Japan Marketing Agency

What Japan Marketing Agency does

Japan Marketing Agency (JMA) is a privately held, full-service marketing research firm founded in Osaka in 1968 and now headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, with a second office in Osaka. The company serves Japanese enterprise clients—predominantly in food and beverage, consumer goods, manufacturing, automotive, and retail—offering a portfolio that spans qualitative research (group interviews, in-depth interviews, ethnography, MROC), quantitative research (internet surveys, CLT, tablet surveys, home-use tests), non-verbal research (eye-tracking, neuro research, in-store camera analytics via Konica Minolta's Go Insight), and multivariate statistical analysis (regression, factor, cluster, discriminant, text mining).

JMA's underlying technology stack combines proprietary instruments and methods—including the JMA Diary smartphone/PC diary survey system, JMASS simple tabulation tool, eye-tracking cameras, and a Retail Lab simulated store environment—with third-party AI camera analytics from Konica Minolta. The firm also operates dedicated physical research facilities: the Udagawacho Utility Room (opened 2021), the Retail Lab (launched 2012), and interview rooms equipped with one-way mirrors and monitoring systems. Senior market research, including the ongoing JMA Senior Life Census, represents a differentiated vertical.

JMA monetizes primarily through project-based professional services engagements, custom-quoted by scope, methodology, and sample size, with revenue also generated from paid/free seminars and webinars, founder-authored e-books used as lead magnets, and proprietary independent research (自主調査) published publicly to drive inbound inquiries. Go-to-market is sales-led with content-marketing support, anchored by the "JMAリサーチ道場" email newsletter (since 2010), YouTube content, industry conference participation, and direct enterprise consultation. The firm holds JMRA regular membership with 12 certified professionals, ESOMAR international membership, and Privacy Mark certification (since 2003), signaling industry compliance and trust.

Name

Japan Marketing Agency

Legal name

株式会社ジャパン・マーケティング・エージェンシー

Website

https://jma-net.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Japan Marketing Agency is a 57-year-old privately held Japanese marketing research firm offering qualitative, quantitative, non-verbal (eye-tracking, neuro, in-store camera), and multivariate analysis services to enterprise clients in food, consumer goods, manufacturing, and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research & Consumer Insights (BPAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Market Research, Analytics & Consumer Insights (BPAFAAAM), Custom Market Research (Ad Hoc Studies, Segmentation, U&A) (MPAAALAC), Brand Research & Positioning (Audience/Competitive Insights) (MPAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Consumer insights
• Qualitative research
• Quantitative research
• Eye tracking research

Headquarters

HQ city

Akasaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketing Research Services: JMA generates revenue through project-based marketing research engagements, serving Japanese corporations across food/beverage, consumer goods, manufacturing, and services sectors. Engagements are tailored to client needs, with project fees determined by scope, methodology, and sample size. The company has operated continuously since 1968, demonstrating sustained revenue generation over more than 50 years.
2. 自主調査 (Proprietary Independent Research): JMA conducts and publishes proprietary consumer research independently, with findings released publicly (e.g., suncare usage surveys, future of Japan surveys, telework surveys). These reports may be distributed free or at low cost to build brand authority and generate inbound client interest.
3. Seminars and Events: The company hosts paid and free seminars (online and in-person), workshops, and webinars on research methodologies and consumer trends, serving as both a revenue stream and client acquisition channel.
4. Founder Publications: JMA offers downloadable e-books authored by company founder Yoji Kojima (小嶋庸靖) on marketing topics, requiring users to submit personal information and agree to privacy terms—functioning as a lead generation mechanism.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Japan Marketing Agency is a market research firm that designs and executes qualitative and quantitative research studies for Japanese enterprises, including group and in-depth interviews, internet and central location tests, ethnographic home visits, and proprietary analytical services such as multivariate analysis and neuro research. The company operates its own research facilities (retail lab, utility rooms, interview rooms) and supports client decision-making from concept development through branding and advertising evaluation.

