Takahara River Academy "The Vision of Local Media Pursued by a Blogger with 1 Million Monthly Page Views" ~ The Operational Achievements of Kurashiki Tocotoco Over the Past Two Years and Future Prospects

The Takahashi River Study Group is being held from November 2020 to February 2021.

A total of 41 courses classified into three categories: SDGs Vision, General Education, and Skills, are being attended by 22 students and additional participants who join as listeners.

On December 13, 2020 (Sunday), Kengo Toi, the representative director of the Haretoco General Incorporated Association, gave a lecture as part of the Skills section.

Mr. Toi is also a director of the Takahashi River Basin School.

There were 11 participants in the venue, ranging from young people in their 20s to housewives and company employees. Eight participants joined online via Zoom.

This time, I participated online from home.

I will report on the content of the lecture.

Overview of the Takahashi River Study Group

The Takahashi River Study Group is a program commissioned by Kurashiki City, operated by the Takahashi River Basin School, aiming to foster human resources who will support community development and a "sustainable" region through history, culture, industry, and fieldwork in the Takahashi River basin.

There are two types of courses available:

• “SDGs Exploration Course” which includes practical training and presentations
• “Listener Course” where participants can attend optional lectures

The opening ceremony was held on November 3, 2020 (Tuesday), and 41 lectures will be conducted until the completion ceremony on February 14, 2021 (Sunday).

Takahashi River Study Group Opening Ceremony - A Study Group for Sustainable Communities Where Diverse Generations Learn Beyond Their Affiliations and Positions

The Takahashi River, flowing through western Okayama Prefecture, merges with several tributaries. The land where the river's water gathers is Kurashiki. In Kurashiki, in the autumn of 2020, "Taka...

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The themes are as follows:

▼SDGs Vision

Courses that provide a deep understanding of the current efforts to solve issues and the vision for the Takahashi River basin in 2030 through lectures by practitioners and experts, leading to awareness for action.

▼General Education

Courses to learn about the history, culture, and industry of the Takahashi River basin, gaining knowledge that serves as a foundation for activities.

▼Skills

Courses to acquire skills and know-how for exploratory learning, such as presentation, accounting for non-profit organizations, data analysis (using RESAS), utilization of IT tools, and leveraging blogs and social media.

For more detailed information, please see the special page for the Takahashi River Study Group.

Takahashi River Study Group – Takahashi River Basin School

The Takahashi River Study Group was initiated after Kurashiki City was selected as an "SDGs Future City," organized by Kurashiki City and operated by the Takahashi River Basin School, with over 160 participants to date, focusing on local community...

Takahashi River Basin School

Vision of Local Media by a Blogger with 1 Million Monthly PVs

Kengo Toi, the representative director of the Haretoco General Incorporated Association, is a former system engineer.

While working as a company employee, he started a personal blog as a side job.

After about eight years of operation, he was able to secure a living, and in August 2018, he resigned from his company.

Just around the time of his resignation, the July 2018 Heavy Rain disaster occurred.

His involvement in the disaster volunteer center led him to think more deeply about local issues.

In September 2018, he began operating the local media Kurashiki Tocotoco and established the Haretoco General Incorporated Association in November 2019.

Currently, he is actively working as a freelancer focusing on information dissemination.

The content of the lecture includes the following:

1. How the Haretoco General Incorporated Association was established
2. Actual operation of the local media Kurashiki Tocotoco
3. Advantages and disadvantages of local media
4. Future business prospects of the Haretoco General Incorporated Association
5. Let's draw a long-term vision leveraging strengths

Having participated, I will introduce three topics that caught my attention.

Can Local Media Be Profitable? Creating a Sustainable System

To begin with, there was a very interesting discussion about money.

Can local media be profitable?

In conclusion, local media is not profitable in the short term.

It is said that at least three years is a period of endurance, and a minimum of about 10 million yen in funding is necessary.

There was an introduction to the actual operation of Kurashiki Tocotoco.

It resulted in a loss of 8 million yen over two years!

Volunteering cannot continue indefinitely, and it is impossible to cover all operating costs individually.

Mr. Toi has been working on creating a sustainable system for business since the beginning of the operation.

After two years of operating Kurashiki Tocotoco, the media's recognition has increased, leading to collaboration with major media and an enhancement of brand power.

From the third year onward, the media is growing to the stage of aiming for profitability for long-term operation.

It has become clear that operating local media requires the capacity to engage in long-term efforts.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Operating Local Media

The greatest advantage Mr. Toi feels in operating local media is that he has gained personal brand power.

• ICT expert
• Information dissemination expert
• Local media operator
• Consultations from government and tourism facilities
• Appointment as a director of the Takahashi River Basin School
• Increase in teaching opportunities, etc.

Through operating local media, Mr. Toi has actively visited the field, creating opportunities to communicate with local people.

“New encounters create new opportunities, and my activities have expanded into areas I never imagined two years ago,” says Mr. Toi.

He has met many people active in various fields within the community, rediscovered the charm of Kurashiki, where he lives, and can now proudly say that he loves his hometown.

“There are many returns that cannot be bought with money, and it seems there was investment value…”

While expressing this, he is also facing a difficult situation where the representative director is gaining attention as an individual without revenue increasing, leading to the hearts of the operating members and writers drifting away.

Why Am I Doing This? Let's Draw a Long-term Vision

According to Mr. Toi, operating local media is difficult to continue with the aim of clear numbers or making money.

• Why am I operating local media?
• What are my strengths?
• In what way will I contribute?

“Why am I doing this?”

Regardless of the genre, it is important to face fundamental questions seriously and start only after arriving at a satisfactory answer.

Mr. Toi has the following strengths.

• Knowledge as a system engineer
• Management experience in the workplace
• Achievements as a personal blogger
• Connections built through community management

For Mr. Toi, being able to contribute to the community by leveraging his strengths is what operating local media means.

As for future prospects, he is considering the following:

• Expanding to other regions using Kurashiki Tocotoco as a model, creating a series
• Having the Tocotoco series act as a catalyst to bring about new chemical changes in the community
• Becoming a platform that can be conveniently used by local people

He wants to draw such a long-term vision and consider future business development.

Conclusion

During the Q&A session after the lecture, there were questions about Mr. Toi's work style.

Mr. Toi is currently working as a stay-at-home dad with child-rearing as the center of his life, while also doing freelance work.

After working as a company employee, he became independent and established a general incorporated association.

Based on his past achievements, he is steadily expanding his areas of activity.

On the other hand, despite his brilliant achievements, he has experienced depression due to overwork in the past, and he consciously maintains a balance between work and family life by valuing moments of relaxation.

In response to a question from a participant in the audience asking, "Should I quit my job and rush to become independent?", he advised, "Having only one pillar is dangerous, and it is important for mental stability to have multiple pillars," sharing advice based on his own experiences.

Whether you find it enjoyable or not.

This is the most important thing when starting anything.

Mr. Toi's current work is enjoyable, even when he is busy, so the work itself serves as a form of relaxation.

If you cannot say that you find it enjoyable, you won't be able to continue.

Finding a field where you can work with a sense of "meaning and mission" beyond money is essential.

It was a lecture where I felt that "the true guide to social contribution lies in a deep dialogue with oneself."

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