FRAU

What FRAU does

FRAU (株式会社フラウ) is a privately-held Fukuoka-based publishing, media, and community-events company founded in 1993 by CEO Hamasuna Keiko. It operates four core publications targeting the parenting and family demographic across life stages — 子づれ DE CHA・CHA・CHA! (1993), 福岡小学生新聞 We can! (2009, 110,000 copies per issue), けん・けん・ぱ! (2004), and マタニティ&Baby (2003) — distributed through elementary schools, obstetrics clinics, kindergartens, and nurseries across Fukuoka Prefecture. The company monetizes primarily through advertising and sponsorships in its publications, paid family-event planning and operations (baby crawling races, model auditions, parenting festivals), and an integrated services stack comprising government-commissioned projects (~100 cumulative contracts from national, prefectural, and municipal authorities), corporate marketing and consumer-insight consulting, and creative/web/editorial design services. It anchors its customer relationships through a proprietary community ecosystem — the Mamis Summit National Network (founded 1995), F1 student journalist network, and LINE/Instagram member communities — that functions as both a distribution channel and a source of first-party consumer insights for B2B clients.

Name

FRAU

Legal name

株式会社フラウ

Website

https://frau-net.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FRAU is a Fukuoka-based publishing and media company that produces parenting magazines and family events, serves B2B sponsors and government clients via community networks, and reaches over 100,000 elementary school families with its We can! newspaper.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Publishing and Family Media Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Reference & Informational Series Publishing (MPAJAFAN)

Keywords

• Parenting media publishing
• Regional publishing services
• Family event management
• Government consignment projects
• Consumer marketing research

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publishing and Media: Publishing of periodicals, free papers, themed booklets, and newspapers targeting mothers, families, and children across life stages from maternity to elementary school. Revenue derived from advertising, sponsorships, and distribution fees.
2. Event Planning and Operations: Planning and operating family-oriented events such as baby crawling races, model auditions, Halloween events, and maternity exchanges to attract target demographics for sponsors and clients.
3. Municipal Consignment and Government Projects: Consignment projects commissioned by national, prefectural, and municipal governments — approximately 100 projects completed. Covers survey, planning, and operations for regional revitalization and community issue resolution.
4. Marketing and Problem-Solving Projects: Market research, consumer behavior analysis, and strategic consulting services leveraging a network of female and parenting members. Includes surveys, focus groups, and marketing strategy development for corporate clients.
5. Creative Services (Design and Editorial): Creative design, editorial production, web design, and publishing support for corporate clients, hospitals, municipalities, and government agencies — including brochures, PR magazines, corporate materials, and hospital imaging strategy.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FRAU publishes parenting and family periodicals across life stages from maternity through elementary school, including 子づれ DE CHA・CHA・CHA！, 福岡小学生新聞We can！, けん・けん・ぱ！, and マタニティ＆Baby. The company also plans and operates family-oriented events, executes government-commissioned regional revitalization and social projects, and provides marketing research, creative design, and editorial services to corporate and municipal clients.

