Against the backdrop of an aging society, many of Japan's long-running small businesses, unattractive to investors and lacking obvious successors, are in danger of disappearance – particularly in provincial areas, where a vicious cycle of regional decline sees ever fewer families moving to such locations, further depleting the pool of potential successors. Asai Katsutoshi is fighting back, with a unique online service that matches such businesses with individuals keen to take on a new challenge.
