Inbasket

What Inbasket does

Inbasket Research Institute, Ltd. is a privately held Japanese training and assessment company founded in 2008 and headquartered in Sakai, Osaka, with a Tokyo regional office. The company is Japan's only specialist dedicated to the inbasket methodology — a business simulation assessment, originally developed by the U.S. Air Force, in which participants role-play as managers and process a stack of work cases within a fixed time window. Responses are evaluated by trained human assessors against 66 behavioral competencies mapped to 10 management capabilities (priority-setting, problem analysis, decision-making, ownership, etc.), producing deviation-based scores benchmarked against a 50,000+ person reference population.

The product surface spans multiple delivery formats — traditional paper inbasket, WEB inbrowser inbasket, a simplified inbasket, a group-discussion variant, a card-game variant for new hires, and a selection-based "Quick Inbasket" with over 10,000 possible answer combinations. Adjacent monetized products include an expert scoring service (¥22,000/person, standard 1-month turnaround), an expedited 1-week scoring service (¥44,000), an organization-level analysis report (¥110,000), the Judgment Skill Certification exam (four levels priced ¥3,300–¥22,000), a self-paced e-learning platform (¥16,500/3 months), a personalized business book ("My Manual"), and a three-tier instructor certification program that has produced a network of 160+ licensed trainers across Japan.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid professional-services model: open-enrollment public seminars (in-person at Tokyo/Osaka and via Zoom), bespoke corporate training engagements (example: ¥990,000 for a 30-seat Will PM collaboration program), workbook and textbook sales, certification exam fees, scoring-as-a-service, and trainer licensing. The customer base is reported at 1,400+ Japanese companies and 50+ government/public-sector organizations, including the Cabinet Office, Yokohama City, and Taito Ward, with cumulative training participation exceeding 30,000 individuals and 5,000+ scoring service users per year. Representative Director Takashi Torihara, a former Daiei supermarket employee, is the public face of the company and the author of 60+ business books with cumulative sales above 900,000 copies.

Name

Inbasket

Legal name

株式会社インバスケット研究所

Website

https://inbasket.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Inbasket Research Institute is a privately held Japanese training and assessment company that delivers the inbasket business-simulation methodology — paper, web, group, and certification formats — to corporate, government, and individual customers across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Training and Assessment Services

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABADAH

Product & Consumer Compliance (Labeling, Claims, Safety)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Compliance, Ethics & Regulatory Training

SECONDARYEDAGAKAE

Assessment & Item Writing / Test Content Development

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Instructional Design & Content Development Services

Keywords

• Business simulation training
• Management assessment tools
• Judgment skill certification
• Corporate training services
• Decision-making training

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Seminars (公開セミナー): Open enrollment seminars delivered both in-venue and online, covering programs from introductory to advanced levels. Participants pay per-session fees. Optional add-ons include scoring (feedback sheets), self-step e-learning, and My Manual personalized books. Cancellation policies apply with tiered refund structures.
2. Corporate Training (企業研修): Customized training programs delivered at client sites or online, tailored to organizational needs. Pricing varies by program scope, with example collaboration training (Will PM) priced at ¥990,000 for 30 participants for 2 sessions plus ¥22,000/person for scoring.
3. Assessment/Scoring Services (スコアリング): Numerical evaluation of inbasket responses by specialized assessors, producing feedback reports. Standard scoring: approximately 1-month turnaround; Express service (2-week): ¥3,300 surcharge. Used for hiring, promotion assessment, and talent development.
4. Certification Examinations (判断力検定): Judgment skill certification with multiple levels (初級 ¥3,300, 3級 ¥5,500, 2級 ¥11,000, 1級 ¥22,000). Available as online (WEB) or venue-based exams. Group examination discounts available for 10+ participants.
5. Training Materials and Workbooks (教材販売): Sale of inbasket workbooks, textbooks, and self-study materials to corporations (法人限定 for some materials) and individuals. Materials are categorized by employee level (new hires, young professionals, mid-level managers, executives). Some include scoring services at additional cost.
6. Instructor Certification Programs (講師養成): Multi-level certification programs (認定トレーナー, 認定インストラクリーン, コンサルタント) for individuals and organizations wanting to deliver inbasket training independently. Primary certification costs ¥330,000 plus ¥33,000 for seminar attendance.
7. Self-Step Online Learning (セルフステップ): Online continuous learning platform with 90 micro-courses (approx. 5 min each) covering 9 competencies. Priced at ¥16,500 for 3-month access. Includes learning progress management for corporate administrators.
8. Organization Analysis Reports (組織分析レポート): Aggregated analysis of inbasket assessment results across an organization, benchmarked against industry averages. Priced at ¥110,000 per report, plus per-person scoring costs, with 15+ participants recommended.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Inbasket sells and licenses a proprietary business simulation assessment methodology (the "Inbasket" tool) in which participants role-play a manager and process incoming work cases under a time limit to evaluate decision-making and prioritization. The company monetizes the method through public seminars, customized corporate training, expert scoring and feedback reports, multi-level certification exams, workbooks and training materials, an instructor certification program, an organizational analysis service, and a Self-Step e-learning subscription. Assessments can be delivered as paper-based, web-based, group-based, card-game, or quick-select formats.