Product overview

FRAU is a publishing and media company offering a platform of publications and services targeting families, mothers, and children in Fukuoka, Japan. The core product portfolio consists of four main publications: 子づれ DE CHA・CHA・CHA！（launched 1993, parenting magazine）, 福岡小学生新聞 We can！（launched 2009, elementary school newspaper with 110,000 circulation）, けん・けん・ぱ！（launched 2004, children's free paper distributed through kindergartens）, and マタニティ＆Baby（launched 2003, maternity magazine）. Supporting the publishing business, FRAU offers complementary service modules including creative/web/editorial design services, family-oriented sales promotion events, marketing and problem-solving projects using female consumer perspectives, and municipal consignment/regional creation projects. The company also operates original mascot character チャタロウ who achieved Guinness World Record recognition in 2013.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 子づれ DE CHA・CHA・CHA！ (Kodzure DE CHA・CHA・CHA!) Parenting and family lifestyle information magazine launched in 1993, providing content for parents with children across life stages from pregnancy through elementary school. Distributed via obstetrics clinics, kindergartens, nurseries, and community channels.
• 福岡小学生新聞 We can！ (Fukuoka Elementary School Newspaper We can!) Elementary school newspaper launched in 2009, distributed at 110,000 copies per issue directly through elementary schools in Fukuoka Prefecture; provides educational content for children and aims to support Fukuoka's academic performance.
• けん・けん・ぱ！ (Ken-Ken-Pa!) Free paper for children launched in 2004 (originally as Chataro News), distributed through kindergartens and nursery schools with entertaining and educational content.
• マタニティ＆Baby (Maternity & Baby) Maternity and baby magazine launched in 2003 (originally as Maternity DE CHA・CHA・CHA!), providing information for expectant mothers and families with infants; distributed through obstetrics clinics and maternity hospitals.
• クリエイティブサービス (Creative Services) Web design, editing, and design services including corporate brochures, promotional materials, hospital imaging strategies, signage, and promotional publications for corporate clients, hospitals, municipalities, and government agencies.
• 販促イベント (Sales Promotion Events) Family-focused event planning and management including baby crawling races, model auditions, Halloween events, and promotional campaigns targeting housewives and families for corporate sponsors.
• マーケティング・課題解決プロジェクト (Marketing & Problem-Solving Projects) Market research and marketing strategy services leveraging FRAU's network of female and parenting members; includes consumer needs analysis, target analysis, competitive intelligence, and trend analysis for corporate clients seeking to reach the parenting/family demographic.
• 自治体委託事業・地域創生プロジェクト (Municipal Consignment & Regional Creation Projects) Government-commissioned projects covering regional revitalization, shopping district revitalization, empty house measures, regional product development, and community issue resolution. Approximately 100 projects commissioned to date by national, prefectural, and municipal governments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 110,000 copies distributed per issue of 福岡小学生新聞We can!
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NPO法人 マミーズサミット・全国ネット (Mamis Summit National Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 1995, the Mamis Summit National Network is a social entrepreneur network for parenting women founded by FRAU's representative Keiko Hamasuna. FRAU participates in and co-organizes annual Mamis Summit events, and serves as the secretariat for this national network. The 30th edition is being held in Fukuoka in October 2025 with FRAU's representative as a speaker.
• HAMASUNA NET (浜砂ネットワーク)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA personal/professional network site operated by FRAU's representative Keiko Hamasuna, providing an online platform for the community and entrepreneur network that FRAU has built over 30 years.
• NPOふくおかsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local Fukuoka NPO organization. FRAU maintains a link partnership, indicating collaborative ties in the Fukuoka regional NPO ecosystem.
• NPO法人 男女・子育て環境改善研究所coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA sister NPO organization within the FRAU group focused on research and improvement of gender and parenting environments. Part of the FRAU group ecosystem of organizations.
• Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFukuoka Prefecture is a major government client commissioning FRAU for various social programs including the International Women's Symposium, childcare support initiatives, local consumption promotion, male parenting support, and family month activities. Approximately 100 projects have been commissioned from national, prefectural, and municipal governments.
• Fukuoka City (福岡市)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFukuoka City commissions FRAU for municipal projects including plant garden event operations, bullying zero project, and city-level community events. A key local government partner.
• National Government Ministries (国・省庁)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRAU has been commissioned by multiple national ministries: Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (energy conservation PR), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (dam publicity), and other ministries for social programs — demonstrating national-level government partnership.
• (一社)九州ニュービジネス協議会supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKyushu New Business Council — a regional business association where FRAU's network connects with other entrepreneurs and businesses in the Kyushu region.
• (一社)福岡中小企業経営者協会supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFukuoka Small and Medium Enterprise Managers Association — an association of SME operators in Fukuoka that FRAU is connected with through its entrepreneur network.
• 九州ソーシャルビジネス促進協議会 SofisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKyushu Social Business Promotion Council (Sofi) — a regional network of social businesses where FRAU participates, connecting with other social entrepreneurs in Kyushu and Asia.
• (一社)SINKa (社会企業家創出支援ネットワーク九州・アジア)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial Entrepreneur Creation Support Network Kyushu-Asia — a network supporting social entrepreneurs across Kyushu and Asia, in which FRAU participates as part of its community and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• (一社)倫理法人会supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRinri Hourensha (Ethics Association) — a large nationwide ethical management organization with which FRAU is connected through its business and entrepreneur networks.
• 九州グリーン購入ネットワークsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKyushu Green Purchase Network — a network promoting environmentally conscious purchasing, connecting FRAU with sustainable business practices and green consumer networks.
• (一社)地域企業連合会 九州連携機構【AIE-九州】supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Enterprise Union / Kyushu Cooperation Organization (AIE-Kyushu) — a regional coordination body for enterprises in Kyushu, with which FRAU is affiliated through its regional business networks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shogakukan Inc. (小学館): Shogakukan is a major Japanese publisher with established children's magazines (e.g., 'Tanoshii Yōchien') and parenting-adjacent titles. It overlaps with FRAU in children's reference and informational publishing for the same elementary-school family audience, but operates as a broad national incumbent with much larger resources.
• Benesse Corporation: Benesse is Japan's leading educational publisher for parents and children, operating the iconic 'Tama Hiyoko' (たまひよ) parenting magazine, 'Shinken Zemi' correspondence education, and related family-oriented content. It is a broader incumbent than FRAU, with national scale and a much larger portfolio spanning parenting publishing, education services, and senior care, but it directly competes in the same parenting-media category and serves the same target audience.
• Kodansha Ltd. (講談社): Kodansha is one of Japan's largest general publishers, with significant parenting and children's book/magazine output and a national content platform. It competes with FRAU at the upper end of the parenting-content market and shares the same core audience, but operates at a vastly broader portfolio scale including non-parenting categories.
• Shueisha Inc. (集英社): Shueisha is a leading Japanese publisher with significant children's and parenting content through magazines, books, and educational titles. Comparable to FRAU in publishing for the same children-and-families audience, though operating as a broad national incumbent rather than a regionally focused social business.
• Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. (リクルートホールディングス): Recruit operates major Japan family-lifecycle media brands such as 'Zexy' (weddings) and 'Study Sapuri' (education), serving mothers, parents, and family decision-makers through both publishing-style content and digital platforms. It targets the same parenting demographic as FRAU but at national scale and across many adjacent life stages.

Direct peers

• Shufunotomo Co., Ltd. (主婦の友社): Shufunotomo is a long-established Japanese publishing house specializing in parenting, family, and lifestyle magazines including 'Baby-mo' and related childcare titles. Comparable to FRAU in its core publishing offering and target audience (mothers, parents, families), it operates nationally rather than regionally and has a longer-established print portfolio.

Emerging players

• sharedwith Inc. (シェアウィズ): sharedwith operates 'mamari' (mamari.jp), a leading digital parenting community and information platform in Japan. It overlaps FRAU's audience (mothers, parents) and information-publishing category, but competes in digital-native channels rather than print free papers and regional events, making it an emerging rather than direct peer.
• Every Inc. (エブリー): Every operates 'Mamasta' (ママスタ), a large online community and information platform for mothers in Japan. It targets the same parenting audience as FRAU and competes in the parenting-information category, but from a digital-first, national-platform model rather than regional print and events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/frau8830

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 FRAU