Ame Kaze Taiyo

Ame Kaze Taiyo. Inc (株式会社雨風太陽) is a Japanese company founded in February 2015 in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, originally under the name KAKAXI. Its mission is to "mix city and countryside" (都市と地方をかきまぜる) by rebuilding relationships between urban consumers and rural producers. The company operates several businesses: the direct-from-producer food app Pocket Marche (ポケットマルシェ), the food-with-magazine subscription Taberu Tsushin (食べる通信), the furusato nozei platform Pokemaru Furusato Nozei, regional government partnership services, renewable energy retailing, and travel/study programs such as Pokemaru Oyako Chihō Ryūgaku. It also runs a marriage consultation service, Chihokon!, aimed at supporting rural matchmaking and migration. The company was founded by Hiroyuki Takahashi, a former Iwate Prefectural Assembly member who was inspired by the Great East Japan Earthquake to connect urban consumers with rural producers. He launched the NPO Tohoku Kaitaku in 2013 and created the world's first food-with-magazine, Tohoku Taberu Tsushin. In 2015, he established the company, which was renamed Pocket Marche in 2016 and then Ame Kaze Taiyo in 2022. The company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market in December 2023, described as Japan's first impact IPO by a company originally founded as an NPO. Ame Kaze Taiyo is headquartered functionally in Tokyo (Chiyoda and Shibuya wards) but its registered head office is at Hanamaki Station in Iwate Prefecture. Its flagship service, Pocket Marche, offers approximately 16,000 food products directly from farmers and fishermen across Japan. The company also promotes solar sharing (solar panels on farmland) and electricity retailing, and provides inbound tourism experiences through farm stays. Its vision is to unlock the potential of every region in Japan, much like rain, wind, and sun give life to all things.

Ame Kaze Taiyo was founded in February 2015 as KAKAXI Co., Ltd. in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, by Hiroyuki Takahashi. Takahashi, born in 1974 in Hanamaki, had served as a member of the Iwate Prefectural Assembly from 2006. The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 profoundly affected him; he witnessed urban consumers and rural producers meeting in disaster-affected areas and forming deep relationships. After leaving politics, he established the NPO Tohoku Kaitaku in 2013 and launched Tohoku Taberu Tsushin, a subscription that pairs a magazine about food producers with a box of their products. In 2015, he incorporated the business as KAKAXI. In March 2016, the company changed its name to Pocket Marche Co., Ltd. and opened a Tokyo office in Chuo Ward in June. In September 2016, it launched the Pocket Marche app, a direct-to-consumer marketplace for agricultural and marine products. The Tokyo office moved to Shibuya Ward in March 2019. In April 2020, the company took over the Tohoku Taberu Tsushin business from NPO Tohoku Kaitaku and the Japan Taberu Tsushin League business from the general incorporated association. In September 2021, it released Pokemaru Furusato Nozei, a furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) platform. In April 2022, the company changed its name to Ame Kaze Taiyo Co., Ltd. It registered as a travel agency in June 2022 and launched Pokemaru Oyako Chihō Ryūgaku, a parent-child regional study program, in July. In December 2023, it listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market, becoming the first Japanese company originally founded as an NPO to achieve an IPO, described as an impact IPO. As of 2024, founder Takahashi serves as Representative Director and President, and the company continues to expand its services, including renewable energy retailing, farm stays for inbound tourists, and a marriage consultation service called Chihokon!.

• Founded as KAKAXI Co., Ltd. in Hanamaki, Iwate

• Renamed to Pocket Marche Co., Ltd.

• Opened Tokyo office in Chuo Ward

• Launched Pocket Marche app

• Moved Tokyo office to Shibuya Ward

• Took over Taberu Tsushin businesses

• Released Pokemaru Furusato Nozei

• Renamed to Ame Kaze Taiyo Co., Ltd.

• Registered as travel agency

• Launched Pokemaru Oyako Chihō Ryūgaku

• Listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market

Impact-driven company bridging urban and rural Japan through direct producer-consumer relationships and regional revitalization.

• Pocket Marche

  Direct-from-producer food app with about 16,000 items

• Taberu Tsushin

  Food-with-magazine subscription

• Pokemaru Furusato Nozei

  Furusato nozei platform connecting directly with producers

• Pokemaru Oyako Chihō Ryūgaku

  Parent-child regional study program

• Chihokon!

  Marriage consultation service supporting rural matchmaking

1. 1株式会社雨風太陽｜都市と地方をかきまぜるame-kaze-taiyo.jp
2. 2会社概要 | 株式会社雨風太陽ame-kaze-taiyo.jp
3. 3Ame Kaze Taiyo - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4雨風太陽 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org