[Held on Sunday, December 14] Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum/Networking Event 〜 An event where people and businesses who care about the region come together and find inspiration for new challenges.

Connecting businesses to create new projects and ventures in the region.

The “Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event,” an event designed to create opportunities for this kind of connection, will be held at Kurashiki Central Hospital’s Preventive Medicine Plaza.

This event offers the chance to hear from business leaders at the forefront of the region. It was reportedly very popular last time, held in February 2025, with more than 300 applications—far exceeding the capacity of 200. Anyone can attend, not just business owners and entrepreneurs.

Here’s a look at what to expect from the Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event, which will be held for the fifth time in 2025.

What is the Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event?

The Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event will be held on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at the Preventive Medicine Plaza affiliated with Kurashiki Central Hospital.

The event is held as part of Kurashiki City’s “Takahashi River Basin Crossing Project” and aims to promote open innovation in the Takahashi River Basin. The Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event is an opportunity not only to learn about the region’s future, but also to connect with a variety of businesses and people.

Collaboration between businesses in different industries and fields is expected to help solve challenges faced by the region and businesses, and promote the region through the creation of new ventures.

What is open innovation?
A methodology for innovation that incorporates technologies, knowledge, and ideas from companies, universities, and other organizations in different industries and fields, creating innovative business models that break through the limits of a company’s own resources.

— Quoted from the information portal “Takahashi River Basin CROSSING”

About the event

The forum consists of three parts: a special lecture, a keynote lecture, and talk sessions.

For the special lecture, the theme is “New business opportunities for Okayama companies,” while the keynote lecture will focus on “Innovation that transforms businesses.” Business leaders will take the stage for each. This will reportedly be the first time a special lecture has been included.

The talk sessions will discuss regional challenges in each field and themes related to the future of rural areas, covering “startups,” “next-generation successors,” “content business,” “medical care and healthcare,” and “the future and prospects of rural areas.”

You can arrive late or leave early, so it’s fine to attend only the lectures or talk sessions that interest you.

The speakers include both veteran and young business leaders, as well as people from companies active in the region. Check out the images below for speaker profiles and details about the topics.

Young entrepreneurs and students who took part in the “Takahashi River Basin Crossing Idea Contest 2025” are also scheduled to speak. Be sure to look out for the young participants’ business ideas, infused with their passion.

After the forum, there will also be the much-anticipated annual networking event. It will be held at Le Lierre, in the same building as the forum.

The networking event will be held in a relaxed atmosphere where participants can chat with one another while enjoying light refreshments in a standing reception format. It may reach its capacity of 50, so early registration is recommended if you’re interested.

Please register for both the forum and networking event using the Google Form.

The Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event will be held for the fifth time this year. We interviewed Matsui Kanako of the Kurashiki City Commerce and Industry Division about the event’s highlights.

Interview with the Commerce and Industry Division

This is the fifth time the event is being held. Is anything different from previous years?

Matsui (surname only hereafter)

We’ve added two new themes to the talk sessions: “next-generation successors” and “content business.”

For the “next-generation successors” session, we’ve invited members of the Kurashiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Junior Chamber, including people who are actively working as successors. Unlike startups, successors have their own particular challenges, so I hope people in similar situations will come and listen.

For the other new theme, “content business,” we’ve invited people involved in video production. While many of the topics have a strong business focus, this cultural topic should feel familiar to many people.

The special lecture is also a first this time, so please come and listen.

What are some of the highlights?

Matsui

Since the venue is Kurashiki Central Hospital, Yamagata Sen, the hospital’s director-general, will also speak at the “medical care and healthcare” talk session.

There aren’t many opportunities to hear from people in the medical field from a business or regional perspective, so I think it will be a valuable talk.

Also, everyone appearing at the event is a distinctive individual active at the forefront of their field, with the region as their base. I think you’ll enjoy hearing stories you can only hear here at every talk session.

What kind of atmosphere can people expect at the networking event?

Matsui

I’ve heard that previous networking events had a lively, welcoming atmosphere where it was easy to talk to people.

We’ll provide light refreshments in a standing reception format, so I hope you’ll enjoy the food while connecting with a variety of people.

What kind of feedback have you received from attendees?

Matsui

In comments we received beforehand, people said things like “I look forward to it every time” and “It’s educational to hear from so many different people all at once,” which showed us how much they appreciate the event. We’re also very grateful for the repeat attendees who come every year. It really motivates us as organizers.

Also, some companies that have been involved in this event in the past have actually collaborated with other companies and are working toward launching a business. I’m very happy to see the goals of Takahashi River Basin Crossing gradually being realized.

Who would you recommend this event to?

Matsui

Of course, I’d like people who want to connect with other companies or are interested in open innovation to attend, as well as those who want to expand their connections across industry boundaries.

You might think business events are a little formal, but many members of the general public attend every time. If you’re interested in hearing from people active in the region, please join us.

Do you have a final message?

Matsui

Takahashi River Basin Crossing is an event open to everyone, regardless of where they live or what kind of work they do.

You can come and go during the event, so if there’s even one topic that interests you, it’s fine to attend just that session. This is an annual opportunity, so I hope you’ll feel free to come along.

From the Writer

Since it’s a business forum, you might imagine it as a rather formal occasion, but in reality, it’s an event anyone interested in the region can attend with ease. I think it’s also a place where people who care about the region come together.

You can connect with people in different industries whom you don’t often encounter in your daily life, and you might just come across an unexpected insight or idea.

I’m looking forward to seeing new initiatives emerge from the Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event.

If you’re interested, be sure to come along.

Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event details

Name	Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum / networking event
Date	Sunday, December 14, 2025 1:00 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. Networking event from 6:10 p.m.
Location	1-11-11 Tsurugata, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Admission (tax included)	Forum: Free Networking event only: ¥3,500 per person
Website	Takahashi River Basin CROSSING

Get handpicked articles from Kurashiki Tocotoco on LINE