Make your dream come true with a job in Ishikawa's booming "Monozukuri" industry! From the popular game industry to furniture and interior design, "Working/ WORK & Living in ISHIKAWA" seminar will be held on Friday, February 14!

The Ishikawa "Second Home" Promotion Executive Committee (within the Regional Development Division of Ishikawa Prefecture) will hold a " Working and Living in Ishikawa" seminar onFriday, February 14, 2025, for those who wish to work in manufacturing in Ishikawa Prefecture. This seminar will include a talk corner and information. The seminar will consist of two sections, a talk corner and an information corner, where visitors will hear about the experiences of people working as IT engineers and furniture craftsmen, and will be introduced to companies and schools for skill improvement.

From Ishikawa Prefecture to the global gaming market! Also the latest information on the town of craftsmen where the fusion of tradition and trend creates exchange.

PR TIMS

The Ishikawa "Second Hometown" Promotion Committee will hold a "Working / Work & Living in Ishikawa" seminar online on Friday, February 14, 2025. The seminar will consist of two sections: a talk corner and an information corner. In the talk corner, an IT engineer working for a game company in Kanazawa City and a furniture craftsman who moved to Komatsu City to start his own business will share their experiences of learning in Ishikawa Prefecture from zero experience, improving their skills, and fulfilling their dreams of working in a job they love.

In the information corner, you will also hear the latest information about support measures for immigration and entrepreneurship in Ishikawa Prefecture, as well as introductions to people and companies active in Kanazawa City, Hakusan City, Nonoichi City, and other areas where game creators are active, and Komatsu City, where there is active interaction between traditional craftspeople and young immigrant craftspeople, and schools for skill improvement. and other up-to-date information.

Background of the seminar

The Ishikawa "Second Home" Promotion Committee, which promotes the expansion of the immigrant and exchange population in Ishikawa Prefecture, has been disseminating information from various angles based on the creation of I-turn, U-turn, and related populations. This time, as the third installment of the "Ishikawa Work & Life Seminar" introducing various creators in the prefecture, the committee will introduce Kanazawa City, where game companies with an expanding domestic and international market are concentrated, and other areas. The seminar will also introduce the environment and potential of Ishikawa Prefecture and its "monozukuri" (manufacturing) industry, which is expected to expand its market in the future, including Komatsu City, which has inherited the artisan culture that flourished in Kaga Hyakumangoku, as typified by Kutani ware,and is building new relationships with immigrants. The seminar will discuss the environment and potential of Ishikawa Prefecture and its "manufacturing" industry, which is expected to expand its market in the future.

The "manufacturing" industry in Ishikawa Prefecture today

The Game Industry and Ishikawa Prefecture - Kanazawa City, Hakusan City, and Nonoichi City, where the game industry is thriving

According to the CESA Game Industry Report 2024, the global game content market will surpass 20 trillion yen in 2020, and will continue to grow to reach 29.5 trillion yen. Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Survey on Media Software Production and Distribution (R6)," the market in Japan is expected to increase to over 1.4 trillion yen after 2020, influenced by increased demand for the Corona disaster, and further expansion is expected in the future with the advent of communication content and e-sports. Results. And the number of IT software businesses in Ishikawa Prefecture has increased rapidly since 2005. Among them, many game companies are concentrated in Kanazawa City, Hakusan City, Nonoichi City, and other areas. Support systems specializing in IT are in place, and some of the leading game companies in the Hokuriku region, such as Granzella, have actually taken advantage of the Ishikawa Industrial Creation Support Organization (ISICO) system.

On the other hand, according to the Ishikawa Prefecture Industrial Promotion Guidelines (formulated in September 1993), there is a shortage of human resources for the game industry, and securing game creators, engineers, and other personnel for the content industry is an urgent issue. In view of this situation, it appears that industry-academia collaboration between the game industry and locally based IT schools and universities is underway, taking advantage of the fact that there is a pool of game companies in Ishikawa Prefecture. Moves to attract creators and develop human resources are also gaining momentum. In July 2024, LAKUNA Hakui, a dedicated e-sports studio, will open in Hakui City, and other initiatives are being implemented to develop human resources and increase the number of people interacting with the city.

Craftsmen and Ishikawa Prefecture: Komatsu City, a Manufacturing Town

With the opening of Komatsu Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line in March 2024, Komatsu City, which is attracting attention as a tourist and business center, has developed as a "manufacturing town" with a textile industry that produces silk fabrics and a ceramic industry that produces Kutani ware, a traditional craft. Komatsu, the world's leading manufacturer of construction machinery, is a good example.

Since the Edo period (1603-1868), Komatsu City has had a history of prosperity through the "monozukuri" (manufacturing) business, which attracted craftsmen to the castle under the policy of industrialization by Lord Maeda Toshitsune. Even today, approximately 30% of the working population is engaged in the manufacturing industry. According to the 2020 census, many people are engaged in the textile and furniture industries, following the machinery industry. In addition, Komatsu City is proactive in promoting exchanges with craftsmen and passing on skills, and has a rich environment where people can easily experience the manufacturing industry through the "GEMBA MONODZUKURI EXPO 2024" as well as the "Monozukuri" support system of Komatsu City. This environment has led to an increase in the number of immigrants engaged in "monozukuri" work, and combined with the dexterity and teamwork of the Komatsu people, an industry that fuses tradition and new sensibilities is being created.

Seminar Contents

The seminar will be divided into three main parts. Let's look at them one by one.

Information on support from Ishikawa Prefecture! (Immigration & Entrepreneurship Support Section)

The first is an introduction to the support system for immigration and entrepreneurship support in Ishikawa Prefecture. We would like to make use of the information from the prefecture to help you immigrate or start a business.

Guides you through the region x industry and how to learn!

The second is an introduction to companies and school information. There are many attractive areas in Ishikawa Prefecture, from areas surrounded by great nature to places with historic cityscapes and traditional culture. In this issue, we introduce companies in Kanazawa City, Nonoichi City, Hakusan City, and other areas where many game companies are concentrated, and Komatsu City, where craftsmen of "monozukuri" (craftsmanship) gather, as well asschools where you can improve your skills and learn even from zero experience. This corner is a must-see for those who want to work in programming, games, web, sound, comics, crafts, furniture making, and more.

Game Engineer x Furniture Craftsman! Guest Talk and Question Corner

The third is a real-life talk about work and life by two guests who have made their dreams come true. Guests will talk in detail about where they studied, where they acquired their experience and skills, how they connected them to their work, and how they started their own business. They will talk in detail about where they studied, where they acquired their experience and skills, how they connected them to their jobs, and how they started their businesses. The game engineer will talk about his current work and his fellow game creators who have moved to the area, and the furniture craftsman will share his tips for creating an environment where he can work together with fellow craftspeople and interact with the local community.

Applications are now being accepted for the seminar!

The "Working and Living in ISHIKAWA" seminar will be held on Friday, February 14, 2025. Attendance at the seminar is free of charge, but please apply as soon as possible, as the number of participants is limited to 50! This seminar is recommended for those who are interested inworking in the game industry, those who want to become a furniture/craftsman, and those who want to find an environment where they can learn and work professionally in the field of "craftsmanship". This seminar is also a great opportunity for those who are considering moving to Ishikawa Prefecture in the future to exchange information. This event will be held online, and those who have registered will receive a "URL" in advance. If you are unable to attend in real time on the day of the event, an archived video will be sent to you via e-mail at a later date, so feel free to register. For more details and to register for the seminar, please visit the seminar page of Ishikawa Kurashi Joho Hiroba.