15 Years of Inquiry in Rikuzentakata. A Public-Private Partnership Creating 'People Who Continue to Engage' Wins the Grand Prize
Key facts
- 15 Years of Inquiry in Rikuzentakata. A Public-Private Partnership Creating 'People Who Continue to Engage' Wins the Grand Prize
- Certified NPO SET won the grand prize at the 7th Japan GR Summit's 'GR Public-Private Partnership Award' for its 15-year initiative fostering a 'relationship population' in Rikuzentakata City.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: April 9, 2026
Direct answer
Certified NPO SET won the grand prize at the 7th Japan GR Summit's 'GR Public-Private Partnership Award' for its 15-year initiative fostering a 'relationship population' in Rikuzentakata City.
- Citation
- 15 Years of Inquiry in Rikuzentakata. A Public-Private Partnership Creating 'People Who Continue to Engage' Wins the Grand Prize (April 9, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- April 9, 2026
Certified NPO SET won the grand prize at the 7th Japan GR Summit's 'GR Public-Private Partnership Award' for its 15-year initiative fostering a 'relationship population' in Rikuzentakata City.
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- 📰 Published: April 9, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 9, 2026 at 10:31
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Certified NPO SET (Headquarters: Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, President: Shunsuke Mitsui) received the grand prize at the "GR Public-Private Partnership Award" held within the 7th Japan GR Summit. The initiative praised this time was the "Rikuzentakata City Key Personnel Creation Program."
This initiative is not merely aimed at "increasing" the number of workers in the region.
It is a practice that seeks to shape the future of the region through the accumulation of relationships—creating people who repeatedly travel back and forth between the city and the local area, continuously engaging with it.
This activity, which began in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, has continued for 15 years.
The "quality of relationships" and the "transformation of people" nurtured throughout this continuity led to this award.
## An Award That Evaluated "Relationships" Over "Results"
This award recognizes excellent examples of solving social issues through public-private partnerships, selecting one grand prize and two excellence awards from approximately 60 cases nationwide.
The evaluation criteria included goal achievement, uniqueness, mutual benefit (sanpo-yoshi), sustainability, and the degree of future creation.
SET's initiative was comprehensively evaluated for its long-term accumulation of "changes in relationships between people and the region," which cannot be fully measured by numerical results alone.
## Relationships That Began From "Not Being Accepted"
SET was established by university students in March 2011, two days after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
In the early days of their activities, the relationship with the local community was by no means smooth.
It is true that there was confusion and distance regarding young people from the outside entering the community.
Despite this, they never stopped engaging.
Through visiting repeatedly, seeing the same faces, and spending time together, the relationship gradually changed.
From a relationship where people said, "Thank you for coming,"
to one where they said, "You're here again."
That change is the very starting point of SET's activities.
## Both the Youth and the Region Are Changing
The young people participating in the program experience life and work in Rikuzentakata.
For example, spending time entering the local seaweed fishing industry and facing the local livelihoods.
In the midst of this, opportunities arise for them to re-examine their own ways of living and working.
On the other hand, changes are also occurring within the region.
By interacting with young people from the outside, locals rediscover the value of their everyday lives that they took for granted, and new challenges are born.
What SET has built is not a "supporter / supported" relationship,
but a relationship where they mutually influence each other.
This initiative is not merely aimed at "increasing" the number of workers in the region.
It is a practice that seeks to shape the future of the region through the accumulation of relationships—creating people who repeatedly travel back and forth between the city and the local area, continuously engaging with it.
This activity, which began in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, has continued for 15 years.
The "quality of relationships" and the "transformation of people" nurtured throughout this continuity led to this award.
## An Award That Evaluated "Relationships" Over "Results"
This award recognizes excellent examples of solving social issues through public-private partnerships, selecting one grand prize and two excellence awards from approximately 60 cases nationwide.
The evaluation criteria included goal achievement, uniqueness, mutual benefit (sanpo-yoshi), sustainability, and the degree of future creation.
SET's initiative was comprehensively evaluated for its long-term accumulation of "changes in relationships between people and the region," which cannot be fully measured by numerical results alone.
## Relationships That Began From "Not Being Accepted"
SET was established by university students in March 2011, two days after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
In the early days of their activities, the relationship with the local community was by no means smooth.
It is true that there was confusion and distance regarding young people from the outside entering the community.
Despite this, they never stopped engaging.
Through visiting repeatedly, seeing the same faces, and spending time together, the relationship gradually changed.
From a relationship where people said, "Thank you for coming,"
to one where they said, "You're here again."
That change is the very starting point of SET's activities.
## Both the Youth and the Region Are Changing
The young people participating in the program experience life and work in Rikuzentakata.
For example, spending time entering the local seaweed fishing industry and facing the local livelihoods.
In the midst of this, opportunities arise for them to re-examine their own ways of living and working.
On the other hand, changes are also occurring within the region.
By interacting with young people from the outside, locals rediscover the value of their everyday lives that they took for granted, and new challenges are born.
What SET has built is not a "supporter / supported" relationship,
but a relationship where they mutually influence each other.
FAQ
Which organization received the grand prize at the 7th Japan GR Summit's GR Public-Private Partnership Award and where is it headquartered?
Certified NPO SET, headquartered in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, received the grand prize at the 7th Japan GR Summit's GR Public-Private Partnership Award.
What is the name of the program run by SET that was recognized with the grand prize and what is its primary goal?
The program recognized is the Rikuzentakata City Key Personnel Creation Program, which aims to shape the region's future by creating people who continuously engage with the area.
How long has SET's initiative in Rikuzentakata been ongoing and what major event marked its beginning?
SET's initiative in Rikuzentakata has continued for 15 years, beginning two days after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.
What specific aspect of SET's work was emphasized in the award evaluation instead of numerical results?
The award emphasized the long-term accumulation of changes in relationships between people and the region, highlighting relationship quality over measurable outcomes.
What were the evaluation criteria for the GR Public-Private Partnership Award and how many cases were considered for the prize?
The evaluation criteria included goal achievement, uniqueness, mutual benefit, sustainability, and future creation, with approximately 60 cases considered nationwide for the award.