What Tsukuba Wellness Research does

Tsukuba Wellness Research, Inc. (株式会社つくばウエルネスリサーチ, or TWR) is a private Japanese consulting firm incorporated on 1 July 2002 as a spin-off venture of the University of Tsukuba, with registered capital of ¥92 million and headquarters in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. The company operates a four-pillar service platform for municipal and corporate clients: (1) Smart Wellness City (健幸まちづくり) consulting that fuses health policy with urban planning, including walkable-city strategies and wellness-point programmes; (2) Evidence-Based Policy Making (EBPM) support, anchored by the proprietary SWC-AI analytic system covering status analysis, cause identification, future forecasting, policy recommendation, and policy evaluation; (3) health-indifferent-layer (健康無関心層) interventions including PFS/SIB-structured cross-regional wellness-point projects, wellness-ambassador training, and the Kids Wellness Ambassador programme; and (4) maternal and child-rearing women support via the MOM UP PARK programme delivered under Cabinet Office SIP Phase 3.

The firm generates revenue through professional-services consulting retainers (multi-year, project-based engagements with municipalities), tender-based contracts with national ministries and prefectures, recurring platform fees from the e-wellness ICT service (which embeds Tanita Health Link's T-Well algorithm), and SIB/PFS project facilitation fees. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise engagements; the only publicly disclosed price point is ¥330,000 (tax-inclusive) per seat for the five-day Wellness Management Training seminar, which has trained 543 participants across 26 sessions (76 municipalities, 162 companies). Distribution is primarily enterprise field sales targeting municipal health, welfare, urban-planning, sports-promotion, and childcare departments, augmented by co-marketed seminars with Tanita Health Link and Transcosmos and a secretariat role for the SWC Mayors' Research Association (131 member municipalities as of June 2026).

TWR employs 31 staff as of February 2025 and is led by founder-CEO Prof. Shinya Kuno, who concurrently holds a Tsukuba University professorship and the Programme Director role for Cabinet Office SIP. Custodianship of 20+ years of longitudinal evidence data across 100+ municipalities underpins quantified outcomes — including ¥12.5 billion in combined medical and long-term care cost suppression across four Phase 4 PFS municipalities versus a ¥6.5 billion target — which the firm leverages to demonstrate fiscal impact to client finance departments and to differentiate from typical Japanese health consulting competitors.

Name

Tsukuba Wellness Research

Legal name

株式会社つくばウエルネスリサーチ

Website

https://twr.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tsukuba Wellness Research is a University of Tsukuba spin-off (founded 2002) providing evidence-based wellness consulting to 100+ Japanese municipalities, integrating health policy, urban planning, AI-driven EBPM analysis, and PFS/SIB-structured wellness-point programmes to suppress municipal medical and long-term care costs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wellness policy consulting

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate/Workplace Wellness Coaching (HSADAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Women's Health & Life-Stage Wellness Education (Fertility, Pregnancy, Menopause) (EDAAAHAI), Mental Wellness & Resilience Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAK)

Keywords

• Municipal wellness consulting
• Evidence-based health policy
• Social impact bonds
• Wellness city development
• Population health management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chiba

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 自治体・企業向けコンサルティングサービス: Provides consulting on health planning, policy design, program management, and EBPM support to local governments and corporate health insurers. Revenue is project-based, typically structured as long-term engagements (multi-year contracts) with municipalities.
2. 国・省政府調査研究・ガイドライン策定業務: Tender-based government contracts with national ministries and prefectures for large-scale demonstration projects, survey research, and guideline development in healthcare, health, and long-term care sectors.
3. ICTヘルスケアサービス（e-wellness）提供・運用: Operation and provision of the e-wellness ICT platform to municipalities and corporate clients, enabling individual health program delivery and data tracking. Revenue derived from platform licensing and service fees.
4. 成果連動型事業（SIB/PFS）中間支援: Serves as intermediate support organisation for Social Impact Bond and Pay-for-Success projects involving multiple municipalities. Coordinates grant applications, KPI design, service provider management, and third-party evaluation. Revenue model tied to project facilitation and consulting fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tsukuba Wellness Research is a University of Tsukuba spin-off (2002) that provides evidence-based wellness consulting to Japanese municipalities and corporations. Core offerings include Smart Wellness City consulting (integrating health policy with urban planning), EBPM (Evidence-Based Policy Making) support powered by the proprietary SWC-AI system, Health-Indifferent Population Countermeasure programmes (wellness points, SIB/PFS outcome-based financing), child-rearing women's support (MOM UP PARK under Cabinet Office SIP), the e-wellness ICT healthcare platform embedding Tanita's T-Well algorithm, and the Wellness Management Training seminar programme.

