[Event Report] 550 Attendees Gather! 'Local Revitalization Venture Summit 2026' Concludes. Mayors and Startups Nationwide Convene to Activate New 'Co-creation Engine'

The Enthusiastic Regional Revitalization Venture Union (Representative Director: Shin-ichiro Shinonaga) and the Startup City Promotion Council (Chair: Kyoko Morisawa, Mayor of Shinagawa Ward) hosted the 'Local Revitalization Venture Summit 2026' on Friday, May 29, 2026, at POTLUCK YAESU (Tokyo Midtown Yaesu). With the theme 'Ignite the Co-creation Engine of Cities and Regions,' the summit brought together a total of 550 people, including municipal heads, Diet members, and leading startup founders.

Both organizations host the 'Local Revitalization Venture Summit' annually to accelerate the momentum of regional revitalization by sharing the current state and challenges of regional revitalization from the perspectives of national government, local governments, and private businesses, and by facilitating exchange.

On the day, 550 participants attended, including 110 corporate members, 150 local government officials, 30 students, 30 speakers/stakeholders, 10 media members, and 220 general participants. Speakers included 27 prominent figures such as Minister of Regional Future Strategy Hitoshi Kikawada, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Norikazu Suzuki, Shizuoka Prefecture Governor Yasutomo Suzuki, Fukuoka City Mayor Soichiro Takashima, and Shinagawa Ward Mayor Kyoko Morisawa.

Through seven in-person sessions, participants discussed cross-city/regional collaboration and the importance of taking risks to challenge the status quo. It was also a landmark day for the Startup City Promotion Council, as leadership transitioned from Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima, who served as Chair for 13 years, to Shinagawa Mayor Kyoko Morisawa. Along with the new Representative Director of the Enthusiastic Regional Revitalization Venture Union, Shin-ichiro Shinonaga, the new powerful structures of both organizations were announced.