Rakumachi Inc. Donates 1.5 Million Yen to Kelp Farming Project in Kushiro City, Hokkaido

Rakumachi Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; TSE Standard, Securities Code: 6037), which operates the largest real estate investment platform in Japan, 'Rakumachi' (https://www.rakumachi.jp/), has donated 1.5 million yen to the 'Kelp Farming Project' promoted by Kushiro City, Hokkaido. This donation will be used for initiatives aimed at promoting local fisheries through kelp farming and the sustainable conservation of marine resources. The cumulative amount of donations for municipal support since 2023 has reached 37 million yen.

Background of the Donation to Kushiro City: Kushiro City, located in eastern Hokkaido, is known for its rich natural environment, including the 'Kushiro Wetland,' which is registered under the Ramsar Convention. Facing the Pacific Ocean, the city has fishing ports, and marine resources such as kelp are a core industry supporting the regional economy.

This project aims to achieve stable fishery management in cooperation with local fishery cooperatives and to promote blue carbon initiatives through the growth of kelp. It supports demonstration experiments for kelp farming conducted by fishery cooperatives, specifically by installing vegetation ropes with kelp spores in the sea to encourage kelp growth. The donation will be used for material costs and seedlings.

In recent years, as mega-solar development has rapidly progressed across Hokkaido, Kushiro City declared the 'No More Mega-Solar Declaration' in June 2025, the second of its kind in Japan. In October of the same year, the city enacted an ordinance designating habitats for rare wildlife, such as the Japanese crane and white-tailed eagle, as special conservation areas and requiring permits for commercial solar power facilities of 10kW or more. The company highly evaluated this initiative and decided to make this donation as a contribution to the sustainable development of the region.

Chairman Sakaguchi of the company visited Kushiro City in February 2026 to inspect the kelp farms and mega-solar facilities. Witnessing the actual efforts, he reaffirmed the significance of this donation in supporting the sustainable development of the region.