Cultive Inc., which operates “river,” a platform for solving regional issues through Japan’s corporate hometown tax donation program, will hold an online seminar on May 26, 2026, as part of its “Regional Revitalization Policy Utilization Seminar Series.” The session, led by an official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is titled “Support for Solving Regional Issues Using Public-Private Co-Creation Mechanisms: Collaboration Among Diverse Stakeholders Toward the Revitalization of Rural, Mountain and Fishing Villages.” The seminar will explain MAFF’s initiative to support issue-solving in rural, mountain and fishing communities and to help realize profitable agriculture, forestry and fisheries through public-private co-creation mechanisms. In Japan, population decline and aging have made challenges increasingly visible in rural areas, including the difficulty of maintaining local communities and the decline of regional economies. Addressing these issues requires collaboration among diverse actors, including government bodies, private companies, financial institutions and related organizations, while making use of local resources and strengths to build sustainable communities. The seminar is intended for local governments, relevant ministries and agencies, private businesses, financial institutions and others working on regional revitalization in rural, mountain and fishing areas. It will provide an accessible overview of public-private co-creation approaches to solving regional issues, as well as MAFF’s related initiatives. Topics include support for project formation by intermediary support organizations centered on regional financial institutions, and the issuance of government certificates to companies working to solve issues in rural communities. The seminar will also cover the “Hirosaki Agricultural Support Project,” an agricultural volunteer tour initiative aimed at addressing labor shortages during peak farming seasons in Hirosaki City, a