NEWS

On December 3, 2024, Tokiwa Co., Ltd. (Oita City, Oita Prefecture; hereinafter "Tokiwa") and APU signed a comprehensive partnership agreement aimed at creating value for the Oita and Beppu regions and fostering talent to solve regional challenges. The signing ceremony, held at the APU Green Commons, was attended by the President of Tokiwa, Yuichi Sakai, and the President of APU, Hiroshi Yoneyama.

Following the signing ceremony, President Sakai delivered a lecture titled “The Secrets of 90 Years of Sustainable Business Closely Tied to the Community.” During the Q&A session, students actively asked questions, and President Sakai responded thoughtfully, particularly on how Tokiwa could contribute to building a sustainable Beppu City.

Moving forward, both parties will collaborate under this agreement to explore various initiatives, including the development of regional products by leveraging the diverse perspectives of students, responding to diversified customer needs, exploring strategies to utilize department store space for regional human exchange, and engaging in marketing activities. These efforts will extend across a broad range of fields.

As the first initiative under this agreement, on December 7, 2024, APU students held a multicultural experience event entitled “World Travel at Tokiwa” at the Tokiwa Beppu store.

Key Initiatives of the Agreement

The agreement outlines the following three main areas of collaboration:

• Utilizing Tokiwa’s knowledge and networks and APU’s educational and research resources for exchange and cooperation:
  Development of regional products leveraging the diverse perspectives of students.
• Exchange and cooperation in education and research aimed at creating new businesses:
  Practical hospitality services designed for a multicultural environment.
• Mutual human exchange:
  Various events and human resource exchanges utilizing department store space.