Japan Spring Manufacturers Association

What Japan Spring Manufacturers Association does

Japan Spring Manufacturers Association (JSMA / 一般社団法人日本ばね工業会) is a general incorporated association (一般社団法人) established to serve the Japanese spring manufacturing sector, headquartered in Tokyo with three regional branches covering Eastern, Central, and Western Japan. The association is funded through membership dues and operates as a nonprofit industry body rather than a commercial enterprise.

JSMA's membership comprises regular members (正会員) that manufacture springs — including compression, tension, and torsion coil springs, wire-formed and thin plate springs, disc springs, clock springs, leaf springs, torsion bars, and stabilizers — together with material manufacturers (wire, thin plate, steel, non-ferrous, stainless steel) and equipment makers (testing machines, coiling and forming machines, heat treatment furnaces, shot peening equipment). Supporting members (賛助会員) and sponsoring members (協賛会員) round out the membership structure. The association does not develop or sell commercial technology products; instead, it issues JSMA industry standards, publishes the bimonthly journal ばね (Spring), compiles industry statistics, organizes seminars and factory tours, and co-sponsors technical roundtables with the Japan Spring Society (日本ばね学会).

JSMA's revenue model is membership dues-based and not publicly disclosed. The association acts as the formal liaison between member companies and Japanese government bodies — National Tax Agency, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, and the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy — disseminating regulatory notices and coordinating survey participation. It publishes annual business activity reports and balance sheets going back to fiscal year 2007 but does not release specific revenue figures. In July 2025, the association relocated its headquarters and Eastern Branch offices, signaling operational renewal without expansion of scope.

Name

Japan Spring Manufacturers Association

Legal name

Japan Spring Manufacturers Association

Website

https://spring.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Japan Spring Manufacturers Association (JSMA) is a Tokyo-headquartered general incorporated association serving Japanese spring manufacturers, spring material suppliers, and spring production equipment makers through three regional branches, providing industry standards, statistics, publications, and government liaison services funded by membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Japan Spring Manufacturers Association (JSMA) is a general incorporated association (一般社団法人) that serves as the industry trade body for Japanese spring manufacturers, spring material manufacturers, and spring production equipment and testing instrument makers. It provides membership services including industry publications such as the bimonthly journal ばね (Spring), industry statistical data, JSMA standards documentation, a member directory, and activities such as seminars, factory tours, and an annual general meeting, while liaising with government ministries and agencies on behalf of members.

