[Application Acceptance Begins] Next-Generation Leader Development Program "Tambasasayama Academia" to be Held in 2026

Souzou-son Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tambasasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture) has decided on the schedule for the 2026 session of its next-generation leader development program, "Tambasasayama Academia," and has begun accepting applications. This program aims to foster leadership that can carve out the future by having participants re-examine their own values and the nature of their organizations by immersing themselves in the local environment of Tambasasayama, away from their urban daily lives, focusing on its nature, culture, and community practices.

Background of the Program | What is the "Next-Generation Leader" Needed Today? Amidst diversifying values, increasingly complex social issues, and an uncertain economic environment, companies and organizations require personnel who can drive new decision-making and transformation, not just follow traditional success models. "Tambasasayama Academia" aims to develop inquiry-based leaders who can balance economic rationality with social significance by fostering the ability to pose "essential questions" while touching upon the fundamentals of things through dialogue with community practitioners and fieldwork. ■ What is "Tambasasayama Academia"? This is a concentrated 3-day, 2-night program to develop leaders who will proactively shape the future, unconstrained by past conventions. Participants dive into the field as individuals, expanding their thinking frameworks through "intellectual border-crossing" that engages all five senses. Three Values Provided by the Program 1 | The ability to pose "essential questions" Cultivates the ability to pose essential questions by opening up the senses to touch upon the fundamentals of things. 2 | Breaking away from "company-specific common sense" Through the extraordinary experience in Tambasasayama, participants reset preconceived notions and reliance on precedent. It fosters the flexibility to open up thinking frameworks and create new value from a zero-based perspective. 3 | Fostering a "sense of ownership" Participants deeply confront their own way of life and values, creating opportunities to find overlaps with their company's vision, evolving into individuals who can lead their organizations. ■ Program Overview (3 Days, 2 Nights) Setting the following three themes, practical learning will be conducted on the stage of Tambasasayama's nature, culture, and industry, away from urban daily life. "Circulation and Economy," "Inheritance and Innovation," "Present and Future" Participants will pose their own questions based on inspiration gained from dialogues with practitioners challenging local issues and community development, and through fieldwork. They will then re-examine their own values and decision-making processes through shared insights from participant dialogues and reflection time.

2026 Session Dates (Each session is 3 days, 2 nights) 1st Session: Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Saturday, May 23, 2026 2nd Session: Thursday, July 2, 2026 - Saturday, July 4, 2026 3rd Session: Thursday, September 17, 2026 - Saturday, September 19, 2026 4th Session: 2026