JA Kyosai Research Institute

What JA Kyosai Research Institute does

JA Kyosai Research Institute (JA共済総合研究所, JKRI) is a non-profit general incorporated association (一般社団法人) established on April 1, 1991, with contributions from JA Kyosai Federation, that functions as the dedicated research arm of Japan's agricultural cooperative (JA) group. Headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, with a secondary training facility at the JA Kyosai Makuhari Training Center in Chiba, the institute employs 33 full-time staff (including 15 research staff) and 5 visiting researchers. Its mission is to research the life, property protection, accident prevention, and economic stability of residents in Japan's agricultural, mountain, and fishing village (農山漁村) regions, where depopulation, aging, and limited healthcare infrastructure are acute challenges.

The institute's core outputs fall into five research domains: social welfare and social security (介護・子育て・農福連携), regional society/living/environment, accident and medical, economics and finance, and mutual aid/insurance (共済・保険). Research is delivered through an annual academic journal (共済総合研究), a quarterly periodical (共済総研レポート, now at No.202), special editions, and seminar-proceedings books, plus commissioned surveys and the medical training program for JA Kyosai automobile mutual aid staff at the Makuhari Training Center. A joint research course with Tokyo University of Science (since April 2016) on musculoskeletal health, and visiting researchers from the University of Tokyo, supply specialized medical and policy expertise. In March 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries awarded JKRI a Certificate of Achievement for Contribution to Rural Revitalization, valid through March 2029.

JKRI has no commercial revenue model: it is funded entirely by membership contributions from JA group entities, including JA Kyosai Federation, JA Zenchu, JA Zennoh, JA Zenkoren, Norinchukin Bank, and JF Kyosuiren, with additional commissioned research from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Publications are freely distributed via its website and direct distribution to JA members. There are no external investors, no equity structure, and no M&A history. Operations are Japan-only and the operating model is content-led (research publications, seminars, medical training) rather than technology-led, with no disclosed AI/ML, software, or API products.

Name

JA Kyosai Research Institute

Legal name

一般社団法人 JA共済総合研究所

Website

https://jkri.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JA Kyosai Research Institute is a non-profit Japanese think tank founded in 1991 that conducts policy, welfare, and medical research for the JA agricultural cooperative group, serving rural and fishing village communities through publications, seminars, and commissioned studies funded by JA member organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Cooperative Research

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Mutual aid insurance research
• Agricultural cooperative studies
• Rural community welfare research
• Cooperative economics analysis
• Accident and medical research

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions from JA group organizations: JKRI is funded by member organizations including JA Kyosai Federation (JA共済連), JA Zenchu (JA全中), JA Zennoh (JA全農), JA Zenkoreng (JA全厚連), Norinchukin Bank, Japan Agricultural News, JA Tourism Association, Ie no Hikari Association, and JA Fishery Mutual Aid Federation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

JA Kyosai Research Institute is a general incorporated association that conducts research and publishes findings on agricultural cooperatives, social welfare, accident and medical issues, and the economics of mutual aid insurance for the JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives) group. It produces periodic reports, an annual research journal, special-topic books, and conducts joint academic research with Tokyo University of Science, while also providing medical training services to JA Kyosai member organizations.

Product overview

JA Kyosai Research Institute operates as a research think tank within the JA (Agricultural Cooperative) mutual aid system. The institute offers a portfolio of publications including the annual research journal (共済総合研究), quarterly reports (共済総研レポート), special editions (共済総研レポート・別冊), and published books covering social welfare, rural community development, accident prevention, medical research, economics, and insurance topics. Core services include medical training programs for JA Kyosai staff at the Makuhari Training Center and commissioned research surveys across five research areas. The institute functions as a traditional research organization rather than a technology platform company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kyosai Soken Report (共済総研レポート)
• Kyosai Soken Report Special Edition (共済総研レポート・別冊)
• Comprehensive Kyosai Research (共済総合研究)
• Books and monographs (書籍)
• Joint research with Tokyo University of Science
• Medical training service for JA Kyosai member organizations

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded April 1991 — over 34 years of continuous research