Product overview

Japan Spring Manufacturers Association (JSMA) is an industry trade association for spring manufacturers, spring material manufacturers, spring production equipment and testing instrument manufacturers in Japan. The organization does not offer commercial technology products or services, but rather serves as an industry body providing member services including: industry publications (such as the 'ばね' magazine), statistical data related to the spring industry, JSMA standards development, member directory services, and industry-related news and topics. The association operates with three regional branches (Eastern, Central, and Western) under its Tokyo headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Services (Regular, Supporting, and Sponsoring Members) Membership-based services for Japanese spring manufacturers (compression coil, tension coil, torsion coil, wire-formed, thin plate, disc, leaf, torsion bar, clock springs, etc.), spring material producers (wire, thin plate, steel, non-ferrous, stainless steel), and spring production equipment and testing machine makers, including government liaison, industry coordination, and access to JSMA activities.
• Industry Journal ばね (Spring) Recurring industry journal ばね (Spring) covering spring industry news, technical topics, and association updates, distributed to members and posted as PDF on the JSMA website.
• Spring Industry Statistical Data Compilations of statistical data on the Japanese spring industry, regularly published and made available through the association's website for members and the public.
• JSMA Standards (JSMA規格) Industry technical standards developed and published by JSMA covering spring products, testing, and related specifications for use by member manufacturers.
• Member Directory / Member Search Searchable online directory of JSMA regular members, filterable by region (Eastern, Central, Western branches), prefecture, overseas location, and product line (e.g., compression coil springs, testing machines, materials).
• Annual General Meeting and Related Events Annual general meeting, awards ceremony, and networking reception for member companies, typically held in May in Nagoya, along with related events and seminars organized through regional branches.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Tax Agency (国税庁)minorOthers · 23 July 2025The National Tax Agency issued a leaflet regarding changes to the submission method for salary withholding slips (源泉徴収票) effective January 2026 (令 和9年), which was shared with association members as an industry-related topic.
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省)minorOthers · 17 June 2025The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare requested the association to communicate information regarding the use of Employment Adjustment Subsidy (雇用調整助成金) in light of the Middle East situation, which was shared with members as industry-related information.
• Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (資源エネルギー庁)minorOthers · 12 June 2025The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy issued a notice regarding the purchase of lubricating oils (潤滑油), which was shared with association members as industry-related information.
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (経済産業省)minorOthers · 7 May 2025The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry requested cooperation for the Basic Survey on Enterprise Activities (企業活動基本調査) for 2026. Additionally, METI requested cooperation regarding the promotion of recycling of cemented carbide tool scrap (超硬工具スクラップのリサイクル促進).
• Japan Spring Society (日本ばね学会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2025The Japan Spring Manufacturers Association co-sponsors (協賛) the Japan Spring Society, which organizes the Annual Roundtable Discussion (懇話会). The 38th roundtable was held in January 2025 on the topic of 'Latest Metal Materials Technology (NIMS Initiatives)'.
• Eastern Branch (東部支部)coreOthersOne of three regional branches of the Japan Spring Manufacturers Association. The Eastern Branch manages member companies in the eastern Japan region and operates in coordination with the Tokyo headquarters. The headquarters and Eastern Branch offices relocated in July 2025.
• Central Branch (中部支部)coreOthersOne of three regional branches of the Japan Spring Manufacturers Association. The Central Branch manages member companies in central Japan (Chubu region) and organizes independent lectures and factory tours.
• Western Branch (西部支部)coreOthersOne of three regional branches of the Japan Spring Manufacturers Association. The Western Branch manages member companies in western Japan and organizes independent lectures and factory tours.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Japan Bearing Industrial Association (日本ベアリング工業会): Japanese trade association representing bearing manufacturers — a closely adjacent precision metal component sector with similar member profile, structure, government liaison role, and standardization activities.
• Japan Forging Industry Association (日本鍛造協会): Trade association for Japanese forging industry with comparable member profile (metal forming manufacturers), similar functions in standards and statistics, and similar government engagement on materials policy.
• Japan Auto Parts Industries Association (JAPIA): Trade association for Japanese automotive component manufacturers, of which spring producers are a key sub-segment. Shares the same government liaison, standards, and statistical publication functions as JSMA at a broader scope.
• Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association (JMTBA): Trade association for Japanese machine tool builders with similar industry body structure: membership-based, Tokyo-headquartered, statistics publication, government liaison, and international standards engagement.
• Japan Heat Treatment Association (日本熱処理技術協会): Trade association focused on heat treatment technologies — directly overlapping with JSMA's heat treatment furnace manufacturer member segment and serving a comparable niche technical industrial base in Japan.
• Japan Chain Manufacturers Association (日本チェーン工業会): Trade association for Japanese chain manufacturers, representing a closely adjacent specialty metal component sector with similar scale, member base, and Tokyo-headquartered trade association structure.
• Japan Spring Society (日本ばね学会): Academic sister organization focused on spring technology that JSMA co-sponsors for its annual 懇話会 (roundtable). Operates in the exact same niche (springs) but from a research/academic perspective, making it the closest functional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Japan Iron and Steel Federation (日本鉄鋼連盟): The dominant Japanese steel industry association, representing the upstream raw material suppliers (steel materials) to JSMA's spring manufacturer members. Much larger in scale and policy influence.
• Japan Society of Industrial Machinery Manufacturers (日本産業機械工業会): Broader Japanese industrial machinery trade association, overlapping with JSMA's equipment manufacturer members (coiling machines, forming machines, heat treatment furnaces) at a wider industry scope.

Regional players

• Verband der Deutschen Federnindustrie (VDFI): The German spring industry trade association, the closest international counterpart to JSMA. Serves the same sector but in a different geographic market (Germany/EU), with parallel standards, statistics, and government liaison functions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Japan Spring Manufacturers Association