Social Welfare Corporation

What Social Welfare Corporation does

Social Welfare Corporation (社会福祉法人 清水旭山学園) is a Japanese nonprofit social welfare corporation established in 1978, headquartered in Shimizu Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido. It operates approximately 46 facilities across four business divisions: (1) elderly welfare services including a 60-bed special nursing home, a 29-bed community-based facility, a 9-bed dementia group home, a 19-bed short-stay unit, and a 35-capacity day service center; (2) disability welfare services including residential facilities (combined capacity of 200+), day services, and an 8-location/60-resident group home network across Shimizu Town and Obihiro City; (3) food production including stone-mill 100% buckwheat soba processing, organic vegetable cultivation, trout salmon aquaculture using Hidaka Mountain underground water, and free-range chicken farming; and (4) recycled plastic products manufacturing (Hokkaido-certified universal stakes and benches from agricultural plastic waste). The organization operates an integrated circular economy where food processing byproducts are converted to poultry feed, which produces compost fertilizer for crops.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: government welfare insurance reimbursements (Kaigo Hoken long-term care insurance and Shougai Fukushi Service disability welfare services) covering ~90% of welfare operations, direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales via the Asahiyama Nou-shijuku online store (selling frozen soba, smoked trout salmon, vegetable powders, organic vegetables, wasabi pickles, kinako, and burdock tea nationwide via Yamato Transport), a physical stone-mill soba restaurant and retail shop on National Route 274 in Shimizu Town (items priced 600–1,100 JPY), and B2B sales of Hokkaido-certified recycled plastic products to regional agricultural businesses and municipal governments. The customer mix is bifurcated between welfare beneficiaries (government-referred, insurance-paid) and commercial consumers (individual e-commerce buyers, walk-in restaurant customers, B2B agricultural buyers). The organization is supported by recurring grant funding from public foundations including JKA (Japan Keirin), the Central Racehorse Owner Social Welfare Foundation, Yamato Welfare Foundation, and ongoing Hokkaido Prefecture operational subsidies, plus a comprehensive regional brand built over 45+ years of continuous operation.

Name

Social Welfare Corporation

Legal name

社会福祉法人 清水旭山学園

Website

https://asahiyama.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Social Welfare Corporation (清水旭山学園) is a Hokkaido-based nonprofit established in 1978 that operates disability and elderly care facilities, group homes, organic food production (soba, trout salmon, vegetables), and recycled plastic manufacturing, serving intellectually disabled persons, elderly requiring long-term care, and individual food consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Services (Elderly and Disability Care)

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF)

Keywords

• Social welfare services
• Elderly care services
• Disability care services
• Special nursing home
• Group home services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kamikawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Welfare Services Revenue: Core social welfare services including residential care facilities (disability support facilities, special nursing homes), day services, short-term stays, group homes, home care support, and welfare consulting. Revenue is derived from government welfare insurance (介護保険, 障害福祉サービス) reimbursements based on service provision to beneficiaries. The organization operates facilities for intellectually disabled persons, elderly care, dementia care, and community-based living support.
2. Online Store / E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of food products through the 旭山農志塾 online store (webshop). Products include frozen soba noodles, vegetable powders, organic boiled corn, yam wasabi pickles, green soybean kinako, roasted burdock tea, and smoked trout salmon. Payment methods include cash on delivery, bank transfer, and Yucho bank transfer. Frozen/cooler shipping with Yamato Transport.
3. Plastic Recycling Product Sales: Agricultural plastic recycling operations at 御影農志塾 produce and sell recycled plastic universal stakes and benches. Products are designated Hokkaido-certified recycling products. Direct sales of manufactured recycled plastic products to agricultural businesses and local governments.
4. Restaurant and Retail Storefront Sales: Physical restaurant operations at 石臼挽き十割そば 農志塾 (soba restaurant) selling soba dishes (600–1,100 JPY per item), and a retail shop selling agricultural and processed products directly to walk-in customers. Located on National Route 274 in Shimizu Town.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Social Welfare Corporation operates social welfare services for persons with intellectual disabilities and elderly persons requiring care, including residential facilities, day services, group homes, special nursing homes, dementia care, and home care support across Hokkaido. Alongside welfare services, the organization runs integrated food production (organic vegetables, stone-mill 100% buckwheat soba, trout salmon aquaculture) and agricultural plastic recycling (recycled universal stakes and benches), forming a closed-loop circular economy system where food waste is recycled into poultry feed and organic fertilizer.

