Connecting companies to create new projects and businesses in the community.
An event called Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum/Networking Event aimed at creating such opportunities will be held at Kurashiki Central Hospital's Preventive Medicine Plaza.
This event, where you can hear from business leaders active on the front lines of the community, was very popular last time (held in February 2025), with more than 300 applications, far exceeding the capacity of 200 people. It is open to anyone, not just business owners and entrepreneurs.
Here, we introduce the highlights of 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 is an event that will be held on December 14, 2025 (Sunday) at the Preventive Medicine Plaza of Kurashiki Central Hospital.
It is 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 not only a place to learn about the future of the community but also an opportunity to connect with various companies and people.
By collaborating with companies from different industries and fields, it is expected to solve the challenges faced by the community and businesses, and to promote the region through the creation of new businesses.
What is open innovation?
It is a methodology for creating innovative business models by incorporating technologies, knowledge, and ideas from companies and universities outside of one's own company, breaking through the limits of one's own management resources.─Quoted from the information dissemination portal site Takahashi River Basin CROSSING
About the event
The forum consists of three parts: special lectures, keynote speeches, and talk sessions.
In the special lecture, the theme will be New Business Development Opportunities for Okayama Companies, and in the keynote speech, the theme will be Innovation that Transforms Companies, with various business leaders taking the stage. The special lecture will be a first-time initiative this time.
In the talk sessions, discussions will be held on themes related to regional issues and the future of local areas in the fields of startups, successors, content business, medical and healthcare, and the future of rural areas and their prospects.
Participants can enter and exit at any time, so it is fine to attend only the lectures or talk sessions that interest you.
The speakers will include both veteran and young business leaders, as well as individuals active in the community. You can check the profiles of the speakers and details of the themes in the image below.
On the day of the event, young entrepreneurs and students who participated in the Takahashi River Basin Crossing Idea Contest 2025 are also scheduled to take the stage. Please pay attention to the passionate business ideas from the young participants.
After the forum, there will also be a highly popular networking event. The venue will be "Le Riel," located in the same building as the forum.
The networking event will be held in a standing buffet style, allowing participants to enjoy light meals while easily conversing with each other. Since there is a possibility of reaching the capacity of 50 people, those interested are encouraged to apply early.
Please apply for participation in both the forum and the networking event via the Google Form.
This will be the fifth time the Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum/Networking Event is held. We interviewed Matsui Kanako from the Commerce and Industry Division of Kurashiki City about the highlights of the event.
Interview with the Commerce and Industry Division
This will be the fifth time the event is held, but are there any differences from previous years?
Matsui (no honorifics)
In the talk sessions, new themes of successors and content business have been added.
For the successors session, we will have members from the Kurashiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Youth Division, who will share their experiences as successors. Unlike startups, there are unique challenges faced by successors, so I hope those in similar situations will find it valuable.
In the content business session, we will invite people involved in video production. While many themes are business-oriented, the cultural content will likely resonate with many attendees.
Additionally, the special lecture will be a first-time initiative, so please be sure to listen in.
Can you tell us about the highlights of the event?
Matsui
Since the venue is Kurashiki Central Hospital, in the medical and healthcare talk session, we will have the hospital's Chief Director, Yamagata Sen, as a speaker.
I believe it will be a valuable lecture, as opportunities to hear from professionals in the medical field from a business and community perspective are rare.
Additionally, all the speakers are unique individuals active on the front lines in the community. I think attendees will enjoy hearing stories that can only be heard here in any of the talk sessions.
What kind of atmosphere will the networking event have?
Matsui
I have heard that past networking events had a bright and easy-to-talk atmosphere.
We will provide light meals in a standing buffet style, so I hope participants can enjoy their meals while mingling with various people.
Have you received any feedback from participants?
Matsui
From the comments we received in advance, I felt that people are looking forward to it, with remarks like I look forward to it every time and It’s educational to hear from various people at once. We have many repeat participants who come every year, which is very much appreciated. It motivates us as the organizers.
Additionally, there are cases where companies that have previously participated in this event are actually collaborating with other companies and moving towards commercialization. I am very happy to see the goals of the Takahashi River Basin Crossing gradually being realized.
Who would you recommend this event to?
Matsui
I would like to invite anyone who wants to connect with other companies or is interested in open innovation, as well as those who want to broaden their network beyond industry boundaries.
While the term business may sound a bit formal, there are many general participants every time. If you are interested in hearing from people active in the community, please join us.
Finally, please share a message.
Matsui
The Takahashi River Basin Crossing is an event that anyone can participate in, regardless of their residential area or profession.
You can enter and exit at any time, so if there is a theme that interests you, it is fine to attend just that session. Since it is a once-a-year opportunity, I hope you will feel free to come and join us.
Conclusion
As a business forum, it might seem like a formal setting, but in reality, it is an event that anyone interested in the community can easily participate in. I believe it is a place where people who care about the community gather.
Since you can connect with people from different industries that you might not usually meet, you may encounter unexpected hints or ideas.
I look forward to seeing new initiatives arise from the Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum/Networking Event.
If you are interested, please come and check it out.
Data on the Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum/Networking Event
| Name | Takahashi River Basin Crossing Forum/Networking Event |
|---|---|
| Date | December 14, 2025 (Sunday) From 1:00 PM to 5:50 PM Networking event starts at 6:10 PM |
| Location | 1-11-11 Tsurugata, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Free for the forum 3,500 yen per person for the networking event only |
| Website | Takahashi River Basin CROSSING |