Product overview

株式会社イナバウシケット研究所 offers a portfolio of business simulation training products centered on the イナバウシケット (Inbasket) methodology — a role-play assessment tool where participants process work cases under time pressure as a hypothetical manager. The core product is the イナバウシケット本体 (traditional inbasket training), which is delivered through multiple formats: WEBイナバウシケット (online), シンプルイナバウシケット (simplified), グループ・インバスケット (group), イナバウシケット・カードゲーム (card game), and クイックイナバウシケット (quick-select). Supporting the core training are add-on assessment and feedback modules including スコアリングサービス (expert scoring), 1weekスコアリング (expedited scoring), 組織分析レポート (organizational analysis), and MYマニュアル (personalized book). Ancillary services include 公開セミナー (public seminars), 企業研修 (corporate training), イナバウシTV (online lessons), セルフステップ (self-paced e-learning), 判断力検定 (certification exams), 社会人基礎力分析サービス (work-ready skills assessment), イナバウシケット能力改善サプリ70 (competency improvement workbooks), and instructor certification programs (認定トレーナー養成講座). The company also offers specialty variants for new employees, local government staff, harassment prevention, and playing managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inbasket Core Assessment (Traditional Format) Business simulation training tool where participants take on the role of a manager and process incoming work cases within a time limit, measuring judgment, prioritization, and problem-solving abilities. Used by Japanese corporations and government bodies for management assessment, promotions, and training.
• WEB Inbasket Online browser-based version of the inbasket assessment accessible via Windows PC using Chrome or Microsoft Edge, enabling remote administration of assessments without physical materials.
• Simple Inbasket Simplified inbasket assessment designed for faster administration and scoring, offered as a recorded/scored service.
• Group Inbasket (GIB) Group-format inbasket exercise where participants discuss and collectively process cases, measuring team management and leadership capabilities.
• Inbasket Card Game Card-based inbasket game where participants select action cards to answer cases, measuring capabilities in a gamified format for new employee and young professional training.
• Quick Inbasket Quick inbasket format using a multiple-choice approach where participants select answers from word-group options (who/what/how), with scoring conducted via system for immediate results.
• Judgment Skill Certification (4 Levels) Certification examination system measuring practical judgment ability using inbasket methodology, with multiple levels (初級 ¥3,300, 3級 ¥5,500, 2級 ¥11,000, 1級 ¥22,000) and both web and venue-based examination formats.
• Scoring Service Quantitative scoring service where expert assessors evaluate inbasket responses against 66+ competencies and produce a feedback report, measuring 10 management abilities with deviation-based analysis.
• 1-Week Scoring Service Expedited scoring service delivering inbasket assessment results within 1 week (versus standard 1 month), priced at ¥44,000 per candidate and limited to 30 candidates per month, targeting hiring and promotion evaluation.
• Organization Analysis Report Organizational analysis report aggregating individual inbasket scores across a team to identify company-wide patterns, industry benchmarks, and improvement recommendations in a 16-page PDF, priced at ¥110,000 per organization with 15+ participants recommended.
• Group Inbasket Scoring (GIB-Sc) Group discussion-based scoring service where participants engage in inbasket scenario discussions, evaluated on 9 abilities and 56 competencies via recorded analysis.
• My Manual Personalized Book Personalized business book generated from seminar inbasket answers and a questionnaire, producing over 1.1 billion combinations of individualized content written by Torihara Takashi, priced at ¥33,000 per book.
• Self-Step Online Learning Online continuous learning platform with 90 micro-courses (~5 min each) covering 9 competencies, priced at ¥16,500 for 3-month access with corporate administrator progress tracking.
• Social Business Skills Analysis Service Assessment service measuring 3 core abilities and 12 sub-competencies of work-ready (社会人基礎力) skills, using an inbasket-based written format scored by professional assessors (written format ¥7,700/person; quick diagnosis ¥3,300/person with ¥55,000 initial setup).
• Ability Improvement Supplement 70 Training workbook with approximately 70 mini inbasket problems and commentaries aimed at improving specific management abilities, organized by 10 individual competencies, full set priced at ¥7,700.
• InbasTV Online Live Classes Online live-streamed inbasket instruction delivered via Zoom in small-group format, featuring mini-case challenges and direct feedback from instructor Torihara Takashi, with recorded replay available for members.
• Inbasket Cram School Intensive inbasket training program branded as a 'cram school' format, offering deep-dive training sessions led by Torihara Takashi.
• Inbasket Trainer Certification Program Three-tier certification program (初級/中級/上級) training instructors to deliver inbasket programs internally, with curriculum covering facilitation, scoring, and feedback techniques. Primary certification training is ¥330,000 per person plus ¥33,000 seminar fee.
• Public Seminar Program Public seminar program offering multiple curriculum tracks (introductory, basic, advanced management, new manager, leader training) for both individuals and corporate bulk bookings, delivered both in-person and online, including premium leadership development with Takashi Torihara.
• Corporate Training Customized corporate training programs tailored to client organizations' specific needs, including instructor-led sessions and curriculum design.
• Playing Manager Comprehensive Test Assessment tool for playing managers (who both manage and execute work) measuring 10 competencies across 5 situational scenarios, delivered as a 140-minute combined test (Inbasket GINGA 60 min + DATA-G aptitude 80 min), priced at ¥38,500 per candidate.
• Inbasket x Will PM Collaboration Training Collaborative 2-day training program combining inbasket methodology with behavioral science management techniques, priced at ¥990,000 for up to 30 participants plus ¥22,000/person scoring and travel expenses.
• Training Materials and Workbooks Development and sale of inbasket workbooks and training materials across multiple levels (new employees, young professionals, managers, executives), including online and paper formats.
• Inbasket-Style Practical Harassment Prevention Training Public seminar using inbasket-style training methodology to address workplace harassment, targeted at corporate employees and managers.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 株式会社ウィルPMインターナショナル (Will PM International Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint self-management training program combining Inbasket's judgment skill training (Day 1) with Will PM's behavioral science management methodology (Day 2). The 2-day program (¥990,000 for 30 participants + ¥22,000/person scoring) targets corporate managers and aims to bridge the gap between training and behavioral change. Inbasket handles the inbasket assessment and scoring; Will PM provides the behavioral science framework for translating insights into sustained behavioral change.
• 株式会社ダイヤモンド社 (Diamond Publishing Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-way collaboration with Expert Science Research Institute to develop the 'プレイングマネザー総合力テスト' (Playing Manager Comprehensive Test). Diamond Publishing contributes publishing expertise and brand credibility; Expert Science Research provides test design expertise; Inbasket provides the inbasket assessment component (GINGA, 20 cases/60 min). The product is positioned as a premium assessment for playing managers.
• 株式会社エキスパート科学研究所 (Expert Science Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-way collaboration for the プレイングマネザー総合力テスト, providing test design and scientific validation of the assessment methodology. Expert Science Research Institute is described as the sole provider of inbasket expertise in Japan and contributes proprietary aptitude testing (DATA-G, 132 questions) to the combined assessment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global leadership assessment, executive search, and organizational consulting firm. Comparable to Inbasket's executive and playing-manager assessment products as part of a much broader HR services portfolio.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership assessment, development, and selection specialist serving large enterprises. Comparable to Inbasket's management assessment and certification programs within a broader global portfolio.
• SHL: Global assessment provider offering psychometric and competency-based evaluation tools for hiring and development. Comparable to Inbasket's scoring methodology and competency-based reports as part of a broader enterprise assessment suite.

