IBMS 104 Group 2

Introduction

I am going to search for a social venture in Japan, and do research on the

venture. Research will be done on

- what kind of ventures they are

- what kind of project they have

- what their goals are

- why DLS is

- the possibility for RBS to collaborate

My suggestion about a social venture in Japan

Name of enterprise: DISCOVERLINK Setouchi

1. What kind of venture they are

DISCOVERLINK Setouchi (DLS) has been founded in June, 2012. This is the

so-called community development company that the member with rich

individuality has gathered by realizing their role of the creation of employment

and business based on the tourism resources.

2. What kinds of project they have

(1) Setouchi Minato no Yado

(2) Onomichi Denim Project

(3) ONOMICHI U2 etc

In December 2012, they opened the “Setouchi Minato no Yado” renovated a

historic building. The object of this project is to renovate the townhouses and

revival the traditional industries with suffering from the lack of successors as

straw matting and Bingo Kasuri, and the leasing business project of inviting the

people who will occur the business by using vacant shop in the shopping street.

Through the activities, they are trying to recognize how attractive Onomichi is.

And then, “Onomichi Denim Project” was born.

Where Onomichi is

Onomichi (Onomichi-shi) is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing

the Inland Sea.

They are going forward by believing that they will be able to assume by making

the deep communication with the local people through the tool of denim, by

disseminating the attractiveness of Onomichi to the world through

manufacturing.

This project is the one that DLS make people in Onomichi involved, and the

people’s cooperation in Onomichi is the necessary for the success of the

project.

They promise that you delve into the advantages and disadvantages of the

people of the city to participate in the Onomichi Denim Project again, identify

the landing point of this project and do not neglect the share of the idea of DLS

against the people of this town.

English version video clip:

http://youtu.be/yV5HPBo3CdE

These days, they started the project, “ONOMICHI U2”.

The slogan of this project is ‘Cycle, Travel and Good things’. By this project, they

are revitalizing the rural economy in order to let many people know what

Onomichi is. For example, they create a hotel for especially cyclists from home

and abroad. People can bring their bicycle into a room when stay. These are a

hotel, restaurant, café and bar based on local resources.

3. What their goals are

1. “Think about the future of town” to shape and review the local

industry

Japanese technical capabilities have been received high reputation in the world.

There are amount of traditional craft with technical strength because of no

keeping up the branding and the traditional technical skill with no successor.

By reviewing such a status quo, adding a sense, DLS will help that the existing

company appeal to the market. They review the splendor of denim in Bingo

region and then to form along with the people of Onomichi through the

Onomichi Denim Project.

2. “Re-discovery and transmission”

With visitors and people who live in this town, they will re-discover

the attractiveness of the town and transmitting

(1) To the people of the town → They ask people in the several generation for

wearing, having one goal beyond the generation by participating this

project, and providing the conversation, communication and relationship

between people.

(2) To visitors → They want you to feel the atmosphere of this town and people,

who is the most important property. They will try to create the opportunity

that many people will come to Onomichi and find the interesting points of

Onomichi and communicate with people.

3. “Creation”

Through town planning, they will create the employment and

business

1. Tell the attractiveness of Onomichi as many as they can, increase the

number of visitor and income the new culture

2. Swell the town = Swell the existing business

3. New business comes out in the communication

4. Job creation

The project, Onomichi Denim Project, has just started, and they believe that the

communication with people will be gained, be able to share the idea and wish

that they will be able to meet new member in all project of DLS through this

Denim Project.

4. Why DLS is

The reason why I have chosen DLS as my suggestion is because they are

activating in a city where is friendly to cyclists like the Netherlands. For

instance, you can see The Shimanami Kaido (meaning something like "the

Ocean Road"), one of the best cycling courses, in Japan. The bike course takes

you across several islands in the Seto Inland Sea, and across gigantic,

remarkable suspension bridges. Moreover, their goal is to expand their

traditional but vanishing br and all over the world . Therefore, I thought it is

possible to collaborate with an elective, Social entrepreneurship.

5. the possibility for RBS to collaborate

DLS want to know and let you write down these points for our collaboration:

I. The object/goal of the elective

II. What students taking elective want to ask to DLS

III. The merit/benefit for DLS

IV. How to do research about DLS (interview, questionnaires)

V. Who is the sponsor/agent for the collaboration

Therefore, before collaborating DLS, these points should be consider and

mentioned first to the person in charge, Yukinobu Danjo. This is the contact

details:

For Onomichi Denim Project -- +81 848-37-0398

info@onomichidenim.com

http://www.onomichidenim.com/

For DISCOVERLINK Setouchi -- +81 848-38-1137

info@dlsetouchi.com

http://www.dlsetouchi.com

If you can make your goal clear and offer a helpful suggestion to DLS, they will

work together. This is because they are proceeding various projects at the same

time, and they cannot afford to do an unrealistic and high-cost project.

However, he actually is thinking positively about collaboration with elective.

This is because as a company itself, it is interesting to collaborate with foreign

country. Moreover, he is thinking that there will be various ideas and plans

between DLS and the students from RBS. I am really interested in this company

and projects. Therefore, it is possible to intermediate and help the sponsor if the

collaboration is entertained for real. There are some ways of the collaboration I

conceive:

- Creating new denim with artists based in the Netherlands (Rotterdam)

- Creating a magazine to introduce the projects of DLS into the

Netherlands

- Organizing a special tours from the Netherlands to Japan (Onomichi)