Business Succession Session Added to Food and Agriculture Conference 'ONE SUMMIT 2026 in Niigata'; Yuta Yamagishi of Venture-Type Succession to Speak

The Local Startup Association (LSA; Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Junichi Saito) announced that at the 'ONE SUMMIT 2026 in Niigata'—a training-based conference for the food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries held at Toki Messe on May 28, 2026—it will host a new session titled 'Connecting the Challenges of Agriculture to the Next Generation: Can Atotsugi (Successors) Be a Force for Change, Not Just Preservation?' in collaboration with the Venture-Type Succession Association.

The session theme owner is Yuta Yamagishi (Marty), Secretary General of the Venture-Type Succession Association. The session will connect young successor communities from across the country with food-agtech startups, large corporations, and financial institutions gathering at ONE SUMMIT to discuss succession challenges in regional food and agricultural industries. Over 100 guests from across Japan will assemble to move beyond discussion into an implementation phase.

Background: Shortage of Successors and Structural Challenges in the Food/Ag Industry The number of core agricultural workers is approximately 1.16 million (MAFF, 2023), with an average age of 68.7, making generational change a critical necessity. The successor shortage rate for SMEs overall is 52.1% (Teikoku Databank, 2024), and a chain of closures could damage regional food supply chains.

However, young 'atotsugi' inheriting family businesses possess valuable 경영 resources such as existing customer bases, facilities, and brands. Combining these with external technologies and startup agility—known as 'venture-type succession'—is attracting attention as a method with a higher success probability for regional industrial creation than new startups. ONE SUMMIT serves as a rare venue where these stakeholders gather, utilizing this session to push succession-led open innovation into an implementation phase.

About ONE SUMMIT 2026 in Niigata ONE SUMMIT is a training-based conference hosted by the Local Startup Association for 'co-creating' the future of food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. This fourth event will be held in Niigata, often referred to as the 'microcosm of Japan.'

Program Overview Date/Time: Thursday, May 28, 2026, 10:00–18:00 Venue: Toki Messe (6-1 Bandaijima, Chuo-ku, Niigata) Fees: Early bird 11,000 JPY / General 33,000 JPY (tax incl.) Registration: https://0528-one-summit-niigata.peatix.com