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tokyo University of Science (東京科学大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2016Established a joint research course (共同研究講座, Joint Research Course) from April 2016 with Tokyo University of Science (formerly Tokyo Medical and Dental University) on musculoskeletal health research for aging populations in agricultural/fishing village regions. The 'Department of Functional Joint Anatomy' conducts clinical research, anatomy, and imaging diagnostics to understand and prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (農林水産省)coreOthersCollaborates on agricultural labor force research, rural revitalization policies, and food security studies. JKRI received the Ministry's 'Certificate of Achievement for Contribution to Rural Revitalization' in March 2026.
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省)coreOthersCollaborates on welfare, elderly care, nursing care insurance, and welfare-to-work programs (農福連携) for rural communities.
• JA Kyosai Federation (全国共済農業協同組合連合会 / JA共済連)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJKRI was established by JA共済連 funding (JA共済連の出えん) in April 1991. JKRI conducts research commissioned by JA共済連 and supports JA group member organizations with evidence-based research. JKRI receives entrusted medical training projects from JA共済連.
• Japan Agricultural Cooperatives Central Council (JA全中 / 全国農業協同組合中央会)coreOthersMember organization of JKRI. Collaborates on agricultural policy, rural community development, and cooperative research.
• Japan Agricultural Cooperatives National Federation (JA全農 / 全国農業協同組合連合会)coreOthersMember organization of JKRI. Collaborates on agricultural economics, food policy, and rural development research.
• Norinchukin Bank (農林中央金庫)coreOthersMember organization of JKRI. Collaborates on agricultural finance and rural economic research.
• Japan Agricultural Welfare Federation (JA全厚連 / 全国厚生農業協同組合連合会)coreOthersMember organization of JKRI. Collaborates on rural healthcare and welfare research.
• Japan Agricultural Fishery Mutual Aid Federation (全国共済水産業協同組合連合会 / JF共水連)minorOthersMember organization of JKRI. Collaborates on fisheries mutual aid research.
• Japan Association of Welfare-Work Integration (日本農福連携協会)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJKRI and JA共済連 signed a comprehensive partnership agreement (包括連携協定) with the Japan Association of Welfare-Work Integration (Nouchie) in April 2023 to promote agricultural-welfare integration (農福連携) connecting farming labor needs with welfare employment opportunities.
• National Network of Prefectural Agricultural-Welfare Integration (農福連携全国都道府県ネットワーク)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperating organization for JKRI's agricultural-welfare integration (農福連携) research initiatives.
• University of Tokyo (東京大学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple JKRI visiting researchers are affiliated with the University of Tokyo, including Professor Suzuki Nobuhiro (東京大学特任教授/鈴木宣弘) who contributes research on food security and agricultural policy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Japan Research Institute (日本総研): Major Japanese think tank providing economic research, policy consulting, and technology advisory. Operates in adjacent consulting/research territory to JKRI's economics and policy work, with a much broader commercial client base.
• Policy Research Institute, MAFF (農林水産政策研究所): Government-affiliated research institute conducting policy research on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Operates in a closely adjacent space to JKRI but with broader scope, government backing, and significantly larger scale, making it both a partner and a competitor for policy research commissions.
• Daiwa Institute of Research (大和総研): Large Japanese research institute producing economic, financial, and policy analysis. Competes with JKRI in the economics/finance research domain, particularly for government and institutional clients, though at substantially larger scale and broader scope.
• Dai-ichi Economic Research Institute (第一生命経済研究所): Life insurance industry-affiliated research institute. Comparable to JKRI in its mission to provide research support to a mutual aid/insurance ecosystem, but with commercial orientation and a larger research staff.
• NLI Research Institute (ニッセイ基礎研究所): Major Japanese think tank conducting research on insurance, pensions, healthcare, and economic policy. Competes with JKRI specifically in the insurance/mutual aid research domain and represents what a more diversified, commercially funded version of a similar research model could look like.

Direct peers

• JC Research Institute (日本協同組合連携機構): Conducts research and policy advocacy for Japanese consumer cooperatives. Operates a similar model of cooperative-system-funded research serving a member-driven ecosystem, making it a directly comparable Japanese cooperative think tank.
• Norinchukin Research Institute (農林中金総合研究所): The research arm of Norinchukin Bank, one of JKRI's own funding members. Both operate as think tanks within the JA agricultural cooperative ecosystem conducting research on agricultural finance, rural economics, and cooperative issues—directly comparable in mission, funding model, and stakeholder base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about JA Kyosai Research Institute