The story of how a "shuttered hot spring town" is being reborn into a world-class well-being town.

It has been a little over half a month since we signed a partnership agreement for creating a well-being town with Hioki City. Thankfully, we have been featured in over 35 media outlets, including television and newspapers (^^).

There was the impact of "the mayor and the president soaking naked in the hot spring to sign the agreement," and

some people even said that seeing us walking side-by-side in yukata looked like "the final round of the Saigo Takamori Grand Prix" (lol),

but this agreement wasn't just for the sake of impact.

We are creating a world-class well-being town from a local area in Japan—a country facing advanced challenges—where hope has become increasingly hard to find. It is, in a sense, a challenge for the era to come. (*"Well-being": Being in a good physical, mental, and social state. Often translated as "happiness".)

Perhaps this path of challenge is something that
cannot be achieved by a local government alone, nor by a company alone.
A local government with the stance and execution power to carry out reforms and
a company with a vision and resources that go beyond mere profit-seeking can only realize this by working together patiently over a long-term horizon.

As the first step in this challenge, KOBIRA will move its headquarters office to Yunomoto next year. Although Yunomoto once flourished as a hot spring town, it could not resist the waves of population decline and aging, and now it is a town full of shuttered shops and vacant houses.

It is true that some voices within the company raised the question, "Are we really moving our current headquarters, which is in the most convenient area in Kagoshima, to Yunomoto, which is full of vacant houses?"

But when thinking about the "next 100 years" that we also set in our new Mission, I thought that
there is a future that can be challenged precisely because we are a long-established company that has honestly built up 110 years of history and trust, rather than a rigid large corporation or a startup destined for rapid expansion due to external capital.

I really felt that.

One of those futures is

"creating a world-class well-being town" by blurring the boundaries between companies and the town.
Honestly, although we have raised a big flag, the concrete realization methods are still to come. Well, because the way forward is not yet visible, it feels like a vision, and right now, I am genuinely excited about it with our president, Kan-chan (^^).

For now, what we have decided is that we won't just build a headquarters, but we will renovate surrounding vacant houses to use as workspaces. We will take on the challenge of a "town-wide office" initiative where employees and related populations work while moving around the town. (It's like an office version of "Machiyado" or "Albergo Diffuso." I also want to collaborate with ADDress!)

Japan's local areas are places where hope can no longer be found using the yardsticks of the existing capitalist economy. But
"possibilities that exist precisely because various things are 'missing'" must be there. Whether working at KOBIRA or living in Yunomoto, we will all realize a life of high happiness and well-being. I am sure it will take time, and we will face many challenges and make many mistakes. But because of that, there is plenty of "room for involvement" (or rather, there is nothing but room for involvement (lol)), so I hope to sail together with companions who want to enjoy and savor this adventure together. (I've been watching One Piece lately because of my son (lol))

If you are even slightly interested in the theme of a well-being town or the story that begins here,
please feel free to reach out. We are waiting for you (^^).

We would welcome you to jump in as a main character in the story, or if you prefer a minor role from afar, or even just as a reader, that's fine too. Together with our president, let's talk (perhaps while soaking in a hot spring with 400 years of history)!!

▼ We are also looking for companions to work with! ▼