Source: Peatix

We are looking for participating entrepreneurs and creators to submit their ideas!
The team with the best idea will receive a prize of a team visit to Toyama!
For entry instructions, please see the "Now accepting entries" section of this page.

Toyama Prefecture x SHIBUYA QWS "Q-reation" is an event that creates ideas that will generate new value within Toyama Prefecture by combining the wide variety of "Questions" and "Creations" that come from Shibuya.

This is the 14th installment of an event series that began in July 2023. It's a pitch event held in "CROSS PARK," a networking space within SHIBUYA QWS, where members active at SHIBUYA QWS and entrepreneurs from the Tokyo metropolitan area present business ideas born from "questions" held by key figures in the region. Why not join us in "Q-reation" to come up with ideas to solve the "questions" facing Toyama Prefecture?

After the pitch event, we will hold a social gathering where we will provide lunch boxes, drinks, a tasting of Toyama sake, and Toyama's famous sweets!

★Now accepting applications for pitch speakers!!
Why not bring your ideas to life in Toyama?
If you would like to enter, please enter through the [Tokyo Venue/Business Idea Presenter] section on Peatix!

■ Entry requirements
Participants will be asked to choose one question from the Toyama judges, who are key people in the Toyama region, and give a five-minute presentation at SHIBUYA QWS about ideas for businesses, demonstration experiments, plans, etc. that seem to fit the question.

We do not require applicants to be individuals or corporations, nor do we require any specific background or track record; however, if you already have a business, content, resources, or examples that can realize your idea, you will have an advantage in the selection process.

Please be sure to read the "Questions" and "Entrepreneurs and Creators We Want to Meet" from the Toyama judges below. We recommend watching the YouTube videos if available. Then, come up with an idea to solve the relevant problem and submit it.

■ Questions from the Toyama judges

Miyu Gorai (Takaoka Traditional Industry Youth Association)
Question: "Can traditional industries and business perspectives create new value?"

▼Entrepreneurs and creators you want to meet
We are looking for creators and producers who are skilled at growing businesses and bringing out and spreading the appeal of the region. In particular, we are looking for people who can see the whole picture of management and strategically create products and services that take advantage of the historical background and strengths of tradition. We are also looking for people who can play the role of companions who will continue to be involved with the region for the long term, rather than simply providing temporary support or planning. We would like to work with people who have a deep understanding of local artisans and traditional crafts, and who have the ideas and networks to spread the appeal of Toyama to the rest of Japan and the world.

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Yukiha Nakatani (Representative Director, Toyamanome General Incorporated Association)
Question: "How can we use an outside perspective to double the number of people moving to Imizu City?"

▼Entrepreneurs and creators you want to meet
We hope to meet creative talent in the Tokyo metropolitan area in order to create content that makes use of Imizu City's rich nature and unique culture and accelerate immigration promotion. We are looking for partners who have the communication skills to effectively communicate the charm of the region, who can work with local people to plan and implement new projects, and who can work with us to promote regional revitalization efforts that incorporate external perspectives.

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Yukio Higuchi (Executive Director, Bainyako Village General Incorporated Association / Representative Director, Machibase Co., Ltd.)
Question: "How can we transform a town of 30,000 people into a 'school' where new challenges are constantly being born?"

▼Entrepreneurs and creators you want to meet
Ms. Higuchi is running the "School for 30,000 People" project in Namerikawa City, Toyama Prefecture, where people who want to start something in the community can meet people, places, and challenges, and begin small-scale projects. What she wants to meet are entrepreneurs and creators who will bring their knowledge, skills, and experience to the community and create new challenges together with local people. The genre does not matter, including business development, design, video, web, AI, education, tourism, food, and community development. She is looking for people who will become mentors to local challengers, people who want to launch new projects in Namerikawa, and people who will bring back the knowledge and networks they have cultivated in urban areas to the community. She is looking for companions who will think together, experiment together, and make the community more interesting together, rather than just "teachers" and "students."

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Shinichiro Takada (Japan Sea Lab)
Question: "How can we implement the decarbonization challenge in society from Toyama?"

▼Entrepreneurs and creators you want to meet
Takada (Japan Sea Lab) is committed to creating new businesses based in Toyama and the Hokuriku region, and to solving local issues. To accelerate this, he hopes to meet with startups and creators with experience in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In particular, he is looking for people with knowledge of decarbonization and energy, lifestyle services, and manufacturing digital transformation, as well as an interest in regional pilot projects and regional expansion. He is seeking talent who can connect Tokyo metropolitan resources with regional fields, turning Toyama into a testing ground for new challenges.

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Kumiko Nomura (UNISEKI BASE)
The question is: "How can we convey to society the world as seen through the 'sensitivity' of children?"

▼Entrepreneurs and creators you want to meet
Ms. Nomura is working to create an environment where highly sensitive children (HSC) can feel "it's okay to be themselves" and live authentically. While the "sensitivity" and "high sensitivity" of HSCs are sometimes perceived as difficulties or problems in life, she believes that it is precisely because of this sensitivity that they feel things and see the world in a way that only they can. To express this world in a way that suits each individual—through pictures, words, artwork, etc.—and to share it with society, she is seeking people who can help create opportunities and methods for children to express themselves in their own way, and who can work together to share those expressions with a wider audience.

