東北未来創造イニシアティブ

A year has passed since the tragic disaster. People have offered many warm hands and supports to the stricken area. During the recovery process, everyone has recognized the importance of bonds between people.

However, real challenges start from now on. The challenges are not for recovery but for reconstruction and creation of the future. Creation of new businesses supports life of people; those businesses create cities where people can live with pride as well as industries whose future comes with hopes. Only people in Tohoku can play the leading part of such circle of creation. We firmly believe that “challenges for innovation and self-support” is one of the largest themes for reconstruction in the disaster stricken area.

We, concerning in such challenges, now join hands, stand up and take actions to support the damaged area where people challenge for reconstruction, self-support and creation of the future, and to make a stir not only for reconstruction of Tohoku but also revitalization of Japan.

Regional Innovation Research Center / Graduate School of Economics and Management / Faculty of Economics, Tohoku University and Tohoku New Business Conference, that two representative proposers preside, are the main body of the Initiative. Locating the headquarter in Sendai, we open satellite offices in the coastal area (Kamaishi City and Ofunato City) in Iwate Prefecture, Kesennuma City and Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture, and Fukushima City in Fukushima Prefecture. By collaborating with employer’s associations, universities, local governments and civic organizations crossing the social boundaries, we produce leaders such as businesspersons, social entrepreneurs and regional producers, who have passion, ambition and ability to take action and keep supporting their activities and plans during the coming five years. We join forces and contribute to producing new and innovative businesses, creating employments, revitalizing the societies and eventually, establishing the role model of creating new industries in Japan.

While several organizations collaborate, the core of the Initiative is individual volunteers, especially volunteers of businesspersons. We have experiences and skills of business creation and organization management, personal network to connect all over Japan and the world, flexibility and the spirit of anticipation. Without relying on political initiative, private citizens and businesspersons lead, contribute themselves to reconstruction and develop the future society of their own. We will revitalize Japan by creating people, cities and industries. This is the “Tohoku Mirai Initiative.”

April 2012
From all proposers of Tohoku Mirai Initiative