1. Two public desks open to businesses in Yokohama
The Kanagawa Yorozu Support Center is a free consultation desk that the national government has set up in each of Japan's 47 prefectures, and you can use it as many times as you like. It is open to small and medium-sized businesses, sole proprietors and people planning to start a business, and covers sales growth, business improvement, IT use and similar topics. A session lasts 60 minutes and can be held online. It is at 5-80 Onoe-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama (8th floor, Kanagawa SME Center Building), phone 045-633-5071, and is run by the Kanagawa Industrial Promotion Center (official site, in Japanese).
The terms of use state that the center does not carry out practical procedures such as administrative filings, loan applications or subsidy applications, that limited budget and staff mean it may not be able to provide everything requested, and that it may refer you to other support bodies or outside experts. They also say that a business that receives support is deemed to agree to the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency's data use policy, so what you discuss is shared among the national bodies involved (terms of use, in Japanese).
The management consultation desk of the Yokohama Business Support Foundation (IDEC Yokohama) is open to small and medium-sized businesses and sole proprietors whose main office is in Yokohama, and to people planning to start a business in the city. Experts such as SME management consultants, tax accountants, labor and social security attorneys, lawyers and patent attorneys, together with foundation staff, give free advice on a wide range of fields including IT and international business. It runs on weekdays by prior reservation, in person or online (Zoom). Each business may book one slot per day, and bookings can be made up to the following month (official page, in Japanese).
2. Seminars on AI itself are also held
IDEC Yokohama's home page lists a seminar on using generative AI for efficiency and skills transfer, held on November 5, 2026 (on site, registration closed), and a cybersecurity seminar for small businesses on November 16 (IDEC Yokohama, in Japanese). In May 2024 the City of Yokohama announced a ChatGPT seminar on bringing AI into business at the Yokohama Joho Bunka Center, the first in a series run by its Economic Affairs Bureau and IDEC Yokohama staff and advisers (City of Yokohama press release, in Japanese). The Kanagawa Yorozu Support Center also lists a seminar on AI-assisted web marketing for new founders on November 11 (official site, in Japanese).
These are examples only; whether a seminar is held, its capacity and its entry conditions change over time. We could not confirm a permanent desk dedicated only to AI adoption. Please check each organization's page for the latest schedule.
3. When to use a public desk and when to use a private vendor
Our view Public desks are well suited to sorting out the starting questions: which task to apply AI to, whether it is worth the cost, and whether a subsidy might apply. The Yorozu center, however, states that it does not carry out practical procedures. Setup, data preparation and getting operations started need someone else. We think the order with the least rework is to consult a public desk once to set priorities, then compare quotes from companies that will do the actual work with that result in hand. A company that skips the sorting step risks paying monthly for a system nobody uses.
Our company, Kakei Mirai Inc. (華啓未来株式会社), has its head office in Naka-ku, Yokohama (company profile). Our services are described on the services page.
4. What to prepare before you go
- One task that is causing trouble: write down how many hours it takes each month and who does it.
- The kinds of documents involved: a few real examples, such as quotations or customer lists, that you want AI to read. Set aside anything that cannot leave the company.
- A monthly budget ceiling: decide roughly what you can spend so you can ask for a cost estimate during the session.
- Up to three questions: a session at a public desk is limited to 60 minutes or less. A narrow agenda produces more specific advice.
This Q&A is part of the AI Adoption Guide for Small Businesses, under Quotes and office work.
Questions this article answers
Can a Yokohama small business get free advice on AI adoption?
The Kanagawa Yorozu Support Center is free for any number of sessions, and IDEC Yokohama's management consultation desk is also free. Both cover management in general, including IT use; we could not confirm a permanent desk only for AI. The former does not carry out practical procedures, so the implementation work has to be arranged separately.
How should we choose between the Yorozu center and IDEC Yokohama?
IDEC Yokohama is for businesses whose main office is in Yokohama and for people planning to start a business there, and lets you consult experts such as tax accountants and lawyers. The Yorozu center is a prefectural base focused on management advice such as sales growth and IT use. Both require a reservation, so book first the one that fits your question.
Sources
- 神奈川県よろず支援拠点 よろず支援拠点とはkanagawa-yorozu.go.jp
- 神奈川県よろず支援拠点 ご利用にあたっての留意事項kanagawa-yorozu.go.jp
- 神奈川県よろず支援拠点 トップページ（セミナー・イベント）kanagawa-yorozu.go.jp
- 公益財団法人横浜企業経営支援財団 経営相談窓口（事前予約制）idec.or.jp
- 公益財団法人横浜企業経営支援財団 トップページ（イベント情報）idec.or.jp
- 横浜市 記者発表（2024年5月15日）ChatGPTセミナーを実施しますcity.yokohama.lg.jp
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