Product overview

Japan Marketing Agency (JMA) is a comprehensive marketing research firm offering a full spectrum of quantitative and qualitative research services. The core offering includes traditional survey methodologies (internet research, CLT, tablet surveys) combined with advanced observational techniques (eye-tracking, neuroscience research, retail lab simulations). Key product lines include eye-tracking services using AI-powered cameras, qualitative research (group interviews, in-depth interviews, ethnography), diary-based longitudinal studies (JMA Diary), and multivariate statistical analysis. The company operates physical facilities including a retail lab for simulated store research and interview rooms, while also offering remote viewing capabilities and online research platforms. Integration partnerships with Konica Minolta's Go Insight® enable AI-based in-store behavior analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualitative Research Services
• Quantitative Research Services
• Eye Tracking Research
• Neuro Research
• Ethnographic Research
• Retail Lab Research
• Multivariate Analysis Services
• JMA Diary
• Go Insight
• Online CLT (Central Location Test)
• Virtual Shelf Research
• Location-based Behavioral Analysis
• Visual Insight Analysis (Projection Method)
• Proprietary Independent Research
• Marketing Challenge Research (Case Studies)

Quantifiable outcome

• New shelf layout achieved 3.6x gaze停留 frequency (44.3 vs 12.3) and 5.4x gaze停留 time (11.9s vs 2.2s) compared to conventional layout
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• コニカミノルタ (Konica Minolta)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Konica Minolta provides the Go Insight® in-store purchase behavior analysis service, using ceiling-mounted cameras to track and analyze shopper movements and product interactions in retail environments. JMA integrates this technology into its non-verbal research offerings, combining camera-based behavioral data with traditional qualitative methods (interviews, eye-tracking) for comprehensive shopper insight studies. The partnership includes joint seminars and conferences on shopper insights, combining JMA's qualitative research expertise with Konica Minolta's objective behavioral data.
• 公益社団法人日本マーケティング協会 (Japan Marketing Association)minorOthers · 1 January 2018JMA is an officially recognized (公社) member of the Japan Marketing Association. The company has 12 staff members certified by the association. JMA is listed in the association's certified professional directory.
• ESOMAR (European Society of Opinion & Marketing Research)minorOthers · 1 January 2018JMA holds membership in ESOMAR, an international marketing research association, demonstrating international research capabilities and adherence to global research standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research and consumer insights firm with substantial Japan operations serving multinational and Japanese enterprise clients across CPG, automotive, and tech. Comparable on custom market research, brand health tracking, and senior-consumer work.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence firm with strong Japan presence in retail measurement, consumer panel data, and CPG insights. Comparable on Japanese retail/CPG enterprise clients, shopper insights, and panel-based quantitative research.
• Kantar: Global research, data, and insights firm (WPP-owned) with Japan operations spanning brand tracking, consumer panels, and analytics. Comparable on enterprise brand research, shopper insights, and eye-tracking/observational methodologies.
• Intage: Japan's largest domestic marketing research and consulting firm, offering consumer panel data, custom research, and analytics. Comparable as a broad incumbent covering the same Japanese enterprise customer base across CPG, retail, and services.

Direct peers

• Video Research: One of Japan's longest-established marketing and media research firms (founded 1962), offering TV/radio ratings, consumer panels, and custom market research. Highly comparable as a domestic Japanese research peer with similar institutional longevity and enterprise-client mix.
• Macromill: Japanese online market research firm operating one of the country's largest proprietary consumer panels (Macromill Monitor), plus global research operations across Asia. Direct peer on online surveys and consumer insights, and a likely beneficiary of JMA Monitor's discontinuation.
• Rakuten Insight: Asian panel and online research provider operating one of the largest consumer panels in Japan (and across APAC). Direct competitor for Japanese online survey work and a potential panel supplier or competitor as JMA's in-house panel winds down.
• Nippon Research Center: Long-standing Japanese market research firm (founded 1960) covering social research, consumer research, and polling for government and enterprise clients. Comparable as a domestic Japanese research peer with similar longevity and methodology breadth.
• Cross Marketing: Tokyo-headquartered online market research firm with a large proprietary panel and full-service quantitative/qualitative offerings. Direct competitor on Japanese enterprise survey work and panel-based research, particularly relevant post-JMA Monitor shutdown.

Emerging players

• GMO Research: Japanese online research firm operating the GMO Research Cloud Panel with APAC reach. Comparable as a panel-driven research peer focused on quantitative online studies in Japan and broader Asia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JMA_SHIBUYA

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Japan Marketing Agency