On Thursday, May 7th, a ceremony was held to present letters of appreciation to four companies affiliated with the ANTLERS BUSINESS CLUB for their support in launching "Wish List," a new public-private partnership project aimed at solving local issues.
This project lists various real-world issues in education, welfare, and infrastructure that are difficult for local governments to address alone. Kashima Antlers acts as a "hub" (bridge) to directly match these issues with the technologies and services of ANTLERS BUSINESS CLUB member companies, leading to speedy solutions.
The project was initiated when Mayor Shinichi Taguchi shared real-world issues facing the region during the "Kashima Mayor's Meeting" held on October 9, 2025.
This time, as the記念すべき first phase, we will look back at the ceremony where letters of appreciation were presented to the four companies that provided swift support in response to urgent requests from educational institutions, and review examples of their initiatives.
■ Examples of Phase 1 initiatives: Supporting children's educational environment
1. Improvement of ICT educational environment (Seibido Co., Ltd. and Toyo Keisoku Co., Ltd.)
In response to the challenge faced by schools where images are difficult to see in bright environments such as classrooms and gymnasiums, Seibido Co., Ltd. donated 20 projectors, and Toyo Keisoku Co., Ltd. donated large projectors and large screens.
This made it possible to conduct smooth classes and events even in bright environments.
2. Creation of safe play areas (Miyazaki Co., Ltd. and Osumi Kogyo Co., Ltd.)
Deteriorating playground equipment at 13 facilities in the city, whose replacement had been delayed due to budget constraints, was removed free of charge utilizing the demolition and removal expertise of these companies.
This was an excellent initiative that thoroughly ensured the safety of children, reduced removal costs, and led to the creation of new educational spaces.
■ Ceremony for Presenting Letters of Appreciation
At the presentation ceremony held on the same day, Mayor Shinichi Taguchi of Kashima City presented letters of appreciation to the representatives of each company that provided swift support, expressing deep gratitude for their endorsement of this project and their contribution to the community.
The ceremony was a tangible first step in a new regional revitalization model, demonstrating that specialized technologies and resources held by ANTLERS BUSINESS CLUB member companies can be linked to solve real-world challenges faced by the administration with unprecedented speed.
■ Future Outlook
The ANTLERS BUSINESS CLUB positions this project as a platform for sustainable regional problem-solving in Kashima City. Going forward, we will continue to promote initiatives aimed at solving a wide range of issues faced by the administration, not only in education but also in welfare, environment, and infrastructure development.
Furthermore, we envision sequentially expanding this public-private partnership model to each of our hometown cities.
Antlers will act as a "bridge," continuously returning the diverse resources of ANTLERS BUSINESS CLUB member companies to local communities in an optimal way, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of the entire hometown area.
We sincerely thank all the participating companies and stakeholders for their cooperation.
The ANTLERS BUSINESS CLUB will continue to carry out activities aimed at contributing to the region and society.
■ For more information on this initiative, please click here.