Product overview

Tsukuba Wellness Research operates as a platform of wellness urban development consulting services with multiple integrated modules. The core offerings include 健幸まちづくり支援 (Smart Wellness City Support) consulting services that integrate health policies with urban planning, 施策評価（EBPM）支援 for evidence-based policy making featuring the proprietary 健幸政策SWC-AI system, 健康無関心層対策支援 targeting disengaged populations through wellness point programs and ambassador training, and 子育て女性支援 (MOM UP PARK) providing comprehensive support for child-rearing women. These services are supported by specialized tools including 健幸都市度WEB for data visualization, 成果連動型事業（SIB/PFS） for social impact financing programs, and the ウエルネスマネージメント研修会 for professional development. The company also provides complementary services such as 健幸都市政策研究会 (research symposia), 講師派遣 (lecturer dispatch), and initiatives like 健幸アンバサダー and キッズ健幸アンバサダー that cascade health literacy across generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOM UP PARK（マムアップパーク）: 妊娠・子育てママの「からだとこころ」を専門家と一緒にととのえる場。運動プログラムと相談・交流プログラムで構成され、DXを活用した伴走型支援を提供。
• SWC健幸ポイント
• 健幸政策SWC-AI
• 健幸アンバサダー
• キッズ健幸アンバサダー

Products and services

• Smart Wellness City Support (健幸まちづくり支援) Comprehensive consulting service for wellness-oriented urban development that integrates health policies with urban planning. Includes health promotion plan formulation, data health plan support, wellness point programmes, walkable city strategies, and the integration of urban policy with wellness policy. Targeted at Japanese municipal governments (health, welfare, urban planning, sports promotion departments).
• EBPM Support / 健幸政策SWC-AI (施策評価EBPM支援) Evidence-Based Policy Making (EBPM) support including medical and long-term care cost analysis, administrative planning assistance, and SWC-AI-powered health policy analysis (5 modules: status analysis, cause identification, future forecasting, policy proposal, policy evaluation). Targeted at Japanese municipalities seeking data-driven PDCA-style policy design.
• Health-Indifferent Population Countermeasure Support (健康無関心層対策支援) Service targeting the 'health uninterested' (~70% of population) using wellness point programs operated under the Cabinet Office PFS framework, plus Wellness Ambassador training and Kids Wellness Ambassador projects that cascade health information through family and community networks. Targeted at Japanese municipalities and corporate health insurance associations.
• Child-rearing Women Support / MOM UP PARK (子育て女性支援) Comprehensive support programme for child-rearing women delivered via online and onsite studios (MOM UP PARK) providing exercise programmes, consultation, and networking opportunities. Aimed at reproductive-age and parenting women, an underserved demographic in current health policy. Implemented nationally via SIP funding channel and partnership with Nippon Life Insurance.
• SIB/PFS Intermediate Support (成果連動型事業 中間支援) Intermediate support organisation service for Social Impact Bond (SIB) and Pay-for-Success (PFS) projects involving multiple municipalities. Responsibilities include grant application coordination, KPI design, service provider management, third-party evaluation, and cross-municipality coordination. Demonstrated combined ¥12.5 billion medical and long-term care cost suppression across Phase 4 (vs ¥6.5 billion target).
• ICT Healthcare Service (e-wellness) ICT-based healthcare platform developed and operated by TWR for over 20 years, embedding the T-Well algorithm from Tanita Health Link. Enables individualised exercise and nutrition prescription with continuous support and digitalised fitness age reversal tracking for data-driven health management across age groups. Licensed and operated for municipalities and corporate clients.
• Wellness Management Training Seminar (ウェルネスマネージメント研修会) 5-day intensive innovator training programme for wellness city implementation, covering issue identification, business creation, PDCA management, and health literacy. Targeted at municipal government staff, corporate health insurance personnel, and other health promotion professionals. Includes text materials; accommodation charged separately.

