Launch of "JichiCa," a Community Development Support Site for Neighborhood Associations

On April 1, 2026, Town News Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Tomonari Uyama; Headquarters: Aoba Ward, Yokohama) launched "JichiCa" (*1), a community development support site designed to assist the activities of neighborhood associations from a digital perspective, as a new business venture.

Starting in Sakae Ward, Yokohama; Expanding to 7,300 Neighborhood Associations in the Prefecture Currently, many neighborhood associations face challenges such as the burden of distributing and collecting paper circulars and the costs associated with introducing digitalization. Through this project, we aim to solve these issues and support sustainable community development.

Our company has concluded a "Cooperation Agreement on the Digitalization of Neighborhood Associations" with the City of Yokohama. In launching this site, we will begin operations in Sakae Ward, Yokohama, as a model district, and will subsequently expand the area to cover approximately 7,300 neighborhood associations throughout Kanagawa Prefecture.

Key Features of "JichiCa" 1. Creation of Individual Neighborhood Association Pages We create dedicated pages for each neighborhood association where they can introduce basic information such as an overview of the association and annual events. Because it is web-based, there is no need to install a dedicated app, creating an environment where a wide range of users can view information immediately. It allows associations to take the first step toward the digitalization of community activities without the cost or effort of building a website from scratch.

2. Consolidated Access to Useful Daily Information In addition to neighborhood association information, the site aggregates disaster and crime prevention alerts, administrative public relations papers such as "Ken no Tayori" (Prefectural News), trash collection day searches, and web-based Town News articles. It is designed to allow users to view information closely related to daily life, much like a digital circular, all on one page.

3. "My JichiCa" Favorites Registration By registering the area where you live or the neighborhood association to which family members living apart belong as favorites, you can receive notifications of new information. We aim to promote membership in neighborhood associations and create opportunities for community interaction.

4. Notifications for New Information When new information is posted, a yellow button appears on the screen. This prevents important notices from being overlooked and enables rapid information dissemination.

*1 Origin of the name: JichiCa This is a coined term combining "Jichi" (self-governance) and "Community association." It also embodies the desire to draw out the "power of self-governance" (Jichi no Chikara) essential for community development to energize the region, and the aspiration to become a presence like a "house of community information" (Casa) where anyone can feel free to stop by, as reflected in the logo.

Project Overview Name: Kanagawa Prefecture Neighborhood Association Navigation "JichiCa" URL: https://jichica.jp/ Launch Date: April 1, 2026 Target: Neighborhood associations in Kanagawa Prefecture (expanding sequentially from Sakae Ward, Yokohama) Basic Content: Neighborhood association introduction, annual events, photo/video postings