Agricultural Support Initiative: Maniwa City and Private Entities Co-Found 'KANAMS Corporation' to Solve Regional Challenges and Co-Create Local Value

Chugoku Bank (President: Sadanori Kato, Okayama City) has invested in 'KANAMS Corporation,' a new company established by Maniwa City (Mayor: Noboru Ota) to address regional challenges in agriculture, alongside Maniwa City, Pasona Group (CEO: Hirotaka Wakanaka, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), and eight other organizations.

The company is the result of the 'Maniwa-Style Agricultural Support Service Establishment Project' launched in May last year, aiming to build a new regional revitalization model through public-private collaboration.

Maniwa City and the Chugoku Financial Group signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement on November 22, 2022, titled 'Comprehensive Agreement on Collaboration for Regional Revitalization and SDGs,' and have since collaborated in various fields, including promoting regional decarbonization through investment in local power companies, advancing regional currency adoption, regenerating city-owned forests, and creating public-private initiatives using corporate hometown tax donations.

Through this investment in KANAMS Corporation, the group aims to further strengthen collaboration in the Maniwa City area and leverage its network and expertise to contribute to the realization of sustainable agriculture in mountainous regions.

▲ Photo: Ceremony commemorating the company's establishment held today

【Overview of KANAMS】

Company Name

KANAMS Corporation

Headquarters

2511-13 Kuse, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture

Establishment Date

Friday, July 10, 2026

Representative Directors

Atsuya Ito (Deputy Mayor of Maniwa City)

Masaki Nakagawa (President & CEO, Tango Kingdom Brewery Co., Ltd. (※))

※ Subsidiary of Pasona Group

Business Activities

- Support for subsidy and grant systems

(e.g., support for activities under the Direct Payment Scheme for Mountainous and Rural Areas)

- Matching and consultation services for outsourced farming work

- Regional trading business (wholesale of agricultural and livestock products and processed goods, hometown tax donation programs), etc.

Investing Organizations

※ Total of 11 organizations

Maniwa City, Pasona Group Inc., Chugoku Bank Ltd., Chodai Co., Ltd.,

Tokyo University of Science Investment Management Co., Ltd.,

Development Bank of Japan Inc., Agri Global Design Co., Ltd.,

JA Hare no Kuni Okayama Agricultural Cooperative, Maniwa Environmental Health Management Co., Ltd.,

Hiruzen Dairy Agricultural Cooperative, Fermento Inc.

【Background of KANAMS Establishment】

Maniwa City, located in northern Okayama Prefecture, is a municipality with a population of approximately 40,000 and the largest area in the prefecture. Leveraging temperature variations due to elevation differences, the region produces a diverse range of agricultural and livestock products, including fruits, vegetables, and dairy. However, depopulation and aging are progressing, particularly in mountainous and rural areas, posing challenges to maintaining a sustainable agricultural production base.

To address these issues, KANAMS Corporation was established through public-private collaboration, pooling human, financial resources, and expertise to solve regional challenges.

【Role of KANAMS】

KANAMS Corporation aims to become the 'core' in solving regional challenges, starting with agriculture, and by 'connecting' stakeholders, co-create regional value.

As a hub for regional problem-solving, the company will promote food and regional resources from northern Okayama, centered on Maniwa City, both domestically and internationally, and contribute to the development of regional industries through agricultural support.