Ojiya City Entrepreneurship Support Project for Reiwa 8 Starts! "Ojiya Meetup Day vol.3" to be Held on Friday, May 15th

Ojiya City Entrepreneurship Support Project

The business contest held as part of the Reiwa 8 (2026) Ojiya City Entrepreneurship Support Project "BALLOON" has resulted in the selection of five new recipients for the Ojiya City Challenge Support Project Subsidy. Socialups Inc., commissioned by Ojiya City, operates this project and will host "Ojiya Meetup Day vol.3" on Friday, May 15, 2026. This event will introduce the selected entrepreneurs and bring together local entrepreneurs, business owners, and supporters for networking.

Socialups Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Niigata City; Representative Director and President: Akimitsu Takase), in collaboration with TeNY Television Niigata Corporation (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Niigata City; Representative Director and President: Genichiro Shoriki), operates the Ojiya City Entrepreneurship Support Project "BALLOON" as a commissioned project by Ojiya City.

■ What is Ojiya City Entrepreneurship Support Project "BALLOON"?

BALLOON

"BALLOON" is an entrepreneurship support project launched in Ojiya City in 2024. It aims to consistently support businesses from launch to growth, with the goal of solving regional issues and creating new industries.

To promote entrepreneurship and new business creation within the city, the project offers programs for improving business skills, funding support, and mentoring. The central program, the "Business Contest," serves as a practical platform for transforming conceptual ideas into tangible forms.

BALLOON Official Website: https://ojiya-startup.com/

■ Introduction of Reiwa 8 (2026) Selected Entrepreneurs (2025 Business Contest in OJIYA)

Following the judging panel of the "2025 Business Contest in OJIYA" held in March 2026, the following five individuals/entities have been selected as recipients for the Reiwa 8 (2026) Ojiya City Challenge Support Project Subsidy (up to 1 million yen).

Ms. Yoshie Horisawa

Ms. Yoshie Horisawa

Project Name: Manufacturing and Sales of Rice Bread Utilizing Ojiya-produced Rice and Sake Yeast

This project involves manufacturing and selling rice bread using Ojiya-produced rice as the main ingredient and natural yeast derived from Japan's sake-making fermentation culture (sake yeast). The goal is to leverage the inherent sweetness and texture of rice. By commercializing "natural yeast rice bread," which has few manufacturing and sales examples nationwide, in a sustainable manner that utilizes local rice resources, the project aims to create a new specialty product for Ojiya-produced rice.

Mr. Ryo Kurosaki (Representative Director, MOB STYLE Inc.)

Mr. Ryo Kurosaki (Representative Director, MOB STYLE Inc.)

Project Name: Ojiya Biyori ~Journey of Moving Experiences~

Driven by a strong desire to invigorate the region, this project conceptualizes an experiential tour business. It plans and operates small-group, day-trip or one-night/two-day tours that reconstruct Ojiya's food, people, culture, and lifestyle into "moving experiences" that engage all five senses—for example, not just "seeing" Ojiya-chijimi but "weaving" it, and not just "eating" Hegisoba but "making" it. Targeting visitors from outside the city and prefecture, as well as inbound tourists, the aim is to convert tourists into repeat visitors and revitalize the entire local economy.

Mr. Tomoki Igarashi

Mr. Tomoki Igarashi

Project Name: Creation of an Overseas Expansion Model for Ojiya-chijimi as a "Usable Craft"

This project redefines Ojiya-chijimi, which traditionally had demand centered on kimonos, into practical products like handkerchiefs suited for modern lifestyles, and expands into overseas markets through cross-border e-commerce and real exhibitions. By building a feedback loop with workshops to incorporate real customer purchasing data and reactions into product improvements, the project aims to open new markets for traditional crafts.

Mr. Kento Kazama (Representative Director, Quark Inc.)

Mr. Kento Kazama (Representative Director, Quark Inc.)

Project Name: AI Autonomous Snow Removal System and Physical AI Business for Heavy Snow Regions through Snow Tech Demonstration

Addressing regional challenges in Ojiya City such as heavy snowfall, an aging population, and a shortage of snow removal personnel, this project develops and demonstrates AI-equipped autonomous snow removal machines. It aims to create a "unmanned, labor-saving, highly safe" snow removal solution by combining sensor fusion technology capable of operating in blizzards, poor visibility, and unstable GPS environments, with an XR-based remote monitoring system. With Ojiya City as the demonstration base, the project seeks to create new industries in the Snow Tech field and attract companies and talent.

Mr. Ryoma Adachi (Wa Dining En Counter)

Mr. Ryoma Adachi (Wa Dining En Counter)

Project Name: Demonstration Experiment for Promoting the Appeal of Local Vegetables

In collaboration with young local farmers, this project develops and sells processed products (salads, wrap sandwiches, smoothies, dressings, etc.) using local Ojiya vegetables. Through demonstration experiments at stores utilizing vacant commercial spaces in the city, the project aims to brand local vegetables, expand sales channels for young farmers, and contribute to reducing food loss by utilizing off-spec vegetables.

The selected entrepreneurs will receive eligibility for the Challenge Support Project Subsidy, as well as the following support:

Reiwa 8 (2026) Challenge Support Project Subsidy: Up to 1 million yen.