Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture Launches Collaboration with 'Oikura' on Reuse Initiative for Unwanted Items

Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture (Mayor: Takashi Kubota) and Market Enterprise Co., Ltd. (Chuo Ward, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasushi Kobayashi; Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market, Securities Code: 3135; hereinafter 'Market Enterprise') have signed an agreement on a reuse initiative aimed at building a resource-circulating community, launching their collaboration on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. As part of the 'Simultaneous Realization of Environmental Sustainability and Enriched Living,' a co-creation project under the Kakegawa SDGs Platform, the initiative will utilize 'Oikura,' a reuse platform operated by Market Enterprise, to establish a system for reusing unwanted items instead of discarding them, aiming to reduce waste and promote a circular society in Kakegawa City.

Background and Context

To advance research on the efficient use of limited resources toward achieving a carbon-neutral society by 2050, Kakegawa City established the 'Diaper Recycling and Waste Reduction Promotion Council' in April 2023. The council recommended building a society not reliant on incineration and landfill, emphasizing the importance of reuse based on the promotion of the 6Rs. While the city has previously implemented initiatives such as installing reuse collection boxes and enabling reuse of unwanted items through the Kakegawa City and Kikugawa City Sanitation Facilities Association, it has been considering introducing new reuse policies to expand, promote, and raise awareness of reuse options for citizens. Meanwhile, Market Enterprise has been expanding its online-based businesses centered on reuse, actively engaging in SDG initiatives beyond public-private boundaries—such as participating in the 'Regional Revitalization SDGs Public-Private Partnership Platform' and serving on the 'Musical Instrument Donation Furusato Tax' Executive Committee—under its vision of becoming an 'optimized trading company that realizes a sustainable society.' Recognizing mutual alignment in their goals—Market Enterprise’s support for Kakegawa’s co-creation project and the shared desire to promote reuse activities to build a circular society—this initiative using 'Oikura'※1 has been realized.

※1 What is 'Oikura'?

'Oikura' is a reuse platform operated by Market Enterprise. When individuals wish to sell unwanted items, they can request an appraisal through 'Oikura,' which automatically sends the request to affiliated reuse shops nationwide. Users can compare offers based on purchase price, date, method, and customer reviews. The convenience of comparing multiple appraisal results and selling items in a single request has been well received, with approximately 1.68 million users (as of February 29, 2026).

Website: https://oikura.jp/

'Oikura'-Based Initiatives Toward Building a Resource-Circulating Community in Kakegawa City

Currently, Kakegawa City accepts large unwanted items such as furniture and appliances through self-delivery to the Environmental Resource Gallery managed by the Kakegawa City and Kikugawa City Sanitation Facilities Association, with fees based on weight. However, citizens have expressed concerns such as 'I cannot drive and cannot transport items myself' and 'It's a waste to discard items that are still usable.' While door-to-door collection services by private companies recommended by the city are available, they are fee-based, highlighting the need to expand reuse as a new option. 'Oikura' enables home visit pickup services, where staff can enter homes and assist with removal, making it easier to reuse large or heavy items. Additionally, appliances covered under the Home Appliance Recycling Law, such as refrigerators and washing machines, may be eligible for purchase if still functional. By requesting a buyback through 'Oikura,' residents can sell and transfer unwanted items as early as the same day. Notably, there is no cost to citizens for using the service, nor any financial burden on the city.

Future Outlook

At 3:30 PM on Wednesday, July 15 (subject to slight timing adjustments), information about 'Oikura' will be posted on the Kakegawa City website (https://www.city.kakegawa.shizuoka.jp/gyosei/docs/11001.html), enabling direct applications for bulk appraisal of unwanted items. The collaboration between Kakegawa City and 'Oikura' is expected to further activate secondary distribution, reduce waste across society, and decrease municipal waste processing volumes and associated costs. Furthermore, as citizens become aware of selling as an easy reuse option, the choice to 'reuse instead of discard' will expand, meeting diverse needs for unwanted item disposal. This will also foster a shift in public awareness toward reuse and promote the formation of a circular society. Through this integrated public-private initiative, both social and economic challenges toward building a circular society will be addressed.

Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Kakegawa City enjoys excellent transportation access via the Tokaido Shinkansen Kakegawa Station and the Tomei Expressway Kakegawa IC. Rich in historical culture, including Kakegawa Castle, and natural landscapes stretching from the Enshu Coast to Awagatake Mountain, it is also a manufacturing hub with annual shipments exceeding 1 trillion yen. The city has been actively working on waste reduction and food loss prevention, enacting the 'Kakegawa City Ordinance to Promote Carbon Neutrality with 'Mottainai' as a Key Concept' in April 2024. In waste reduction, it ranked second nationally in the 'Reduce' category among municipalities with populations between 100,000 and 500,000 in the Ministry of the Environment’s General Waste Management Survey (published March 2026), maintaining a top-three national ranking for 15 consecutive years. Upholding the 'mottainai' (no-waste) spirit aligned with the principle of 'Hokoku,' the city is advancing sustainable urban development.

Population: 113,832 (57,364 males, 56,498 females) (as of June 30, 2026)

Households: 48,865 (as of June 30, 2026)

Area: 265.66 square kilometers (as of April 1, 2026)

Website: https://www.city.kakegawa.shizuoka.jp/

Market Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Market Enterprise operates multiple businesses, primarily online-based reuse services, alongside mobile telecommunications and information media operations, under the vision of becoming an 'optimized trading company that realizes a sustainable society.' Since its founding in 2006, the company has continued to grow, listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers in June 2015 and currently trading on the Standard Market. In its online reuse business, it continues to expand through services such as 'Takaku Ureru Dot Com,' the reuse platform 'Oikura,' and exporting used agricultural machinery to over 80 countries, achieving a total of 9.7 million service users. With the introduction of 'Oikura' in Kakegawa City, the number of municipalities adopting the service nationwide has reached 337.

'Oikura' for Municipalities Website: https://oikura.jp/lg/

Market Enterprise Website: https://www.marketenterprise.co.jp/