Dentsu Inc. Launches 'Future Creation Project' in Collaboration with Tohoku Roku Project ― Committed to creating value through the sixth-sector industry model, contributing to Tohoku's recovery and Japan's future ―

Dentsu Inc., in collaboration with the Tohoku Rokku Project—comprising the General Incorporated Association Tohoku Reconstruction Project and Tohoku Sixth Industry Creation Support Center Inc.—launches the "Future Creation Project." This initiative aims to establish a "sixth industry model" (*1) that integrates agricultural and fisheries production with product development and sales services to support Tohoku's recovery.

The Future Creation Project asserts that many social challenges being addressed in Tohoku—such as redefining primary industries and creating regional communities that coexist with people with disabilities and the elderly while being resilient to future disasters—have the potential to become models not just for the disaster-affected areas, but for all of Japan.

Members of the Future Industry Creation Project

Tohoku Roku Project was formed after the disaster when six entrepreneurs active in Tohoku came together. On September 29, 2013, they openedthe complex commercial facility "Roku Farm Atarata"www.atalata.comin Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture,as a place to solve social issues through initiatives like the sixth industrialization of agriculture and fisheries.

Currently, to establish it as an industrial model, they are working to visualize the value of sixth-sector industry for visiting consumers. This time, Dentsu Inc. and the Tohoku Roku Project will leverage Dentsu Inc.'s idea generation capabilities and communication skills to contribute to solving the social challenge of Tohoku's recovery (*3) and to create value for the "sixth-sector industry model." As the first step, they are promoting the establishment of Rokku Farm Atarata as a sixth-sector industry model store. Dentsu Inc. will design the philosophy and overall facility structure from a consumer perspective, creating a space where consumers can experience the value of the sixth-sector industry. Future activities will include developing new products and services, implementing employee initiatives, and other efforts to expand the value of the sixth-sector industry model.

※1: Sixth-sector industrialization: An initiative promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to revitalize agricultural, mountainous, and fishing villages. It involves integrating primary industries (agriculture, forestry, and fisheries) with related secondary and tertiary industries (processing, sales, etc.) to develop regional businesses and create new business models.

※2: The facility includes a buffet restaurant serving dishes made with produce harvested that day from its own farm within the prefecture, a soba restaurant using buckwheat flour cultivated by contracted farmers in Yamagata Prefecture, a bread workshop using stone ovens, and a shop selling lesser-known specialty products from the six prefectures of Tohoku. The facility also hosts events organized by local residents, serving as a venue for fostering community. Furthermore, it provides employment for approximately 40 people with disabilities (40% of the workforce).
Since June 2012, Dentsu Inc. has participated in the "Michinoku Reconstruction Project Partners" www.michinokupartners.jp/ , administered by the NPO Etic. Alongside six other companies, it supports entrepreneurs and organizations active in disaster-affected areas through human resource development seminars, symposiums, and other initiatives. The "Tohoku Roku Project," the partner in this collaboration, is one of the supported entities.

 

Dentsu Inc. News Release http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2014/0905-003815.html