Log House Brand 'BESS' Signs Partnership Agreement with Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, for Mountain Village Revitalization and Promotion of Migration and Settlement

R-C-CORE Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; President: Yasuharu Sumugi), the company behind the log house brand 'BESS,' signed a 'Partnership Agreement for Mountain Village Revitalization, Promotion of Migration and Settlement, and Regional Activation' with Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture (Mayor: Toshihiko Ota) on March 26, 2026. Based on this agreement, the parties will promote migration, settlement, the creation and expansion of a 'related population,' the maintenance and revitalization of local communities, and the development of local leaders to ensure the sustainable development of Toyota City's mountain village areas and the realization of coexistence between urban and rural areas.

Agreement Details

(1) Encouraging migration and settlement, and promoting exchange and related populations

(2) Development of housing and living environments, and proposing and disseminating lifestyle concepts

(3) Fostering values and branding for mountain village living

(4) Sharing knowledge that contributes to achieving the objectives of this agreement

(5) Other initiatives related to regional social development

Background

For 40 years, BESS has been dedicated to realizing rich lifestyles by proposing natural and relaxed living through the construction and sale of log houses.

In particular, BESS's residential development project 'FuMoTo' is based on the philosophy that 'humans are also a part of nature.' It provides non-standardized, relaxed living environments that utilize nature as much as possible, allowing residents to experience mountains, rivers, and trees with all five senses. To ensure comfortable communities are born near nature and are welcomed by locals, the project shares the 'Fumoto-Roku-Han' (Six Principles of the Foothills) as a baseline ethical standard. In actual residential developments, residents deepen their connections with the local community by interacting in shared farms and plazas and participating in local events.

In recent years, as a new challenge, BESS has been promoting the 'Connecting with Mountains Project.' By collaborating with mountain owners and sawmill operators in three areas—Oita, Aichi, and Tochigi—the company aims to build a supply chain for domestic timber and revitalize forestry and local regions. In Toyota City, where this partnership is being formed, a cooperative system has already been established to effectively utilize large-diameter timber and enhance the value of wood and mountains.

Located in the center of Aichi Prefecture, Toyota City covers a vast area that accounts for 17.8% of the prefecture. Known as a 'City of Cars' with one of the highest values of manufactured goods shipments in Japan, it serves as a global hub for manufacturing. On the other hand, approximately 70% of the city's area is covered by rich forests, where agriculture, forestry, and traditional culture thrive in the mountain villages. However, these mountain areas face serious issues such as population decline, aging, and a shortage of successors, making the realization of sustainable regional development an urgent task.