AAR Japan

What AAR Japan does

AAR Japan (legal name \u7279\u5b9a\u975e\u55b9\u5229\u6d3b\u52d5\u6cd5\u4eba \u96be\u6c11\u3092\u52a9\u3051\u308b\u4f1a, Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) is a Tokyo-headquartered nonprofit humanitarian organization founded in 1979 in response to the Indochina refugee crisis, originally named the Indochina Refugee Aid Association and renamed in 1984 as activities expanded to Africa. It is officially recognized and registered with the United Nations and operates a portfolio of field programs in 17 countries across Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh), South and Central Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan), Europe (Ukraine, Moldova, Turkey), the Middle East (Syria), and Africa (Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia), in addition to domestic Japan disaster response.

The organization's work is organized around six core activity verticals: Refugee Assistance, Mine Action, Disability and Development, Disaster Relief, Infection Prevention/WASH, and Advocacy/International Understanding Education. Service delivery is conducted through a combination of AAR's own field offices and local NGO partners, with operational alliances including funding for The HALO Trust's demining work in Afghanistan and Ukraine, and collaboration with PHILRADS in the Philippines for earthquake response. Domestic programming includes Noto Peninsula earthquake recovery, high-school workshop education, and a charity e-commerce shop (aar-charity.shop-pro.jp). Notable credentials include co-receipt of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize as a member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Social Contribution Award recognition in 2009, and UN consultative status.

AAR Japan's revenue model is multi-channel and donation-driven, with no commercial product pricing. Income streams include recurring monthly (\u30de\u30f3\u30b9\u30ea\u30fc\u30b5\u30dd\u30fc\u30c4\u30a1\u30fc) and one-time individual donations, bequest/legacy gifts, Furusato hometown tax donations, annual membership fees, time-limited campaign fundraising, charity merchandise sales, and grant funding from Japanese government ODA channels (Japan Platform, JICA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The organization also generates modest fee revenue from educational workshops (¥3,000/person). Distribution relies on direct-to-individual fundraising channels (website, email newsletter, social media on Facebook/X/Instagram/LINE/YouTube), corporate partnership development, school-based fundraising, and a charity shop e-commerce storefront. As a Specific Non-Profit Corporation under Japanese law with NPO certification from Tokyo Metropolis, AAR Japan is authorized to receive tax-deductible donations and is governed by a board under Chair OSA Yukie and Secretary General Horie.

Name

AAR Japan

Legal name

特定非営利活動法人 难民を助ける会 (AAR Japan)

Website

https://aarjapan.gr.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AAR Japan is a Tokyo-headquartered, UN-recognized nonprofit humanitarian NGO founded in 1979, delivering refugee assistance, mine action, disability support, disaster relief, WASH, and education programs across 17 countries, funded primarily through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and government ODA grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian Aid

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH), Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Refugee assistance programs
• Disaster relief operations
• Mine action programs
• Disability inclusive support

Headquarters

HQ city

Higashi-shinagawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual donations: One-time and recurring (monthly supporter/mansery) donations from individual supporters. Also accepts bequests and legacy gifts.
2. Charity merchandise sales: Online charity shop selling goods; proceeds support AAR's activities.
3. Membership fees: Annual membership program supporting the organization.
4. Campaign fundraising: Time-limited fundraising campaigns (e.g., summer campaign, emergency appeals) for specific crises.
5. Government grants and ODA: Funding through Japan Platform, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs grants for humanitarian projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan / 難民を助ける会) is a Japanese-founded international NGO that delivers humanitarian assistance in six program areas: refugee assistance, mine and unexploded ordnance action, disability and development, disaster relief, infection prevention/WASH, and advocacy/international understanding education. The organization provides life-saving services such as food, shelter, medical care, water/sanitation, rehabilitation, assistive devices, mine-risk education, and disability-inclusive emergency response to conflict- and disaster-affected populations across 17 countries, funded primarily through donations, government grants, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

AAR Japan (特定非営利活動法人 难民を助ける会) is a humanitarian NGO offering a portfolio of engagement programs rather than a technology product. The organization provides donation programs (monthly supporters, one-time donations, bequests, Furusato tax donations), an online charity shop, volunteer opportunities, and educational programs including Explosive Ordnance Risk Education and international understanding education. The core activities focus on six program areas: refugee assistance, landmine/discussion measures, disability support, disaster relief, infectious disease prevention/WASH, and advocacy/education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refugee Assistance Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Operated in 65+ countries/regions since 1979; currently active in 17 countries with 6 program sectors

