[Regional Revitalization] Promoting Women's Empowerment: The Key to Regional Revitalization - Towards a Society Where Local Women Can Build Flexible Careers

Saori Aisaka, Representative of LASSIC Inc., endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day for announcing dreams. This press release represents the dream of "Saori Aisaka, Representative of LASSIC Inc."

Originally, she had a fulfilling career at a major advertising agency, handling women's magazine projects and large-scale promotions, and was entrusted with responsible positions despite her busy schedule.

However, during that time, she faced the reality of **"infertility."** "Career or children? I don't want to give up either."

Still, she felt the limits of balancing infertility treatment with her work style at the time. After much deliberation, she chose to resign and embark on a new path of independence.

It was not a choice to abandon her career, but a choice to **"change my way of working to live true to myself."** Through her own experience, she realized the reality that _women's careers are significantly influenced by life events and external circumstances_ such as pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, and even nursing care.

She obtained a national career consultant qualification and developed her business around individual career support and marketing support. Currently, based in her hometown of Okayama and Tokyo, she conducts career training for companies, expanding her activities towards realizing a society where **"women can achieve self-realization more authentically, with their careers as part of their lives."**

### ■Promoting Women's Empowerment from Rural Areas, Women's Power is Essential for Organizational Revitalization

Working in two locations, Okayama and Tokyo, while balancing childcare and work, Aisaka felt the **_disparity in career opportunities for women in rural areas._**

Compared to urban areas, options for work styles and careers are limited in rural areas, and it is not uncommon for women to have to give up their careers due to marriage or childbirth.

Especially in Okayama, the outflow of young women to urban areas is a challenge, and the current situation makes it difficult to say that there is a sufficient environment for women who want to "continue working" or "take on challenges."

Against this background, women's power is also considered important for the sustainable growth of organizations.

This is because the inclusion of diverse values and perspectives in an organization leads to new ideas and improved quality of decision-making, which in turn strengthens organizational capabilities and improves productivity.

Furthermore, the perspective of balancing work with life events such as childcare and nursing care promotes flexible work styles and a review of organizational operations, contributing to the creation of a comfortable working environment for all employees.

To address these issues, Aisaka is currently conducting training to support women's career development at companies in Okayama Prefecture. By supporting the organization of individual career perspectives and the design of work styles that anticipate life events, she is also working to **create organizations where women can thrive long-term.**

Annual career training conducted at a company in Okayama.

■Comments from a company representative who implemented career training
"We introduced this training feeling a challenge in promoting women's empowerment. Through the training, participants' expressions brightened, and their proactive learning was impressive. A sense of connection and unity also emerged within the group, and we plan to expand it company-wide in the future to revitalize the organization."

### ■**Career is a part of life; I want to be a catalyst for women to live authentically.**

Based on her experience struggling to balance infertility treatment and career, and her track record of supporting many women in career building, she is also focusing on information dissemination and media interviews.

She writes a column series for Shogakukan's parenting web media "Hugkum" and is also responsible for a series on "Woman type," a web media for working women, disseminating information as an expert.

In 2025, she published her first book, "Rashiku Kigyo" (Starting a Business Authentically), on the theme of women's careers and business.

"I want to create a society where as many women as possible can choose their own way of life and achieve self-realization."

With this in mind, she disseminates information and provides support to women who struggle with career continuation or reconstruction due to life events.

**Through her own experiences and her continued challenges as a mother raising two children, she hopes to provide the impetus for as many women as possible to take a "step towards living authentically."**

■Book: "Rashiku Kigyo ~ A Way of Working True to Myself"

■Column series: Shogakukan "Hugkum"

Web media for working women "Woman type"

■LASSIC Inc. Official Website
https://www.lassic-inc.co.jp/

■Saori Aisaka Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/saori_lassic/