New Company "TOYAMATO" Established in Toyama. Chiba Lotte Marines' Ishikawa and Others Promote City Center Revitalization

On the 10th, pitcher Ayumu Ishikawa of the Chiba Lotte Marines, who hails from Toyama Prefecture, along with Nobuo Komazawa, president of the Hokuriku Shimbun Company, and Shigeru Aoi, a businessman with roots in Toyama, held a press conference in Toyama City. They announced the establishment of a new company in December last year to promote the revitalization of the city center.


The new company, "TOYAMATO," plans to build a complex facility in Toyama City's central district next year, featuring lodging and an art gallery. In addition to hotels and restaurants, it will also plan sports events like baseball and work to promote relocation to Toyama. The company name was chosen with the aim of being "a group that connects Toyama with something and creates new ventures together."

Mr. Aoi's grandfather is Chuji Aoi, the founder of the fashion retailer Marui and a native of Toyama Prefecture. Mr. Aoi currently runs the real estate company "Atom" and is also actively involved in revitalizing Toyama.
Pitcher Ishikawa is from Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture. After attending Toyama Prefectural Namekawa High School, Chubu University, and working for Tokyo Gas, he was selected first overall by the Chiba Lotte Marines in the 2013 draft.
Mr. Aoi and Mr. Ishikawa met in 2013. Both having ties to Toyama, they hit it off and pledged to contribute to the community. They subsequently developed a character based on Toyama's specialty, the white shrimp. In 2018 and 2019, they hosted "Toyama White Shrimps Night," an event showcasing the prefecture's delicious food, products, and art. Also in 2019, Atom and the Hokuriku Shimbun jointly held the "Ishikawa Ayumu Pitchers Elite Academy," a baseball clinic led by Ishikawa, in Namerikawa City. They continue activities aimed at contributing to the local community.


The company plans to expand beyond hotels and restaurants into diverse areas including culture, business succession, tourism, U-I-J turn initiatives, and restaurant ventures.