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PHILRADS (Philippine)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Local partner organization in the Philippines working with AAR on emergency relief operations following the June 2026 earthquake in Mindanao.
• きょうされん (Kyosaren)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJapanese disability welfare organization. Listed as a supporting partner/corporate sponsor on AAR's website.
• 公益財団法人世界宗教者平和会議日本委員会 (WCRP Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterfaith peace organization collaborating with AAR on humanitarian initiatives.
• 全国友の会 (Zentomo)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJapanese cooperative organization supporting AAR's activities.
• 一般社団法人日本香港人協会 (JHA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJapanese-Hong Kong association supporting AAR.
• パルシステム生活協同組合連合会 (Pal System)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJapanese consumer cooperative providing ongoing financial support to AAR.
• 特定非営利活動法人 日本地雷を処理する会 (JMAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese NGO receiving government mine action funding alongside AAR Japan.
• The HALO Trust (ヘイロー・トラスト)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish demining NGO that AAR funds for mine clearance operations in Afghanistan and Ukraine.
• 公益icorp赤十字社 (Japanese Red Cross Society)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapan's Red Cross Society, whose former president Neary Kono was a major figure in humanitarian work referenced by AAR.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC is a large international humanitarian NGO delivering refugee assistance, health, education, and economic support in crisis-affected countries. It overlaps with AAR across refugee, WASH, and disaster programming but operates at substantially larger scale and serves as a reference point for organizational ambition.
• Japan Committee for UNICEF: Japan Committee for UNICEF is the Japanese fundraising arm of UNICEF, a much larger and broader humanitarian agency. It competes for the same Japanese household and corporate donor pool and overlaps with AAR on child-focused refugee, WASH, and emergency programming, though at far greater scale.

Direct peers

• Association for Aid and Relief (Japan) – peer NGO: JEN: JEN is a Tokyo-headquartered international NGO focused on refugee assistance, disaster relief, and WASH in conflict-affected countries. It is one of AAR's closest Japanese NGO peers given overlapping missions, donor segments, and country portfolios.
• HALO Trust: HALO Trust is the world's largest humanitarian demining organization and a direct operational partner that AAR funds for mine clearance work in Afghanistan and Ukraine. It is comparable along the mine action vertical where AAR has its most differentiated programming and Nobel-recognized heritage.
• People in Need: People in Need is a Central European humanitarian and development organization providing emergency relief, education, and human rights programming in conflict-affected states. It is comparable as a mid-sized, multi-vertical international NGO operating in many of the same crisis geographies as AAR.
• Peace Winds Japan: Peace Winds Japan is a Japanese disaster preparedness and humanitarian NGO delivering emergency relief, refugee support, and recovery programs across Asia. It is one of AAR's closest Japanese counterparts given overlapping country portfolios, donor base, and emphasis on disaster response.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Japan: MSF Japan is the Japanese arm of MSF, an international medical humanitarian organization delivering emergency aid to conflict and disaster-affected populations. It directly parallels AAR Japan in mission, donor geography, and UN-recognized NGO status, and overlaps most heavily in refugee, WASH, and emergency relief programming.
• Save the Children Japan: Save the Children Japan is a Japan-headquartered international NGO focused on children's rights, emergency relief, and development across conflict and disaster zones. It competes with AAR for Japanese individual donors, corporate sponsors, and government ODA funds while operating in overlapping countries and humanitarian verticals.
• Japan Mine Action Service (JMAS): JMAS is a Japan-based mine action NGO that receives Japanese government mine action funding and operates in post-conflict states. As AAR's co-recipient of Japanese government mine action grants, JMAS is a tightly comparable peer in funding, geography, and program design.
• Japan Platform: Japan Platform is a humanitarian aid consortium that pools Japanese government, corporate, and public donations to fund emergency response programs implemented by member NGOs including AAR Japan. As AAR's primary institutional funder, it is central to AAR's operating model and a structural peer in the Japanese emergency response ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aarjapan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AARJAPAN
• Facebookfacebook.com/aarjapan
• Instagraminstagram.com/aar_japan

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AAR Japan