Event Title: The 3rd Networking Meeting of Domestic and International “New Convergence” for Local Development 2.0
Date: Friday, February 27, 2026
Location: JICA Takebashi Office
Organized by: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Background and Objectives
Last year, the Cabinet approved the basic concept for the next 10 years regarding “Local Innovation 2.0” by the government, and the Local Innovation Creation Initiative was set forth as one of the five pillars of the policy. The concept aims to create co-creation and innovation through “new combinations” that bring together different fields, domains, and diverse actors.
JICA, which has been promoting efforts to contribute to regional development based on its experience in solving social issues in developing countries, has also started this meeting this year with the keyword “new combination” to exchange opinions and engage in networking with players who are working to solve social issues in Japan.
The third meeting was held under the theme of “Business and Finance” x “Social Sector” to address social issues in Japan and abroad, and was attended by approximately 70 participants from various organizations and companies, including JICA officials. Five experts spoke at the meeting to discuss how the business and financial sectors can work together, cooperate in funding, form an ecosystem, and create a flow of human resources, and to exchange opinions on measures necessary to solve social issues.
Main Speakers
Saki Ishiyama, President, ORANDO PLUS Corporation (JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers OG)
Kazunari Taguchi CEO, Borderless Japan Inc.
Takuma Nara Vice President, Social Innovation Partners, Inc.
Aiko Kozaki, General Manager, Investment Division, Japan Association for Private and Public Interest Activities (JANPIA)
Ayako Nanri, Managing Executive Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co.
Hitoshi Hirata Senior Advisor (Facilitator), Japan International Cooperation Agency
Yoshinobu Ikura, Special Assistant to the President (Opening Remarks)
Business and Finance” x “Social Sector” Practice Sharing in the Field
The meeting showcased the diverse practices of each speaker.
Saki Ishiyama (President of ORANDO PLUS Co., Ltd., JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers OG) says that she felt that “making efforts that meet the needs of the community and continuing to produce people who are willing to take on challenges will lead to the creation of a sustainable community. (Reference: Mr. Ishiyama’s presentation material), who made a U-turn to his hometown Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, after returning to Japan, shared about his efforts to establish the complex facility “HIROSAKI ORANDO” and other activities to implement a sustainable local coordinator business centering on “creating people and places.
Mr. Kazunari Taguchi, CEO of BORDERLESS JAPAN (Reference: Mr. Taguchi’s presentation material) said, “Only ‘special people’ with the ability to take action are involved in social business. Borderless Japan’s job in the future is to create a system that enables “everyone” to take on challenges with the shared knowledge of “everyone” and to make it available to society as a whole,” he said, adding that he has built the system based on his experience in 45 businesses in 15 countries around the world, He introduced the ecosystem of giving back to the next generation of challengers by sharing funds, know-how, and communities for the launch of social businesses based on the experience of 45 businesses in 15 countries around the world.
Mr. Takuma Nara of Social Innovation Partners (SIP) (Reference: Mr. Nara’s presentation material) shared about SIP’s business, which focuses on the second growth phase of NPOs and companies that address social issues, and accompanies them in management by providing funding and matching pro bono work to expand their impact. The presentation was followed by a presentation on SIP’s business operations. He also introduced a company that provides an anonymous consultation app for cyberbullying that became profitable after providing support for redesigning its sales strategy. He also introduced how the company has started to turn its successful know-how into a commons so that “citizens and companies can proactively and naturally work together to solve social problems.
Ms. Aiko Kozaki, Japan Alliance for Private and Public Interest Activities (JANPIA) (Reference: Ms. Kozaki’s presentation), explained about the investment in organizations that address social issues through the investment project utilizing dormant deposits. Mr. Kozaki described JANPIA as “an impact-first investor, which is in short supply in Japan.” As a future vision, he said that JANPIA aims to increase the number of funds and organizations that take on challenges in areas that are difficult to access funds by enhancing the attraction effect of private funds through the promotion of blended finance and other measures. He also stated that he would like to increase the number of funds and organizations that take on challenges in areas that are difficult to reach.
Ms. Ayako Nanri of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities (reference: Japan Inclusive Ventures Lab) introduced the “Japan Inclusive Ventures Lab,” which supports startups by women and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds through a combination of investment, customized curriculum, and networking with domestic and international investors and industry experts. The Japan Inclusive Ventures Lab provides startups by women and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds with a combination of investment, curriculum customized to their needs, and networking with investors and industry experts in Japan and abroad. Ms. Nanri pointed out that the challenge for impact investment in the future is that “diverse entrepreneurs will not survive unless investors diversify,” and she expressed her desire to involve new actors, including today’s participants, and to work to create diversification.
The key is to create a system that continues to generate challenges and “new combinations.
During the panel discussion, there was a lively exchange of views on non-financial support measures in a difficult business environment, the creation of a mechanism to connect donors and recipients of support, and the expected role of JICA, among others, with questions from the audience.
The common theme of the panelists was that “in the social sector, it is important not only to create one-off success stories, but also to design a virtuous cycle in which challenges continue to emerge spontaneously,” and each of them talked about how they are starting to disseminate success stories and share know-how in their projects.
Facilitator Hirata concluded the discussion by sharing his view that the key to the future is “new value that cannot be created in a homogeneous environment, but is created when people with diverse ideas, positions, and perspectives meet and discuss.
© Source JICA