[3rd Event Report] 50 Municipalities from 31 Prefectures Participate! 'Future Forum for Small Towns'

Mindshare Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yoshimasa Imai) held the 3rd event of the 'Future Forum for Small Towns,' a mutual learning community for staff of small municipalities with populations up to 50,000, on Friday, May 15, 2026, in a hybrid format combining a Tokyo venue and online participation.

A total of 53 participants from 50 municipalities across 31 prefectures attended, sharing practical examples of in-house DX and regional collaboration using Tokyo bases under the common theme of 'Taking the First Step.'

Background of the 3rd Event

The theme of the 3rd event, 'Taking the First Step,' was based on the common challenge faced by small municipalities: difficulty in taking the 'first step' toward DX and external collaboration due to a lack of budget, personnel, and know-how.

Focusing on the practices of municipalities that are cultivating small beginnings into major movements despite limited resources, the forum invited two pioneering municipalities and the Cabinet Office to share their on-the-ground efforts from both the perspectives of internal administrative reform and regional collaboration.

Event Name

Future Forum for Small Towns 3rd Event

Date and Time

Friday, May 15, 2026, 14:00-17:30

Format

Hybrid (in-person at Tokyo venue and online)

Number of Participants

53 total (31 prefectures / 50 municipalities)

Organizer

Future Forum for Small Towns Secretariat (Mindshare Inc.)

Speaker Presentations

'In-House DX Starting from Zero Budget: Administrative Reform Led by Staff' Mr. Masayuki Kobayashi, Manager, DX Promotion Division, Mayor's Office, Shimotsuma City, Ibaraki Prefecture Shimotsuma City, with a population of approximately 41,000, appointed young staff as DX promotion leaders and introduced no-code applications with zero initial cost. Currently, 95% of staff use them daily.

'Community Development Changed by Connections: Expanding Circles of People and Companies from a Tokyo Office' Mr. Masahiro Ochiai, Director, Tokyo Satellite Office, Mibu Town, Tochigi Prefecture Mibu Town, with a population of approximately 38,000, opened a Tokyo Satellite Office in Toranomon Hills. Their promotion of the local specialty 'dried gourd strips (kanpyo)' led to exhibiting at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, where they sold 2,000 thin rolls over three days.

'Data-Driven Community Development: RESAS and the Latest RAIDA-AI Released in March' Mr. Ryoichi Imanishi, Senior Policy Researcher, Big Data Team, Local Revitalization Promotion Office, Cabinet Office He introduced the latest usage information for the Regional Economy Society Analyzing System 'RESAS' and 'RAIDA.' The generative AI function released in March this year enables analysis of the causes of population decline and presentation of policy directions.

Next Event

The 4th event is scheduled for Friday, August 21, 2026. The theme is currently being adjusted and will be announced on the official website once decided. Municipal staff wishing to participate can register for the forum on the official website.

・Official website: https://chiisana-machi.jp/ ・Official note: https://note.com/chiisana_machi

Contact Information

Future Forum for Small Towns Secretariat (within Mindshare Inc.) Contact: Nakazawa / Shimada TEL: 03-5232-6866 Email: [email protected]