DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa and Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau Sign "Partnership Agreement" on March 13 (Fri)

DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa (Secretariat Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Yoshinori Inoue) and Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (Location: Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Representative: Hiromichi Tanigawa) signed a partnership agreement on March 13, 2026, to enhance international competitiveness in MICE attraction. This agreement will enable the MICE city of Fukuoka and the Takanawa-Shinagawa area, a next-generation MICE area close to Haneda, to collaborate on content development, joint promotion between Tokyo and Fukuoka, MICE attraction, and MICE human resource development, aiming to improve Japan's international competitiveness in MICE.

Official Website of "DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa" https://dmo-gateway-takanawa-shinagawa.tokyo/

◾️Background to the Agreement The MICE market, including international conferences and exhibitions, has a high economic ripple effect and is a crucial opportunity for generating business innovation, leading to fierce competition among countries worldwide for attraction. However, in Japan, competition with Asian countries such as Singapore and South Korea is intensifying in terms of facilities, content, and promotion. One of the challenges for Japan in the global MICE market is the limitation of attracting events to a single region. Fukuoka, with its geographical advantage close to Asia, comprehensive convention facilities, and rich culinary and historical cultural assets, ranks third nationwide in the number of international conferences held (2024 JNTO International Conference Statistics*1), establishing itself as a MICE hub in Western Japan. Meanwhile, the Takanawa-Shinagawa area will see the grand opening of the international exchange hub "TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY" in March 2026. It is a unique area with a prime location near Haneda Airport, active smart city initiatives and demonstration experiments involving cutting-edge technologies like autonomous driving, and a concentration of diverse content leveraging cultural assets, traditional culture, and vibrant food and nightlife. It was determined that by mutually complementing the distinct strengths of both regions and jointly developing multi-city tour MICE programs, they could maximize Japan's appeal to MICE organizers, leading to this partnership agreement.

*1 https://mice.jnto.go.jp/document/statistics.html Appendix 1: Table of International Conference Held by City in Japan

◾️Agreement Details The purpose of this agreement is to enhance international competitiveness in MICE attraction by leveraging each other's strengths and strengthening mutual cooperation. Under the agreement, both parties will cooperate and collaborate in the following areas: (1) Development of MICE-related content and joint promotion (2) Attraction of MICE events (3) Development of next-generation human resources for MICE (4) Other areas necessary to achieve the objectives stated above

◾️Comments from Both Organizations Keiko Igami, Secretary General, Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau Fukuoka is a city where approximately 90% of its population is engaged in the service industry, making the increase of visitors directly linked to urban revitalization. Therefore, we have been actively involved in MICE promotion from early on. In hosting international conferences, we collaborate and work alongside local universities and professors to attract them, resulting in Fukuoka ranking third nationwide in the number of international conferences held in 2024. Upon receiving the proposal for this partnership agreement, and recognizing our shared characteristic of being "areas close to airports," we felt a sense of excitement about the possibilities. We aim to build a collaborative structure where the strengths of both areas create synergistic effects.

Yoshinori Inoue, Chairman, DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa is entering its ninth year as an voluntary organization. Leveraging the foundation of trust built with our member companies, we are determined to make this a year of concrete achievements. The MICE market faces intensifying competition with Asian countries, and collaboration between cities with different strengths is a key factor in enhancing Japan's MICE competitiveness. Fukuoka possesses not only extensive MICE experience but also excellent accessibility to Asian countries and a rich culinary culture. With this partnership as a core, we will delve deeper into and refine our respective cultures to create sophisticated content, promoting the development of "multi-city tour cultural experience content" that connects Tokyo with Fukuoka, and Tokyo with various regions of Japan. We will maximize each other's strengths to create an environment where people worldwide want to hold their MICE events in Japan.

About Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau is an organization dedicated to revitalizing the regional economy and promoting human exchange by attracting and hosting tourists and MICE events in Fukuoka. Following Fukuoka City's designation as a "Global MICE Strategic City" by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the bureau strengthened its research and sales capabilities, leading to the establishment of "Meeting Place Fukuoka" in April 2014 through organizational reinforcement of its attraction department. 【Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau】https://www.welcome-fukuoka.or.jp/ 【Press Releases from Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau】https://prtimes.jp/main/html/searchrlp/company_id/104588

About DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa The Takanawa-Shinagawa area has a rich history as a major gateway, having been a bustling hub since ancient times. In 2020, Takanawa Gateway Station opened, and Shinagawa Station serves as the closest hub station to Haneda Airport, guiding travelers arriving in Japan to various destinations across the country. "DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa" promotes the development of unique venues, including the largest ballroom in Tokyo, suitable for international conferences and corporate events. Furthermore, it offers diverse culinary options catering to various dietary needs (religious, ethical, allergies) and proposes after-MICE events. By leveraging the area's network, we support the success of business events with a unified regional approach. [DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa]https://dmo-gateway-takanawa-shinagawa.tokyo/ [Press Releases from DMO GATEWAY Takanawa Shinagawa]https://prtimes.jp/main/html/searchrlp/company_id/32856