Product overview

Social Welfare Corporation (社会福祉法人清水旭山学園) operates a diversified welfare and production organization with four main business divisions: elderly welfare services (老人福祉事業), disability welfare services (障がい者福祉事業), food production/manufacturing (食品生産事業), and plastic product manufacturing (プラスチック製品). The organization runs multiple facilities including special nursing homes, disability support facilities, group homes, and operates an e-commerce platform (旭山農志塾オンラインストア) selling food products including frozen buckwheat soba (冷凍十割そば), smoked trout salmon (トラウトサーモンスモーク), vegetable powders (野菜パウダー), and organic agricultural products. A restaurant (石臼挽き十割そば農志塾) provides stone mill ground soba. The plastic recycling division produces fence posts and benches from agricultural waste plastics. The organization maintains a circular economy system where food waste is recycled into chicken feed, which produces fertilizer for agriculture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 石臼挽き十割そば 農志塾: Stone mill hand-cut 100% buckwheat noodle restaurant using Hokkaido-produced soba flour, open since June 2022 at Route 274 in Shimizu Town
• 旭山農志塾オンラインストア

Products and services

• Elderly Welfare Services (老人福祉事業) Comprehensive elderly care services including special nursing home (特別養護老人ホーム), short-term stay, day care (デイサービス), dementia care group homes, home care support services, and welfare consulting for persons certified as requiring long-term care (Kaigo Levels 1-5). Reimbursed through government long-term care insurance (介護保険).
• Disability Welfare Services (障がい者福祉事業) Support services for persons with intellectual disabilities including residential facilities (90 residents at main campus), day services (40 users), employment support (Type B employment continuation), group homes (8 locations, 60 capacity), and consultation services. Services span life care, vocational training, and community-based independent living support. Reimbursed through disability welfare services (障害福祉サービス).
• Food Production Business (食品生産事業) Integrated food production including trout salmon aquaculture using underground water from Hidaka Mountains, organic farming using only compost fertilizer (no chemical fertilizers), free-range chicken farming (北海地鶏), and rice milling. Operated as a Type B employment continuation support facility for persons with disabilities.
• Plastic Products Manufacturing and Sales (プラスチック製品 製造販売) Complete recycling of agricultural waste plastics (used vinyl, mulch sheets, fertilizer bags, seedling boxes) into recycled plastic fence posts and benches, certified as Hokkaido Certified Recycling Products. Operated as a Type B employment continuation support facility for persons with disabilities.
• Frozen 100% Buckwheat Soba (冷凍十割そば) Stone mill ground 100% buckwheat noodles made from Hokkaido-grown soba, frozen immediately after production. Available in 6-serving sets with sauce (240g per serving: 160g noodles + 80ml sauce). Gluten-free product. Price: 2,223 JPY (2,400 JPY tax-inclusive).
• Smoked Trout Salmon (トラウトサーモンスモーク) Smoked trout salmon product made from fish raised in pure underground water from Hidaka Mountains. No preservatives used. Available in 100g x 4 bags. Price: 3,700 JPY (3,996 JPY tax-inclusive). Shelf life: 6 months frozen.
• Trout Salmon Fillet (トラウトサーモンフィレ) Boneless trout salmon fillet suitable for sashimi, flash-frozen at ultra-low temperatures. Can be eaten as sashimi or cooked as meniere or fried dishes.
• Vegetable Powder Products (野菜パウダー各種) Organic vegetable powders made from fresh vegetables including pumpkin, sweet corn, carrot, burdock, and green soybean kinako. Used for cooking, baking, and nutritional supplements. Sample set (5 varieties with gift box) priced at 2,950 JPY (3,186 JPY tax-inclusive).
• Organic Wasabi in Soy Sauce (山わさび醤油漬) Organic wasabi cultivated in Tokachi Shimizu Town, pickled in special soy sauce. Unique sharp flavor characteristic of Hokkaido-grown field wasabi.
• Roasted Tokachi Burdock Tea (焙煎十勝ごぼう茶) Tea made from organically cultivated burdock from Tokachi region, roasted for rich flavor.
• Green Soybean Flour (緑大豆きな粉) Flour made from organically cultivated green soybeans from Tokachi Shimizu Town. Non-GMO. Fine particles that dissolve easily.
• Stone Mill 100% Buckwheat Soba Restaurant (石臼挽き十割そば 農志塾) Restaurant serving stone mill ground 100% buckwheat soba made from Hokkaido soba flour. Menu items include Mori Soba 600 JPY, Kake Soba 700 JPY, Karonegi Daikon Bukkake Soba 900 JPY, Tempura Soba 950 JPY, Jidori Chicken Soba 1,100 JPY, Curry Soba 950 JPY, Tempura Assortment 900 JPY, Tendon 1,000 JPY. Open 11:00-15:00, closed Mondays.
• Recycled Plastic Universal Posts (塑料万能杭) Recycled plastic fence posts certified as Hokkaido Certified Recycling Products. Used for property boundaries and wildlife intrusion prevention fences. Manufactured from agricultural waste plastics collected, sorted, compressed, and pelletized at the facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of food processing waste is recycled into poultry feed through the closed-loop circular economy system
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• JR北海道 (JR Hokkaido)minorOthers · 28 October 2024JR北海道 recognized 地域生活支援センター for volunteer activities conducted since 1995 — joint window cleaning, platform cleaning, trash collection, and restroom cleaning at Mikage Station with JR employees. JR北海道 issued a letter of appreciation to the organization.
• 一般법인 생명보험협회 오비히로협회 (General Life Insurance Association, Obihiro Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 August 2018The General Life Insurance Association Obihiro chapter donated a steam cooking unit (角蒸器一式) to 旭山農志塾 for organic pesticide-free agricultural product processing and sales operations. The donation was made as social welfare organization equipment support.
• 天皇賜杯 全日本軟式野球大会 (Emperor's Cup National Soft Baseball Tournament)minorOthers · 3 August 2017The corporation's 職員野球部 (staff baseball team, '旭山俱league部 Ivagawa team) won the Hokkaido Regional Championship of the 72nd Emperor's Cup National Soft Baseball Tournament and qualified for the national finals in Hyogo Prefecture. The team has won the National Social Welfare Baseball Championship 4 times.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Social Welfare Corporation Naeba Fukushikai (社会福祉法人 苗場福祉会): Niigata-based social welfare corporation providing residential, day, and employment support services to persons with disabilities and elderly. Comparable because both organizations operate multi-facility welfare campuses with employment support, agricultural and food production, and group home networks under the 社会福祉法人 legal form.
• Social Welfare Corporation Asahigawa-sō (社会福祉法人 旭川荘): Major Okayama-based social welfare corporation operating extensive residential, medical, and employment support services for persons with intellectual disabilities and elderly. Comparable because both organizations run integrated welfare campuses combining residential care, employment support (B-type), and ancillary commercial/farm activities.

