Zebras and Company and Nikken Sekkei Hold First Annual Report Meeting for Co-Creation Program "FUTURE LENS"

Zebras and Company Inc. (HQ: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEOs: Yohei Azakami, Yoshihiro Tabuchi) held the first annual report meeting for its inaugural year of "FUTURE LENS," a co-creative social and environmental design program with "Zebra" companies that balance social impact with sustainable management. The event took place on April 24, 2026, at PYNT, a co-creation platform by Nikken Sekkei Ltd. in Takebashi.

This program is operated jointly with Nikken Sekkei, combining the expertise of regional social entrepreneurs tackling future urban challenges like population decline and aging infrastructure with Nikken Sekkei's professional knowledge to co-research the future of cities. For the first term, members from Zebras and Company have been providing hands-on support alongside Nikken Sekkei's co-creation employees to three companies selected in April 2025.

Value Proposition of FUTURE LENS - Through workshops and site visits, the program promotes the "visualization" of issues and the "quantification/systematization" of business value, jointly researching and developing methods for "expansion to other cities and towns." - Research Grants: Up to 5 million JPY per operator annually, continued for two years in principle. - Hands-on Support: A dedicated management team comprising Nikken Sekkei's co-creation employees, PYNT, and Z&C.

"FUTURE LENS ANNUAL REPORT 2025-2026" Released An annual report has been released on Nikken Sekkei's website, compiling the initiatives of the three selected companies, the significance of the activities, key points for co-creation, and the "FUTURE LENS METHOD," a set of four frameworks that systematize concept design and consensus-building methods. The report also includes a dialogue between the program director and Z&C, as well as spin-off projects.

Achievements and Outlook of the Three Selected Companies For the first term, three companies were selected from 111 entries. In the first year, each team set an "ideal state (Super Goal)" and accumulated practical actions while testing and updating hypotheses. The initial year focused on organizing this "ideal state" from a social and environmental design perspective based on each region's current situation. In the second year, they will build up more concrete actions to realize this vision.

- **Kodaira Co., Ltd. (Hioki City, Kagoshima)** A 114-year-old company developing a regional management concept, the "Yunomoto Model." It aims to create a circular regional economy where people, nature, and business support each other by reconnecting local history and resources with modern lifestyles. - **Challenge**: Population decline and hollowing out threaten regional sustainability as the value of local resources diminishes. - **First-Year Results**: Formulated a hypothesis for the "Yunomoto Model," a concept of regional management through circulation, themed around "yojo" (recuperation and care). Nikken Sekkei supported the planning for a new complex, "Nekoma no Mori." - **Second-Year Plan**: To build and operate "Nekoma no Mori" as a hub for "yojo"-related actions, and to establish a "lab" for developing building materials from local resources and a "nature school" for improving the natural environment through human intervention.