Like many minor Japanese cities, Hakodate in Hokkaido is facing a declining population — suffering the larges decline in a metropolitan area in Hokkaido between 2022 and 2023.

However, Hakodate is experiencing something of a startup boom. A total of 49 companies set up shop in Hakodate this financial year, with 28 being IT-related companies.

This innovation is largely attributed to Future University Hakodate, a public university specializing in artificial intelligence and other information-related fields. With over 1,200 students, it has only one faculty: the Faculty of Systems and Information Science.

This has transformed Hakodate from a tourist town famous for its castle and night views into a fertile landscape for implementing digital technology, and one of Japan’s fastest-growing startup sectors.

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Source : https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOFC27CBM0X21C23A0000000/