Kamikatsu-cho, Katsuura-gun, Tokushima Prefecture, is a small town with a population of about 2,100, about an hour's drive inland from Tokushima Station. 110 square kilometers of the town's total land area is covered with mountains and forests, and like other mountainous areas, the town has been depopulated. 47% of its residents are aged 65 or older.

Kamikatsu-cho, Katsuura-gun, Tokushima Prefecture, is a small town with a population of about 2,100, about an hour's drive inland from Tokushima Station. 110 square kilometers of the town's total land area is covered with mountains and forests, and like other mountainous areas, the town has been depopulated. 47% of its residents are aged 65 or older.

In Kamikatsu Town, the town is actively engaged in third-sector businesses, and five joint-stock companies have been established, with the aim of securing employment and creating a ripple effect on agriculture and forestry, the town's core industries. In order to take advantage of forest resources, a chip boiler has been installed in a hot spring, the "Zero Waste Declaration" is aimed at reducing waste to zero by 2020 by sorting garbage into three types, the "IQ Competition" is aimed at promoting regional development through competition among regions, and "paid volunteer transportation" has been implemented using the special zone system for structural reform, The company is implementing a series of unique initiatives.

One of these is the "Irodori Project," a new business endeavor that focuses on "leaves," which are also a forest resource. Many readers may be familiar with this unique business, which has been featured in newspapers and other media as a successful example of regional revitalization.

Outline of Irodori Business and Irodori Co.
The Irodori business has developed the "Irodori" brand of leaves used for "tsumamono," a dish served with food, into an industry in the town. Currently, sales are 250 million yen per year. The core of this business is Irodori Corporation, which was established in 1999 as a joint public-private company in which the town holds 70% of the shares. The management of the company is headed by Tomoji Yokoishi, a former JA employee who launched the project and is now vice president and representative director. Mr. Yokoishi's efforts have received numerous awards, including awards related to social entrepreneurs.

Irodori Co., Ltd. works with JA and the town in marketing and sales to distribute order information via the town's telecommunications doujinshi system as the "Aya Network System. The company also maintains a database of price and shipping information, and provides this information to growers through dedicated terminals. This is a regional version of the POS system used in convenience stores.

The company has 190 producers, but there are no written employment contracts. The company's source of income comes from computer lease fees and commissions (margins) paid on shipments. This business is highly evaluated not only for its use of an unexpected forest resource called "leaves," but also for its introduction of information equipment called PCs to create a seamless and organic system of information provision, production management, and shipping.

The establishment of the Sai Network System allows each producer to check market information, shipping prices, shipping volumes, and sales rankings in a database, and to consider shipping items and timing on his/her own. In addition, competition among producers in the network motivates them to improve their production capacity.

Model Entrepreneurship for an Aging Society
The Irodori project has given the elderly economic power and a sense of purpose in life. The project has helped retired elderly people discover the joy of earning money again through self-responsibility and ingenuity, and has also brought about a change in their mindset to take ownership of their own businesses. This led to the revitalization of the town as a whole.

As a result, a virtuous cycle is taking place in Kamikatsu Town: tax revenues are increasing, medical costs for the elderly have been drastically reduced, and the decline in the town's population has been halted. In order to revitalize a community, it is necessary to start with a "win," even if it is small, one thing like this.

The Irodori project in Kamikatsu-cho is a promising model for regional revitalization, as it has created a system for utilizing unique forest resources while at the same time bringing about a change in the consciousness of its members, and it is also attracting much attention as a model start-up for the aging society to come.