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Takeshi Masuyama (Toton)
Question: "How can sustainable society building (circular economy) and business viability (expansion) be reconciled?"

▼Entrepreneurs and creators you want to meet
Masuyama's mission is to create a new lifestyle culture by circulating "furniture and items that would otherwise be thrown away," based on his furniture sales business with a 178-year history. At the multi-purpose facility "Toton," he is putting into practice the concept of "circulating what is discarded, creating a new way of life" by combining upcycling and repair with a cafe and co-working space. Currently, he is working on creating a system to increase the amount of furniture collected and expand its uses. On the collection side, he is considering services to increase the collection of unwanted furniture from demolition companies, antique dealers, and general households, while on the utilization side, he wants to strengthen furnished rentals by providing furniture to rental properties, including vacant houses. To achieve this, he is particularly seeking to connect with real estate businesses interested in furnished rentals. By expanding both the collection and utilization of furniture, he hopes to spread the idea of "circulating what is discarded, creating a new way of life" more widely throughout society.

* We will be updating this frequently!

■ The process from entry to pitch day

Once you have applied for Peatix's [Tokyo Venue - Business Idea Presenter], we will send you a message on Peatix with information on the format of the application form. Once you reply with the application form via message, your application will be complete (you do not need to submit presentation materials at this point).

The final deadline for entries is September 18th (Friday) at 23:59. However, if we receive more entries than expected and many of the applicants meet the selection criteria, we may close applications earlier. We recommend submitting your entry as soon as possible.

We will notify all applicants of their selection results, whether they have been selected to speak or not, via Peatix message by September 29th (Tuesday) (tentative).
　

■ Important points to note when entering

On the day of the event, you will be asked to give a 5-minute presentation that conforms to the contents of your application form. You do not need to submit presentation materials in advance, but please ensure that the content conforms to the application form.

The judges will select the winning teams and announce their results on the day. The winning teams will receive the right to visit the site (round-trip Shinkansen fare and one night's accommodation will be provided, and Potage staff will assist with booking and accompany them on the site visit). However, since this is merely an idea contest and not a "business adoption," the organizers and participating local governments cannot guarantee any support for commercialization afterward (opportunities for networking and business mentoring will be provided, but commercialization will be on the teams' own). Please be aware of this before entering.
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■ Event Overview

<Date>
October 6th (Tuesday) 18:30-21:30
*Reception starts at 18:00

<Location>
[Tokyo venue] SHIBUYA QWS (15F Shibuya SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE SQUARE, 2-chome, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
[Toyama Satellite Venue] hiraku Coworking Space & Satellite Office (Shin-Marunouchi Building 4F, 1-8-17 Marunouchi, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture)
*Please select when applying for tickets
*When visiting the venue, we ask that you please cooperate with health and hygiene management.

＜Recommended for these people＞
Entrepreneurs, people considering starting a business, and supporters who fit the following criteria:
・People from Toyama Prefecture
・People who have some kind of connection to Toyama Prefecture
・Those who are considering contributing to Toyama Prefecture
Anyone who wants to utilize their skills and ideas in the local community!

<Participation Fee>
Both the Tokyo venue and the Toyama satellite venue will include free snacks and drinks.

<Time Schedule
18:00 Reception begins
18:30 Event start
18:30～18:45 Introduction
18:45-20:05 Idea Pitch
20:05-20:25 Judging time / Break
20:25-20:40 Closing
20:40-21:20 Networking and Social Gathering
21:30 Event ends

<Pitch speakers>

Under adjustment

<Pitch judges>

・Toyama Judge
Miyu Gorai (Takaoka Traditional Industry Youth Association)
Yukiha Nakatani (Representative Director, Toyamanome General Incorporated Association)
Yukio Higuchi (Representative Director of Bainyako Village General Incorporated Association)
Shinichiro Takada (Japan Sea Lab)
Kumiko Nomura (UNISEKI BASE)

and more...!　

・Tokyo judges
Under adjustment

​
Toyama Prefecture Metropolitan Headquarters

<Facilitator>
Azusa Kawahara (CEO of Potage, Community Accelerator)
Yuji Fujita (Peatix Japan CEO and CMO)

* Important points to note when participating

Participation is free.
Please click here for access to the venue.
[Tokyo venue] https://shibuya-qws.com/about/outline
[Toyama Satellite Venue] https://hanamatsu.co.jp/hiraku/
Number of participants: Approximately 30 people per venue. If there are a large number of applications, participants will be selected by lottery.
Please note that we may take photos and videos of the event for record-keeping and publicity purposes.
Transportation and parking costs will be borne by the participant.
Please be sure to check the Peatix message you will receive regarding this event.

■ Event management

[Organizer] Toyama Prefecture Metropolitan Headquarters
[Production] Potage Co., Ltd.
*Potage is involved in the recruitment, promotion, and personal information management of this event as part of its production collaboration. Personal information collected during application will not be used for any purpose other than this event.

Venue