Promoting National Relocation and Dual Residency Policies: Appointed Official Partner for 'Local Gastronomy in Kagoshima Horiguchi Seicha'

Photo provided by Yama to Hon to Co., Ltd.

General Incorporated Association Local Startup Association (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Junichi Saito; abbreviated as "LSA") will participate as an official partner in the "Local Gastronomy Tourism in Kagoshima Horiguchi Seicha" (planned by Yama to Hon to Co., Ltd.) to be held in Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture on Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th, 2026.

Through this project, we will open up local food and primary industry sites to participants from urban areas and across the country, promoting the creation of 'related populations,' relocation, and dual residency, and advancing public-private collaboration from Shibushi, Kagoshima.

Event Overview

Name "Local Gastronomy Tourism in Kagoshima Horiguchi Seicha"

Dates Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th, 2026

Venue Kagoshima Horiguchi Seicha (Shibushi City)

Application Method https://tour-local-gastronomy0605.peatix.com/

Organizer Yama to Hon to Co., Ltd.

Background of the Project

"ONE SUMMIT 2025" Tokyo Event Scene

This project originated from discussions held at the research group of "ONE SUMMIT," a food and agriculture training conference held in Tokyo in October 2025. It connects these discussions to actual local sites, creating an entry point for continuous regional participation that goes beyond one-time tourism consumption.

Instead of remaining theoretical, we aim to build a comprehensive and continuous regional participation model by directly connecting knowledge and enthusiasm cultivated in urban areas to local sites.

As an Implementation Model for the National Policy of "Dual Residency"

Correcting the overconcentration in Tokyo is an urgent policy issue, with the net inflow to the Tokyo metropolitan area exceeding 120,000 people in the 2025 Basic Resident Register Population Movement Report. In response, the government has advocated for the "creation of related populations" as a key to regional revitalization, and currently, about 80% of local governments nationwide include this in their strategies, making the expansion of future relocation and settlement urgent.

This project aligns with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's direction for developing systems and pioneering projects for "dual residency." By deeply engaging with primary industry sites, it cultivates an environment where future relocation and dual residency are seen as realistic options. Through the reconstruction of the "food economic zone" that supports the regional economy, we will promote the national policy of "flow of people to rural areas" through public-private collaboration.

Furthermore, in 2024, the export value of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and food exceeded 1.5 trillion yen for the first time, clearly demonstrating the importance of adding high value, such as branding utilizing GI (Geographical Indication) and trademarks (※1). Initiatives that connect local food and climate with stories and experiences to create value are also attracting attention from the perspective of expanding the growth potential of primary industries.

(※1) Related information: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Export Expansion Strategy for Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Products and Food"

Challenge to "High Value-Addition of Primary Industries" based in the Osumi Peninsula

Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture, the stage for this event, is a hub for Japan's leading food and industries, including world-class quality tea production. This tour will center on the "Osumi Peninsula Terroir (value creation utilizing the individuality of the climate)" advocated by Horiguchi Seicha as the core of the real experience.

In this program, we welcome Mr. Daiki Iwasa (Representative Director, GRA Co., Ltd.), a leading expert in agricultural management innovation, and Mr. Minoru Katsuki (Partner, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC, National Leader for SME and Startup Support in the Regional Future Creation Office), who supports regional companies, as navigators. By intersecting production, management, and external perspectives, we will demonstrate the re-editing of primary industries into a "high value-added industry" combining brands, experiences, and sales channels, starting from Shibushi.

Future Outlook: Full-scale Launch of "Osumi Future Lab"

"Osumi Future Lab" Kick-off Event (held in Tokyo in March 2026)

Our association will not let this initiative remain a one-off event but will connect it to continuous engagement with individuals interested in Shibushi City. By promoting the region not only as a "place to visit" but also as a "place to get involved" and a "place with potential to live," we aim to raise awareness of Shibushi as a candidate location for relocation and dual residency.

Furthermore, in the newly launched implementation-oriented project "Osumi Future Lab," based in the Osumi Peninsula, Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture, we will connect rural and urban areas, regional resources and corporate technology, and practitioners and policies. By designing "participation in the regional economy" that goes beyond mere tourism, as a platform to create new industries and employment, we will present a new standard for regional revitalization from the Osumi Peninsula.

Comment: Junichi Saito (Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Local Startup Association)

"I am very pleased that concrete movements to create a flow of people to rural areas have emerged from discussions at 'ONE SUMMIT,' a food and agriculture training conference held in urban areas. As correction of the overconcentration in Tokyo is demanded, we are taking steps on the ground in the region." Keywords: