Osaka Restaurant Management Association

What Osaka Restaurant Management Association does

Osaka Restaurant Management Association (ORA; 一般社団法人大阪外食産業協会) is a non-profit industry association founded in October 1981 in Osaka, Japan, and currently operating from a single headquarters in the Osaka Kizu Central Wholesale Market. ORA serves the Kansai restaurant and food-service sector, with 538 member companies as of March 31, 2026 (196 regular members, 341 supporting members, 1 special member). Its primary constituents are food-service operators across formats — izakayas, fast food, fine dining, catering — plus a wider supporting-member ecosystem of ingredient wholesalers, beverage manufacturers (Kirin, Suntory, Sapporo), platform providers (Uber Eats Japan), and financial services. The association transitioned to General Incorporated Association status in April 2013 and is governed by a board of elected presidents, with the 21st President Saeki Shinya (Daiki Suisan CEO) taking office on May 28, 2026.

ORA's core product is ORA外食産業大学 (ORA Restaurant Industry University), a tiered education and certification system spanning Management School, Customer Service Leader Course, Customer Service Basic Seminar, Culinary Management Course, Chef Examination Preparation, New Employee Seminar, and Food Service Business Seminar. The system awards three industry-recognized certifications: 外食産業管理士 (Food Service Manager), 外食産業サービス士 (Food Service Specialist, grades 1/2/3), and 外食調理管理士 (Culinary Manager). Adjacent programs include HACCP-based Osaka Food Safety Certification, the Foreign Worker Fair Employment Platform (supported by a Toyota Foundation grant running May 2024–April 2027), and a 3rd-edition member textbook revised in 2025 to cover customer harassment (カスハラ) and cashless payment operations. ORA also operates a bimonthly official journal, conference room rental for members, and high-profile event programming including the ORA外食パビリオン「宴～UTAGE～」exhibited at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai from April–October 2025.

ORA's revenue model is built on three streams: scaled annual membership dues (¥60,000–¥300,000 depending on member revenue), pay-as-you-go education program fees (¥10,000–¥90,000 per course), and unit-priced textbook and journal sales (¥1,800 per textbook, ¥300–¥600 per journal issue). Membership is referral-gated (1 referral for regular, 2 for supporting) and the upper member segment is anchored on multi-unit chain operators (Daiki Suisan, Chibo, Onji Sho Foods, Ganko Food Service, Takahashi Foods, Repais, I&D, Watabe, Bonheur Food Service). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Strategic positioning is anchored by designated status as the Osaka Prefecture food-safety certification body, formal relationships with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, an industry-academia partnership with Osaka University of Tourism, and documented influence on the 2019 designation of 'food service' as a Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) visa-eligible sector.

Name

Osaka Restaurant Management Association

Legal name

一般、法人大阪外食産業協会

Website

https://ora.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ORA is a non-profit Japanese industry association founded in 1981 serving 538 restaurant and food service member companies in the Kansai/Osaka region. It delivers tiered education programs, association-specific certifications, foreign worker employment support, and food-safety certification under formal relationships with Osaka Prefecture and national ministries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality Assurance (QA), Coaching & Performance Management (EDABACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Restaurant industry association
• Food service education
• Hospitality certification programs
• Industry networking services
• Kansai food service advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream. Regular members pay annual dues scaled by company revenue (¥60,000–¥300,000/year) plus a one-time joining fee of ¥100,000. Supporting members pay ¥120,000/year annual dues, ¥100,000 joining fee, and ¥110,000 advertising fee. All fees are tax-deductible expenses.
2. Education and Training Programs: ORA外食産業大学 generates revenue through course fees. Management School (¥60,000–¥90,000 for 6 days), Customer Service Leader Course (¥35,000–¥53,000 for 4 days), Basic Seminar (¥10,000–¥20,000), Culinary Management Course (¥45,000–¥69,000), Chef Exam Prep (¥16,000–¥24,000), New Employee Seminar (¥10,000–¥15,000), Business Seminar (¥10,000–¥13,000). Additional fees for certification registration, examination, and textbooks.
3. Books and Publications: Sales of the textbook '飲食店の接客リーダー入門' (revised 3rd edition) priced at ¥1,800 (tax excluded). Member companies receive a 10% discount.
4. Official Journal (機関誌ORA): ORA publishes a bimonthly official journal. Member companies receive it as part of membership; external subscribers pay ¥600 per issue while members pay ¥300.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Osaka Restaurant Management Association (ORA) is a non-profit industry association that provides education, certification, networking, and policy advocacy services to restaurant and food service companies in the Osaka/Kansai region. Its core offering is ORA外食産業大学, a comprehensive training and certification system covering all career levels, supplemented by membership-based benefits including food safety certification, foreign worker employment support, the bimonthly official journal, and industry events.

Product overview

ORA (Osaka Restaurant Management Association) is a comprehensive industry association offering a unified platform of education, certification, and support services for food service businesses. The core offering is ORA外食産業大学, which provides structured training programs including マネジメントスクール for store managers, 接客リーダーコース and 接客ベーセクセミナー for service staff, 外食調理マネジメントコース for kitchen supervisors, and specialized seminars for new employees and executives. Supporting services include food safety certification (大阪版食の安全安心認証制度), foreign worker employment support (外国人適正雇用プラットフォーム), official textbooks, video content, and industry interview series. The association also organized the ORA外食パビリオン「宴～UTAGE～」 at the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ORA外食産業大学 (ORA Restaurant Industry University) A tiered education and certification platform for restaurant industry professionals, offering structured programs from new-hire orientation through executive management with industry-recognized credentials (外食産業管理士, 外食産業サービス士 1/2/3級, 外食調理管理士).
• マネジメントスクール (Management School) Training program for store managers and candidates covering leadership, financial management, cost control, and operational skills; awards the 外食産業管理士 (Food Service Manager) certification.
• 接客リーダーコース (Customer Service Leader Course) Course training store leaders and customer service managers to handle complaints, train staff, and improve workplace communication; awards the 外食産業サービス士 1級/2級 certification.
• 接客ベーシックセミナー (Customer Service Basic Seminar) Seminar for frontline staff covering basic customer service knowledge, skills, and communication techniques; awards the 外食産業サービス士 3級 certification.
• 外食調理マネジメントコース (Food Service Cooking Management Course)

Quantifiable outcome

• 538 member companies (196 regular + 341 supporting + 1 special) as of March 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• 公益財団法人トヨタ財団coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024ORA receives grant funding from the Toyota Foundation for the '外国人適正雇用プラットフォーム' (Fair Employment Platform for Foreign Workers) project. The 3-year project (May 2024 – April 2027) studies mismatch between foreign job seekers and restaurant employers, involving Japanese and Indonesian stakeholders, HR firms, researchers, Japanese language educators, and foreign support organizations.
• 一般법인外国人食品産業技能評価機構 (OTAFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORA collaborates with OTAFF, the government-designated testing institution for the '特定技能1号' (Specified Skilled Worker) visa for the food service industry. ORA issues recommendation letters to member companies for priority examination booking ('企業申込' system) and disseminates study materials for the Skills Measurement Test.
• 一般법인日本フードサービス協会majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerORA co-hosts and promotes national foreign worker employment initiatives with the Japan Food Service Association, including the '特定技能1号' visa program for the restaurant industry. Both associations jointly advocate to government for foreign worker policies.
• 大阪観光大学majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2007, ORA has partnered with Osaka University of Tourism to deliver industry-academia joint lectures. ORA executives teach '外食産業論' (Food Service Industry Theory) in the first semester and 'レストラン経営論' (Restaurant Management) in the second semester. ORA member companies can attend lectures free of charge.
• 大阪府coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORA functions as the authorized certification body for the Osaka Prefecture Food Safety Certification System (大阪版食の安全安心認証制度). The association conducts HACCP-based hygiene management certification for member restaurants in cooperation with Osaka Prefecture.
• 農林水産省majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerORA collaborates with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on food service industry policy. ORA's foreign employment project contributed to '外食業' being designated as an eligible sector for the '特定技能' visa in 2019. MAFF publishes ORA's foreign worker employment guidance.
• 大阪市minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerORA and Osaka City signed an agreement to promote '食べ残しゼロ' (zero food waste) initiatives in December 2017, demonstrating joint commitment to food waste reduction and sustainability.
• 2025年日本国際博覧協会coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORA was selected as an official exhibitor at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai (April 13 – October 13, 2025), showcasing the 'ORA外食パビリオン「宴～UTAGE～」' at the World Expo. The pavilion was developed as a signature culinary experience representing Japan's food culture.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Kinki Federation of Societies of Commerce and Industry (近畿商工会議所連合会): Regional federation of chambers of commerce in the Kansai area, sharing ORA's Osaka/Kansai focus and advocacy role for SME operators including restaurants. Useful boundary peer for understanding how ORA complements general SME infrastructure.
• Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (大阪商工会議所): General SME support body overlapping with ORA's restaurant operator members in the Kansai region. Provides seminars, networking, policy advocacy, and member benefits similar in structure, but across all industries.

Broad incumbents

• Japan Hotel Association (一般社団法人日本ホテル協会): Broad hospitality trade association covering hotels and adjacent food service. Comparable in operating structure (membership dues, training, government relations) but serves a related rather than directly overlapping membership base.

Regional players

• Tokyo Metropolitan Restaurant Industry Hygiene Cooperative (東京都飲食業生活衛生同業組合): Tokyo counterpart of the prefectural restaurant cooperative system, serving the largest Japanese food service market. Same municipal-level trade association model, but focused on the capital region rather than Kansai.

Direct peers

• National Federation of Restaurant Industry Cooperatives (全国飲食業生活衛生同業組合連合会): Umbrella body for prefectural restaurant cooperatives under the Food Sanitation Act. Runs nearly identical membership, training, and HACCP-certification functions for the restaurant industry as ORA, but at national scope with regional chapters.
• Japan Food Service Association (一般社団法人日本フードサービス協会 / JF): National restaurant industry trade association that co-hosts ORA's foreign-worker initiatives and shares the Specified Skilled Worker visa advocacy. Operates the same membership/certification/advocacy model at the national level, making it ORA's closest functional peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeora.or.jp/movie

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Osaka Restaurant Management Association