Tokyo, Japan, October 1, 2026 – ArkEdge Space Inc. (“ArkEdge Space”), a Tokyo-based space start-up delivering micro-satellite constellations from design to operations, and the Yakushima Tourism Association (“Yakushima Tourism Association”) have launched a jointly developed app to support mountain trail and facility maintenance on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The app has been in operation since August 1, 2026.
Using smartphones, field workers can record maintenance activities, including trail repairs and the cleaning of mountain huts and toilets, together with photographs and location data. The app supports the entire workflow from field data collection through report preparation, including offline recording in mountainous areas without mobile connectivity.
Through the app, ArkEdge Space and the Yakushima Tourism Association aim to reduce the administrative burden on both field workers and the Association while building a continuous record of maintenance activities and conditions across hiking trails and mountain facilities. The accumulated information will support future maintenance planning and nature conservation.
Background: Supporting Mountain Trail and Facility Maintenance on Yakushima
ArkEdge Space offers ArkEdge Insights®, a geospatial information platform that connects diverse data from space and the ground to help address challenges facing communities and industries. The platform integrates Earth observation data from the company’s own satellites, field data collected through its IoT communications network, and other geospatial information to support on-the-ground operations and informed decision-making through apps built on this shared foundation. Apps tailored to local needs and challenges are already being deployed in Paraguay, Brazil, and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, as ArkEdge Space continues to expand the platform to new use cases and regions.
This initiative is part of ArkEdge Space’s efforts to apply the platform to environmental monitoring and nature conservation. Through day-to-day maintenance activities in Yakushima’s mountainous areas, field data will be continuously collected and shared to help improve understanding of the natural environment and support sustainable maintenance and management, with a view to future integration with satellite data.
Maintaining a safe hiking environment while preserving Yakushima’s rich natural environment requires ongoing maintenance by the Yakushima Tourism Association, the Yakushima Mountain Guide Federation, and other local stakeholders. Their work includes repairing hiking trails, responding to fallen trees, and cleaning mountain huts and toilets.
The work requires field staff to organize photographs taken on site, location data, and details of the work performed for reporting after each maintenance activity. Organizing this information afterward places an administrative burden on field workers, while preparing reports also requires considerable time for the Yakushima Tourism Association.
To address these challenges, ArkEdge Space and the Yakushima Tourism Association jointly developed an app that supports the entire workflow, from recording information in the field through report preparation.
Overview: from Field Records to Location-Based Maintenance Data
Field workers can use the app to log work details and link photographs directly to location data, even in areas without mobile connectivity. Data can be recorded offline and uploaded after workers return. They can also document issues including fallen trees, landslides, damaged facilities, and locations requiring repairs, with photographs and comments.
Once uploaded, the recorded photographs, location data, and work details can be used to generate reports, reducing the need to reorganize information collected during each maintenance trip.
Beyond streamlining reporting, the app builds a continuous, map-based record of maintenance activities and changes in the natural environment. This makes it easier to reference past records, identify recurring issues at specific locations, and assess which areas should be prioritized, helping inform future maintenance planning.
As of the end of September 2026, the app had been used to prepare 54 regular reports and register 82 inspection and maintenance-related entries along hiking trails. The app was also used during record-breaking heavy rainfall on Yakushima in early September 2026, helping field workers document and share information on trail conditions and damage directly from the field.
By giving field workers and the Yakushima Tourism Association access to the same location data and photographs, the app also facilitates smoother information sharing and provides a shared view of conditions on the ground.
Looking Ahead: Combining Field Data with Geospatial Information
ArkEdge Space and the Yakushima Tourism Association will continue building records of maintenance activities and trail and facility conditions through the app to support more efficient maintenance and nature conservation.
Looking ahead, the two organizations will explore combining information collected through the app with satellite imagery and other geospatial data to gain a broader understanding of Yakushima’s natural environment and how it is changing over time.
They will also explore using the accumulated information to provide visitors with clearer, more accessible information on trail and mountain facility conditions. By bringing together information from the ground and from space, the two organizations aim to support a better understanding of environmental conditions and more effective maintenance, while also providing visitors with relevant information, ultimately contributing to a better balance between nature conservation and sustainable tourism on Yakushima.
Comment from Takunori Iwakawa, Secretary General, Yakushima Tourism Association
“Keeping Yakushima’s hiking trails and mountain facilities safe and clean depends on the daily efforts of mountain guides and many others involved in their upkeep. At the same time, organizing photographs after fieldwork and preparing reports for the responsible authorities have required considerable time.
This app enables workers to record their activities even in mountainous areas without mobile connectivity and to share location data and photographs more efficiently. It also helps reduce the risk of missing photographs required for reporting. By reducing the burden on field workers, we hope to put the information accumulated through the app to use in future trail maintenance and nature conservation.”
Comment from Ryo Suzumoto, Executive Officer, ArkEdge Space Inc.
“With this app, we hope to reduce the workload of those involved in mountain maintenance while enabling field data to be continuously accumulated and shared.
Geospatial information, including satellite data, can deliver greater value when combined with field data. Looking ahead, we will explore bringing these different sources of information together to gain a broader understanding of Yakushima’s natural environment and contribute to balancing nature conservation with sustainable tourism.”
About the Yakushima Tourism Association
The Yakushima Tourism Association is an incorporated association that promotes tourism while preserving and passing on the rich natural environment and local culture of Yakushima, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Through tourism that draws on these natural and cultural assets, the Association works to support the development of the local economy and culture and enhance community well-being
Its activities include operating tourist information centers, promoting Yakushima as a destination, conducting cleanup activities, supporting ecotourism, and training guides. Working with local businesses, government authorities, and other stakeholders, the Association advances environmental conservation and tourism initiatives to help preserve Yakushima’s natural environment and support tourism for future generations.
Location: Yakushima Town General Center, 187-1 Anbo, Yakushima-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima, Japan
Chairman: Masataka Araki
Incorporated as an association: 2025
Website: yakukan.jp
About ArkEdge Space
ArkEdge Space is a Japanese space technology company offering end-to-end solutions for micro-satellite constellations—from planning and design to mass production and operations. Guided by its mission of “empowering people with satellites for a prosperous future,” the company is advancing capabilities in Earth observation, maritime satellite communications (VDES), optical communications, and low-Earth orbit satellite positioning, as well as lunar activities and deep space exploration. Through our mission, ArkEdge Space continues to drive the advancement of space innovation and its practical application.
Head Office Location
3F, Dome Ariake Headquarter, 1-3-33 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
CEO: Takayoshi FUKUYO
Founded: in July 2018
Website: https://arkedgespace.com/