Others

• Ryūgetsudō Co., Ltd. (株式会社 柳月): Established Hokkaido confectionery producer with national e-commerce distribution and a Tokachi-region supply base. Comparable as a Hokkaido-origin specialty food brand that scaled from a regional base into nationwide online sales — illustrating the growth trajectory potentially available to the subject corporation's soba and trout salmon SKUs.
• JA Tokachi (十勝農業協同組合連合会): Federation of agricultural cooperatives in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. Comparable because the subject corporation sources buckwheat and agricultural inputs from, and competes for organic produce market access alongside, Tokachi JA-affiliated producers; both serve the same Hokkaido organic/buckwheat value chain.
• Public Foundation Yamato Welfare Foundation (公益財団法人 ヤマト福祉財団): Major Japanese welfare foundation funding equipment and programs for welfare organizations supporting employment of persons with disabilities. Comparable because the foundation directly funds the subject corporation's soba processing machinery, and similar foundations serve as recurring grant partners for B-type employment support operators nationwide.

Regional players

• Hokkaido Social Welfare Association (社会福祉法人 北海道社会事業協会): Hokkaido's regional social welfare association providing elderly and disability services across the prefecture. Comparable because both organizations operate within Hokkaido's welfare insurance framework (介護保険/障害福祉サービス), serving the same Tokachi/Sorachi regional beneficiary pool and contracting with the same municipal welfare offices.

Broad incumbents

• Seirei Social Welfare Foundation (社会福祉法人 聖隷福祉事業団): One of Japan's largest and longest-operating social welfare corporations, providing a wide continuum of elderly, disability, and medical services across multiple prefectures. Comparable because both organizations are multi-decade social welfare corporations operating integrated elderly and disability service portfolios under the same legal framework.

Emerging players

• TerraCycle Japan (テラサイクル ジャパン): Specialty recycling company operating hard-to-recycle plastic recovery programs in Japan with corporate and municipal partnerships. Comparable because both organizations operate agricultural and consumer plastic recycling into finished products (universal stakes, benches vs. consumer goods), giving the subject corporation a potential partner-or-competitor in scaling plastic recycling output.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/noshijyuku

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries13 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 Social Welfare Corporation