Quantifiable outcome

• ¥12.5 billion combined medical and long-term care cost suppression across 4 municipalities over Phase 4 (2021-2025), vs. ¥6.5 billion target — nearly 2x the goal.
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 筑波大学（ Tsukuba University）coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002TWR was founded as a Tsukuba University spin-off venture (2002). Prof. Shinya Kuno (CEO) concurrently serves as Professor at Tsukuba University's Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences. TWR and the university conduct ongoing joint research, with the SWC Policy Development Research Centre also established within the university. The university's latest academic findings are continuously integrated into TWR's consulting frameworks and proprietary systems (e.g., SWC-AI, e-wellness). This university partnership is the foundational anchor of TWR's evidence base.
• 日建設計総合研究所（Nikken Sekkei Research Institute）coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Nikken Sekkei Research, a leading architecture and urban planning think tank within the Nikken Group, to provide walkable city (ウォーカブル) strategic consulting services. This partnership integrates architectural and urban design expertise with TWR's wellness policy capabilities to address the five key elements of walkable city planning.
• タニタヘルスリンク（Tanita Health Link）coreTechnology or IntegrationTWR's e-wellness ICT platform embeds the T-Well health management system (developed and operated by Tanita Health Link). T-Well enables individual exercise and nutrition prescription with continuous support. Tanita Health Link is a core technology partner in the SIB/PFS projects and joint seminars. TWR and Tanita HL co-present at industry seminars.
• トランスコスモス（Transcosmos）minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-host of joint seminar series on effective wellness point programme design. Transcosmos contributes BPO operations expertise and large-scale service delivery capabilities to the partnership, complementing TWR's consulting methodology and Tanita Health Link's technology platform.
• 内阁府SIP（戦略的イノベーション創造プログラム）coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTWR participates as an implementing partner in Cabinet Office SIP Phase 3 (2023-2027), specifically the 'Inclusive Community Platform Construction' programme. CEO Kuno serves as SIP Programme Director. Projects include 'Community Co-evolving Digital Twin for Next-Generation Inclusive Urban Development' and 'Social Technology Development for Community Inclusion Enhancement and Prenatal/Parenting Women's Well-being Maximisation'. SIP participation also supports MOM UP PARK nationwide rollout.
• 日本生命（NISSAYペンギンプロジェクト）minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNippon Life Insurance (Nissay Penguin Project) entered an official partner contract with MOM UP PARK in April 2025. Nissay provides free programme access to approximately 7,000 parents of children using Nichiyo Kids nursery facilities. This partnership enables wide-scale reach for the MOM UP PARK programme while providing Nissay with a corporate social contribution initiative.
• スマートウエルネスコミュニティ議会coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Smart Wellness Community Council ( 一般社团法人スマートウエルネスコミュニティ協議会) is the implementing body for the Wellness Ambassador and Kids Wellness Ambassador projects. TWR houses the secretariat within its organisation and provides consulting on programme design, municipality recruitment, and activation strategies. The council has trained wellness ambassadors across member municipalities.
• 獨立行政法人日本医療研究開発機構（AMED）coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMED funded the 2017-2019 'AI-Enhanced Health Guidance System Research Promotion Project' (project leader: Prof. Kuno), which produced the foundational research for SWC-AI. AMED funding also supported the 2024-2026 MHLW project on ICT literacy-adapted elderly health programmes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture Japan: Global consulting leader with a Health & Public Service practice in Japan advising government and healthcare organizations on strategy, technology, and transformation. Overlaps with TWR's government consulting space, particularly around data-driven digital health programs and SIP-adjacent initiatives.
• Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting: Major global consulting firm with significant healthcare and government consulting practices in Japan. Not specialized in municipal wellness, but competes for large municipal and healthcare transformation engagements that overlap with TWR's territory, particularly on EBPM and digital-twin initiatives.

Direct peers

• Wellbe: Corporate health management and wellness platform in Japan offering health checkup analytics, lifestyle disease risk prediction, and population-health tools. Comparable to TWR's data-driven approach to organizational wellness and preventive-care programs.
• Link & Communication: Japanese SaaS provider specializing in corporate health insurance (Kenpo) data analytics and employee health management platforms. Comparable to TWR in serving the corporate health-insurance segment with technology-enabled wellness, specifically in the second-tier health-insurer segment TWR addresses.
• Wellti (formerly Mediplat): Corporate telehealth and wellness platform serving Japanese enterprises with online medical consultations, mental-health support, and employee wellness services. Comparable to TWR's broader wellness/coaching offerings and its Japanese enterprise/corporate channel.
• Persol Benefit One: Japan's largest corporate welfare and wellness benefits provider (formerly Benefit One, now part of Persol Group). Serves thousands of Japanese corporations with health management and wellness programs. Directly comparable to TWR's corporate health management consulting (健康経営) practice and corporate health-insurance segment.
• FiNC Technologies: AI-driven health coaching app and platform in Japan combining exercise, nutrition, and sleep tracking with personalized coaching. Closely comparable to TWR's e-wellness ICT platform and AI-driven wellness analytics approach.

Others

• Tanita: TWR's core technology partner; provides body-composition and weight-management devices plus the T-Well health-management algorithm embedded in TWR's e-wellness platform. As a hardware/infrastructure enabler rather than direct competitor, Tanita is a critical ecosystem participant in the same wellness space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@info_twr
• Facebookfacebook.com/TWR.TsukubaWellnessResearch/?locale=ja_JP
• Instagraminstagram.com/twr.jp_official

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Tsukuba Wellness Research