the administration, though not always, can sometimes lack the perspective of those affected, making it unclear "whose policy it is."
Thinking from a human-centered perspective
With purpose and intent
Giving it form
By incorporating the actions and emotions of individuals who are actually facing difficulties, and using "design" as a method to create "truly user-friendly solutions" together with those on the ground—that is Design x Policy.
As former government officials with expertise in policy formulation, who carefully gather the voices of private companies and individuals on the ground, and bridge the gap between rule-makers and rule-users through a specialized design approach, we are Nomad Policymakers.
To truly lead to the resolution of problems occurring on the ground, we will create policies with everyone and realize a symbiotic economy!!
The company name Kumanomics contains a single question.
"What should the government do?" and "What should be left to the private sector?"—we tend to divide things this way.
But truly, will society improve by leaning towards one or the other?
Just as clownfish ("Kumanomi") and sea anemones enrich the ecosystem through their mutual existence in the ocean, our work is to design a "symbiotic economy (Kumanomics)" where government and business transcend boundaries, blend together, and co-create new value.
What Kumanomics aims to achieve.
It is a society where diverse people on the ground
Struggle together and create together.
Designing a symbiotic economy—that is Kumanomics.
This dream is already in motion. In Kawasaki Town, Miyagi Prefecture, we are working with the administration, JR East, and local residents on "community development for autonomous symbiosis." At Toranomon Hills Glass Rock, we are creating a co-creation hub for solving social issues. At the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy, we are teaching courses to nurture the next generation of Nomad Policymakers. Our work is expanding nationwide.
◾️Kumanomics' Approach to its Dream
Co-Create: Creating Systems
~ System reform that transforms "problems" into "opportunities" ~
Using a design approach, we break down barriers between government, businesses, and NPOs, and design processes to "co-create" new systems and policies.
When people from different specializations and positions come together, possibilities beyond imagination are born.
The Power of Design to Save Cities at Risk of Extinction! (Link)
Connect: Connecting Aspirations
~ Your idea might become even more interesting if you team up with someone ~
Good ideas can be anywhere, and anyone can have them. We carefully gather hidden voices and broadly connect disparate people and ideas.
As empathy spreads, the future will be connected as everyone's.
Mechanisms of a Place that Ignites the "Spark" of Co-creation (Link)
Empower: Giving Form to Learning
~ Transforming "knowing" into "doing" ~
Instead of just seminars for acquiring knowledge, we go to the field (fieldwork), use a design approach to think from new perspectives, and identify real problems. We don't stop there; we implement concrete initiatives and policies.
An environment that allows learning to be translated into action is the key to social transformation.
'Design of Public Policy' University of Tokyo Students x Yamanashi Prefecture (Link)
~ Future Prediction Map ~ (Image captions follow)
Government x Companies x Local Residents
NPO x Local Residents
Conducting training and classes in collaboration with companies and schools
Having Creative Confidence
Many Nomad Policymakers will emerge in Japan, and new reforms will be born centered around each Nomad Policymaker.
The emergence of many Nomad Policymakers in Japan will be an "update to democracy" and form the foundation for a sustainable society!
"Policy, with everyone"—The Nomad Policymaker Declaration is a call to open up the leadership of creating mechanisms for a better society from the administration to society as a whole, inviting everyone to participate in shaping the future as stakeholders.
By actively engaging in social issues, anyone can become a driver of social change.
Writer of this article
Midori Hashimoto, Wife of the Nomad Policymaker
Transitioning from a nursing career, she supports her husband, CEO Naoki Hashimoto, both professionally and personally as a PR person.
She removes the boundaries between public and private life, actively participates in fieldwork locations, and disseminates Kumanomics' policies internally and externally.
Contact
Kumanomics Inc. Public Relations: Midori Hashimoto
Web│ (Link)
◾️Kumanomics' Dream
It's not merely about business success or project completion.
It's about creating a safe haven for children who refuse to go to school in a town of 8,000 people.
It's about government officials and businesspeople discussing dreams for a future society at the same table in the heart of Tokyo.
It's about university students diving into local communities and thinking about policies together with residents.
Through the accumulation of these small co-creations, we aim to fundamentally redesign the very nature of Japanese society—that is our dream.
It is a grand ambition, yet it began from a deeply personal curiosity: "Society can surely be made more interesting."
Nomad Policymaker Naoki Hashimoto
After graduating from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, he joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2010. As the first national public servant to study at an art graduate school (Parsons School of Design in the U.S.), he completed an MFA (Master of Fine Arts). He was involved in promoting design management, planning and operating JAPAN+D (a project for policy formulation using design methods), and introducing service design methods at the Digital Agency. He launched the Japan Patent Office's I-OPEN project, which solves social issues through intellectual property rights, and received a Good Design Award. In 2024, he retired from METI and founded Kumanomics. As a "Nomad Policymaker" who transcends organizational boundaries, he has undertaken numerous projects, also serving as a co-creation coordinator for Toranomon Hills Glass Rock and a part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy.
