The first phase of the "K Project", a Kyushu creation project! Friday, April 26, finally started☆! Aiming at regional revitalization of the Chikugo River basin K Point", a common regional point system, will start!

Fukuho Media Agency, Inc. (Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City; CEO: Hideo Nishimoto) will launch the "K Project," a Kyushu creation project, on April 26, 2024 (Friday) at 10:00 a.m., as the first project of the "K Point" system, targeting municipalities in the Chikugo River basin, local residents and tourists in the Chikugo River basin. The K-Point system will be launched from 10:00 a.m. on April 26, 2024 (Friday).

◎K Project official website (https://k-powers.jp/)

All for Kyushu

About "K-Points," a common point system for the local community

Users simply download the "K app," a smartphone application exclusively for the K Project, free of charge, and present the application screen to receive "K Points," regional common points, for daily purchases and other consumption activities at member businesses. Member merchants will be able to grant and use points to their users by downloading the "K-appli S," an application for member merchants, to their tablet terminals.

The main system will be provided by Blue Alliance K.K. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kazuya Kawano), eliminating the need for merchants to modify their POS cash registers or incur other hassles and costs. There are no initial costs such as franchise fees, and businesses in the Chikugo River basin can join free of charge as long as they have a tablet terminal.

The first group of member businesses is the 180 businesses listed below, with an expected 100,000 registered users in the first year. The first year's target for spot usage by domestic and foreign tourists is another 100,000 users.

*1: The latest information on member businesses can be found on the K app for users.

*2: The K Project's official website (https://k-powers.jp/) will be open to the public from the second group of member businesses onward.

*3: The originally planned business name "K-Money" has been changed to "K-Points" due to similarities and other reasons.

What is K Point?

K-appli (How to use)

K-appli for users

Supported: iOS/Android

Presenting the "K app" on your smartphone will not only allow you to accumulate K points, but also, as the number of cases where each K Project member store offers original and unique benefits is increasing rapidly, please download the "K app" to your smartphone.

So, let's spread the word together! Let's expand the circle of Kyushu's vitality!

K-appli (for users)

When you shop, dine, or use services at any of the member stores, you will earn 1 point for every 100 yen (tax included) you spend. Accumulated points can be used in units of 1 point = 1 yen.

4: Some products are not eligible for points depending on the merchant.

Examples of original benefits offered by member stores

A bouquet of flowers on your birthday, anniversary, or Christmas Day

One free cup of after-dinner coffee per person

Take home fresh vegetables of your choice for purchases of 3,000 yen or more.

∙ Employees all gather together for a "Thank you!"

Present the K app and get the best "smile" of the day!

Children will be delighted with our dance and performance!

Present the K app and receive a further discount on discounted food items!

etc...

K-appli S for merchants

Support: iOS (iPad recommended)

K app S is a customer service application for smartphones and tablets provided to businesses that have joined the "K Point" regional common point service of the Kyushu revitalization project "K Project. K app users can read the "K app membership number barcode" presented by consumers in stores to add or cancel K points.

In addition, in order to stimulate reciprocal customer traffic, increase the rate of return visits, increase the amount spent per customer, enhance the image of each member store, and generally promote the business vitality of all member stores, we recommend that each member store of the K Project also offer original benefits. The number of cases in which each member store has its own unique idea for a special offer is increasing rapidly.

(Please encourage customers who do not present the K app when they visit your store to download the K app to their smartphones.)

Come on, let's spread the word together! Let's all expand the circle of Kyushu's vitality!

K app S (for member stores)

List of the first group of K Point member stores (Total: 179 businesses)

Okawa Tourism Association / Okawa Terrazza / Roadside Station: Mizube no Sato Ohyama / Ukiha "Wheat" Revitalization Project / Beniotome Sake Brewery / Satoyama Preservation Society: Tomine Flowers / Yana Farm / Japan's Most Enjoyable Village: Oyoshi Village / KYOWASO / Seiho Chemical Industry Co. ITADAKI FARM／NPO ASS CHARENJA／Tobobi-Ume／Japanese Cuisine: EN／RAVE DE BEBE／RUSH FARM／Chikugo Kaiun Juku／Drinking Soba Restaurant: WAKKA／dining kitchen & bar: TORIGA／BRIDAL Buliliare / Yakiniku NIKUSAKU / Mitsubachi Kobo Hana no Michi Yame Honten, Yanagawa / Local Renovation / Musik Weidenfluß / Tsushima Kaido / ma'am / Up Date Co. Salon-Salon de Chiemi / EAGLe Security / Kurume French food stall Soshu / FURUKAWA, a mountain eight-forked restaurant / Funatozushi / River station SHIMAKURI / Kyushu Monozukuri Kingdom / Dakota Maakku / Sakura light truck food stall market steering committee / Grocery store cafe No to Oto 2nd store (River station) / Saeiki Mayuko (musical singer, former Shiki Theater Company actor) / Stilo Karamelo / Django Cafe / FlyingJunk / Osusowake Vegetable Restaurant Matsubara / Oven-baked Pizza Studio Pizzeria Micio / Experiential Tourism Project Woman Blooming Lab / 137 other businesses

5: For user support, it is possible to link the merchant's POS cash register to the Kpoints system, but please contact the secretariat (e-mail: info@fma.agency ) if you wish to use an API connection.

List of comments from K project supporters (excerpts)

Mr. Yoshimitsu Kaji, Mayor of Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Congratulations on the start of the "K Project," a project to revitalize local production for local consumption and the tourism economy in the Chikugo River basin!