Direct peers

• Humanage Co., Ltd. (株式会社ヒューマネージ): Japan-listed HR assessment company specializing in aptitude, competency, and behavioral testing for hiring and development. Directly comparable scoring service methodology and customer base (corporate HR), making it a direct assessment-only peer.
• Insource Inc. (株式会社インソース): Japan's largest listed pure-play corporate training company, offering open seminars, in-house training, e-learning, and assessment-style programs. Highly comparable business model, customer base (Japanese HR/L&D departments), and product breadth overlapping with Inbasket's public seminars and corporate training.
• JMA Management Center Inc. (株式会社日本能率協会マネジメントセンター): Japanese corporate training, e-learning, and HR development provider within the JMA Group. Directly comparable to Inbasket's corporate training, public seminar, and textbook offerings for Japanese management populations.
• en Japan Inc. (株式会社エン・ジャパン): Major listed Japanese HR services company operating recruitment platforms and HR assessment offerings. Comparable to Inbasket on the assessment and corporate evaluation side, with a larger sales and marketing infrastructure.
• Link and Motivation Inc. (株式会社リンクアンドモチベーション): Listed Japanese organizational consulting firm providing engagement surveys, management training, and motivation analytics. Comparable to Inbasket in the management-training and people-development category for Japanese corporates.
• Advantage Risk Management Co., Ltd. (株式会社アドバンテッジリスクマネジメント): Japan-listed provider of HR assessment, talent analytics, and recruitment-related services. Comparable to Inbasket on the assessment and people-evaluation side, serving overlapping Japanese enterprise HR buyers.
• Recruit Management Solutions Co., Ltd. (株式会社リクルートマネジメントソリューションズ): Subsidiary of Recruit Holdings providing HR assessment, aptitude testing, and organizational consulting in Japan. Directly comparable in the assessment/scoring and HR analytics side of Inbasket's business, particularly to Organizational Analysis Reports and playing-manager evaluation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inbasket_Lab
• Facebookfacebook.com/inbasket

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inbasket