While policy is indispensable for improving society, we believe that policies should not be created solely within government offices. Policies crafted solely by the administration, though not always, can sometimes lack the perspective of those affected, making it unclear "whose policy it is."
Thinking from a human-centered perspective
With purpose and intent
Giving it form
By incorporating the actions and emotions of individuals who are actually facing difficulties, and using "design" as a method to create "truly user-friendly solutions" together with those on the ground—that is Design x Policy.
As former government officials with expertise in policy formulation, who carefully gather the voices of private companies and individuals on the ground, and bridge the gap between rule-makers and rule-users through a specialized design approach, we are Nomad Policymakers.
To truly lead to the resolution of problems occurring on the ground, we will create policies with everyone and realize a symbiotic economy!!
The company name Kumanomics contains a single question.
"What should the government do?" and "What should be left to the private sector?"—we tend to divide things this way.
But truly, will society improve by leaning towards one or the other?
Just as clownfish ("Kumanomi") and sea anemones enrich the ecosystem through their mutual existence in the ocean, our work is to design a "symbiotic economy (Kumanomics)" where government and business transcend boundaries, blend together, and co-create new value.
What Kumanomics aims to achieve.
It is a society where diverse people on the ground
Struggle together and create together.
Designing a symbiotic economy—that is Kumanomics.
This dream is already in motion. In Kawasaki Town, Miyagi Prefecture, we are working with the administration, JR East, and local residents on "community development for autonomous symbiosis." At Toranomon Hills Glass Rock, we are creating a co-creation hub for solving social issues. At the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy, we are teaching courses to nurture the next generation of Nomad Policymakers. Our work is expanding nationwide.
◾️Kumanomics' Approach to its Dream
Co-Create: Creating Systems
~ System reform that transforms "problems" into "opportunities" ~
Using a design approach, we break down barriers between government, businesses, and NPOs, and design processes to "co-create" new systems and policies.
When people from different specializations and positions come together, possibilities beyond imagination are born.
The Power of Design to Save Cities at Risk of Extinction! (Link)
Connect: Connecting Aspirations
~ Your idea might become even more interesting if you team up with someone ~
Good ideas can be anywhere, and anyone can have them. We carefully gather hidden voices and broadly connect disparate people and ideas.
As empathy spreads, the future will be connected as everyone's.
Mechanisms of a Place that Ignites the "Spark" of Co-creation (Link)
Empower: Giving Form to Learning
~ Transforming "knowing" into "doing" ~
Instead of just seminars for acquiring knowledge, we go to the field (fieldwork), use a design approach to think from new perspectives, and identify real problems. We don't stop there; we implement concrete initiatives and policies.
An environment that allows learning to be translated into action is the key to social transformation.
'Design of Public Policy' University of Tokyo Students x Yamanashi Prefecture (Link)
~ Future Prediction Map ~ (Image captions follow)
Government x Companies x Local Residents
NPO x Local Residents
Conducting training and classes in collaboration with companies and schools
Having Creative Confidence
Many Nomad Policymakers will emerge in Japan, and new reforms will be born centered around each Nomad Policymaker.
The emergence of many Nomad Policymakers in Japan will be an "update to democracy" and form the foundation for a sustainable society!
"Policy, with everyone"—The Nomad Policymaker Declaration is a call to open up the leadership of creating mechanisms for a better society from the administration to society as a whole, inviting everyone to participate in shaping the future as stakeholders.
By actively engaging in social issues, anyone can become a driver of social change.
Writer of this article
Midori Hashimoto, Wife of the Nomad Policymaker
Transitioning from a nursing career, she supports her husband, CEO Naoki Hashimoto, both professionally and personally as a PR person.
She removes the boundaries between public and private life, actively participates in fieldwork locations, and disseminates Kumanomics' policies internally and externally.
Contact
Kumanomics Inc. Public Relations: Midori Hashimoto
Web│ (Link)
FAQ
What is a Nomad Policymaker?
A Nomad Policymaker is an individual who transcends organizational boundaries (government, business, local residents) to co-create policies using a design approach, driving social problem-solving.
What kind of society does the Symbiotic Economy aim for?
It aims for a society where government and business transcend boundaries, blend together like clownfish and sea anemones, and co-create new value.
What specific activities does Kumanomics engage in?
Kumanomics undertakes social problem-solving projects using design thinking, such as community development, operating co-creation hubs, and nurturing the next generation of Nomad Policymakers.