Creating “an aerospace Silicon Valley” in Hokkaido
More than half a century has passed since humanity's first moon landing.
Today, space is no longer a destination, but a frontier for business.
Here,we offer launch trajectories over the sea
to the east and south—along with the clear skies
that are famously known as “Tokachi-bare”:
the signature sunny weather of the Tokachi region.
With sparse air and sea traffic, this is an ideal location for a spaceport.
As global demand for spaceports grows,
we envision Hokkaido as home to a hub where rockets
frequently launch and land.
Pioneers of the space industry will cross the seas,
and new business opportunities will transcend industry boundaries,
all converging at this spaceport.
A new wave of innovation will sweep across Hokkaido and expand beyond.
This is a one-of-a-kind spaceport, found nowhere else in the world.
The passion for space will inspire Hokkaido and Japan as a whole.
Establishing the space industry as a key sector in Japan
Our company name includes “Cotan,” derived from kotan,
meaning “village” in the language of the Ainu,
the indigenous people of Hokkaido.
The spaceport we operate attracts passionate individuals from various industries,
with a focus on rockets but extending beyond the space sector.
With the vast expanse of Hokkaido on our side, homes, factories, commercial facilities,
and new tourist destinations will be developed.
Blessed with natural splendor,
Hokkaido offers opportunities for growth and development that are possible only here.
Various forces will come together to drive the growth of Hokkaido's economy and expand its potential.
This spaceport is not just about building rockets;
it's about shaping the industries of the future.
Here, we're creating an unmatched spaceport community.
The future that will emerge from this “space cotan (village)”
is something truly exciting to look forward to.
Taiki Town, Hokkaido
Yutaka Kurokawa
Mayor
Kurokawa was born in Taiki Town in 1961.
After graduating from Taiki High School, he joined the Taiki municipal government in 1979.
He spent many years in the planning department, overseeing space-focused community development initiatives. Following this, he held various key positions, including administrative director of the Town Hospital, manager of the Planning, Commerce, and Industry Division, director of the Aerospace Promotion Office, and deputy mayor (from 2019).
In May 2023, he was elected mayor. Guided by the philosophy of “co-creation through dialogue: moving Taiki forward!” he's leading the town's development initiatives.
Kouya Suga
Director, Aerospace Promotion Office, Planning, Commerce, and Industry Division
Hideto Daimon
Section Chief, Aerospace Promotion Office, Planning, Commerce, and Industry Division
Daiki Hayashi
Officer, Aerospace Promotion Office, Planning, Commerce, and Industry Division
Kaito Tanabe
Senior Officer, Aerospace Promotion Office, Planning, Commerce, and Industry Division
SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd.
Yoshinori Odagiri
President and CEO
After gaining experience in flight operations management, Odagiri was responsible for creating operations manuals
and other regulatory documents at All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. Following his role as head of operations at Narita and Haneda airports, he joined AirAsia Japan Co., Ltd., a low-cost carrier (LCC) founded in 2011, as part of the inaugural team. He was appointed president after the start of flights in 2012.
In May 2016, he joined ANA Strategic Research Institute Co., Ltd., where he was responsible for conducting surveys and research on the utilization and revitalization of domestic airports that were commissioned by local governments and airport management companies. He has held his current position since April 2021.
Yasuyuki Hoshiba
Director and CTO
After completing his graduate studies at Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Hoshiba joined Sasakura Engineering Co., Ltd., where he worked on plant design and the development of next-generation air conditioning systems, among other projects. He later joined a technology development trading company, where he was involved in business development for next-generation air conditioning systems in China and Southeast Asia. He also worked at a private rocket company, where he was responsible for engine firing test facilities and ground infrastructure for sounding rocket launch sites. He has been in his current position since April 2021.
Hiroki Furihata
Chief Strategy Officer
After completing his graduate studies at Keio University, Furihata joined in National Space Development Agency of Japan (currently, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA) and worked on technical development in human spaceflight projects. For five years from 2006, he carried out technical management and program adjustment with NASA as a resident employee of John F. Kennedy Space Center. After returning to Japan, he was also involved in planning new space projects, etc., in JAXA and worked at another lunar exploration company. He has held his current position from August 2024.
Yusuke Takase
Leader
During the first seventeen years, Takase worked on field operations and management in airport departments of three airline companies. He contributed to establishing AirAsia Japan Co., Ltd., founded in 2011, as a project manager (PM) on building security schemes and negotiating acquisition of approval and licenses with the government. After executing several project managements to improve PM skills in Rakuten group, then joined SPACE COTAN in September 2024.
Hironori Mori
Project Manager,
Ph.D. (Science)
Mori majored in Theoretical Physics and earned his Ph.D. in Science at Osaka University. After working as a postdoctoral researcher in an institute, he moved to IT- / information-related companies. While specializing in model development using AI / machine learning, he also carried out a wide range of tasks related to data science, project management, and IT operations. Later, he was involved in research and development of a doppler lidar and weather data analysis, then joined SPACE COTAN in September 2024.
Satoshi Nakagawa
Project Manager
As a mechanical engineer, Nakagawa was responsible for product design, production process design, QA/QC, and project management in domestic and overseas manufacturing plants, including those for semiconductors, power steering, and servomotors. Later, he worked on process design using automation and robotics, warehouse operations design, service menu design, maintenance system establishment, and the preparation of various manuals for more than 40 logistics warehouses (including those for e-commerce, apparel, and daily necessities). He also contributed to the launch of a demonstration and repair center. He joined SPACE COTAN in July 2023.
Ryota Ito
Public Relations and Marketing
Ito joined a Hokkaido-based newspaper company in 2011. As the journalist responsible for covering Taiki Town's space-focused community development initiatives, he reported on various aerospace-related experiments, including rocket launches. He joined SPACE COTAN in May 2022.
Kou Kurose
General Affairs
Kurose joined the Kanto Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2015, where he was involved in projects to develop ports and airports, enhance logistics efficiency using IT, and establish carbon-neutral ports. After returning to Hokkaido in 2022, he worked at a local specialized trading company, where he was involved in new business development and human resources management. His interest in the space industry was sparked when he attended the Hokkaido Space Summit, leading him to join SPACE COTAN in March 2024.
Naomichi Suzuki
Governor of Hokkaido
Yutaka Fujii
Chairman of Hokkaido Economic Federation
Norihisa Yonezawa
Chairman of Tokachi Aerospace Industry Base Promotion Council (Mayor of Obihiro)
Kuninori Uesugi
Director General, Hokkaido Aerospace Science and Technology Incubation Center (HASTIC)
| Name: |
SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd.
|
| Head office: |
Nishi-Hondori 98, Taiki-cho, Hiroo-gun, Hokkaido, 089-2152
|
| CEO: |
Yoshinori Odagiri
|
| Founded: |
April 2021
|
| Capital: |
JPY 50 million
|
| Main business: |
- Design, construction, management, and operation of the spaceport, including rocket launch sites and test sites
- Launch support for orbital rockets, suborbital rockets, and spaceplanes
-
Research, consulting, marketing, and publicity services related to aerospace businesses
Note: partial list
|
| Website: |
https://hokkaidospaceport.com
|
Download
Our company brochure is available for download. Please note that you'll need to register your e-mail address to download it.
SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd.
Taiki Satellite Office, Taiki Town Economic Center 3F, Nishi-Hondori 98, Taiki-cho, Hiroo-gun, Hokkaido,
089-2152
Please note that SPACE COTAN is on the third floor of the Cosmall Taiki Roadside Rest Area.