We are looking forward to the synergistic effects of the "K Point" regional common point system, which will finally be launched, to create liveliness in each region and municipality. As the lyrics of the chorus suite "Chikugo River" say, "The river descends while praying for the happiness of a million people in the Chikugo Plain," we hope that this project will greatly develop into a project that spreads happiness in people's lives.

Mr. Hisataka Mori, Deputy Mayor of Okawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture

I deeply sympathize with the project's objective of creating a deeper economic cycle by encouraging the flow of people in the Chikugo River watershed, a magnificent field with natural and cultural commonalities that transcend administrative boundaries. We are also looking forward to the synergistic effects of the media activities and information dissemination that will be carried out by the K-WAVE Internet broadcasting station, which was established in 2023 as one of the two wheels of the K Project. We sincerely hope that many people will encounter the wonderful products and services of this region through the common regional K-Points.

Mr. Seichi Nakajima, President, Okawa Tourism Association / Mr. Akifumi Koga, Secretary General, Okawa Tourism Association

The Chikugo River straddles the four prefectures of Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, and Saga. The towns in the Chikugo River basin have long been deeply connected through the Chikugo River. We sincerely hope that the "K Project" and "Regional K-Points" will become a great current like the majestic flow of the Chikugo River and help the towns in the river basin to develop.

Mr. Junichi Matsuo, Representative of Ukiha Wheat Revitalization Project and Chairman of Ukiha Wheat New Product Development Council

The Ukiha Wheat Revitalization Project is a project to brand wheat grown in the fertile soil and abundant water of the Chikugo River basin, where double cropping is possible, and to promote it throughout Japan. For us, "K" in "K Project" is also "K" for wheat, and we will support "K Project" through activities for local production for local consumption and local brand promotion.

Ms. Etsuko Kawano, City Council Member, Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture

New Ideas for Regional Development!

The first project of the K Project, "Regional Common K-Points," connects people to people, disseminates information, and collaborates with local communities and organizations that contribute to the community, etc. While supporting each other, this system is exactly what is needed for regional development, as it draws out the charm of the Chikugo River basin and stimulates local production for local consumption in the economy. This system is exactly what is needed for the creation of local communities. We sincerely hope for your continued growth and development.

Mr. Toru Miyanaga, Station Manager of "Roadside Station, Mizube-no-Sato Oyama

Water is the source of life, and in the Chikugo River basin, with its abundant flow of water, a new initiative to "energize the region" will be launched, transcending regional boundaries. We have agreed with this purpose and registered as a member store!

We will welcome our customers with a smile by providing an assortment of services and products that will help them meet and satisfy their needs.

Mr. Minoru Yamazaki, Sales Manager, Beniotome Shuzo Co.

The "Beniotome Shuzo Company, a pioneer of sesame shochu," supports this activity, which is a creative project aimed at local production for local consumption and local revitalization in the Chikugo River watershed area.

What is the Chikugo River?

The Chikugo River originates in the Senomoto Plateau in Aso County, Kumamoto Prefecture, flows through steep mountainous terrain, and flows through a typical mountain basin in Hita City, where it joins the Oyama River and the Kuju River, which flow down from the Kuju Mountain Range. It eventually passes the Yamei Gorge and flows through the fertile Tsukushi Plain with many tributary rivers such as the Sada River, Koishiwara River, Geise River, and Houman River, before diverting the Hayatsue River and emptying into the Ariake Sea. The Chikugo River has a channel length of 143 kilometers and a basin area of 2,860 square kilometers, making it the largest first-class river in Kyushu, flowing through the four prefectures of Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, and Saga.

The Chikugo River watershed spans the four prefectures of Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, and Saga, with major cities such as Hita City in the upper reaches, Kurume City and Tosu City in the middle reaches, and Okawa City and Saga City in the lower reaches, and the current population in the watershed is approximately 1.1 million.

About the K Project

The K Project aims to revitalize the economy of the Chikugo River basin, which forms the basis of social, economic, and cultural activities in northern Kyushu and has long had deep ties with people's lives and culture, through a "local production for local consumption" scheme. The first phase of the project is the commercialization of "K-Points," which will contribute to "local production for local consumption.

The K-Project application will be upgraded in the future with new functions to enrich the daily lives of local residents and increase their happiness, such as communication functions that provide the latest community-based information and deals, disaster information, and evacuation information; functions to improve convenience, such as daily shopping services and cab dispatch; and functions to provide information to children and elderly people in the community. We also plan to add other functions as needed, such as support for local production for local consumption, development of new brands, and protection of local industries.

We will continue to release various new projects and projects for the purpose of local creation and regional revitalization in Kyushu, so please look forward to future K-Projects.

6: The progress of the K Project will be updated on the official K Project website (https://k-powers.jp/) as it becomes available.

For participation in K-Project related projects, or for any other inquiries or consultation, please contact Fukuho Media Agency, Inc.

Company Profile

Fukuho Media Agency, Inc.

Address: 3-2-3-1407 Kashiteriha, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan

Representative: Hideo Nishimoto, President

e-mail ： info@fma.agency

Distribution Company

This news release is distributed by Blue Alliance/AD Headquarters on behalf of Fukuho Media Agency, Inc.

Blue Alliance Inc.

Head Office: Hamamatsucho Oak Building, 1-16-7 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0013, Japan

Representative: Kazuya Kawano, Representative Director/CEO