On March 13, the ski resort town of Yuzawa, in Niigata Prefecture, held a meeting unique to its rural environ. Local officials conducted a briefing session for four IT companies that have left the Tokyo metropolitan area to set up operations in the town.

These companies, which include game development and video production, will be housed in shared offices in a renovated ryokan (Japanese-style inn). This marks the beginning of Yuzawa’s aim to attract companies by taking advantage of its easy accessibility to the Tokyo metropolitan area,  its proximity to the International University of Japan — with its many international students making recruiting for overseas expansion easy, and the completion of a snow-cooled data center.

Japan’s rural areas have seen mass exodus to city centers since the 80s, leaving many rural areas facing a host of challenges as they risk becoming ghost towns. According to statistics for 2023, Yuzawa was the only municipality in Niigata Prefecture with more people moving in than moving out. The four companies plan to employ just under 100 people in five years.

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