HOPE Japan

What HOPE Japan does

HOPE, INC. (株式会社ホープ) is a Japan-based, publicly listed (TSE Growth / Fukuoka Q-Board, ticker 6195) service company specializing in local government (municipal) solutions, founded in Fukuoka in February 2005 by Takayasu Tokitsu. The group operates through six wholly-owned subsidiaries — Jichitai Ad, Jichitai Works, Machiiro, Regional Revitalization Technology Lab, Jichitai Link, and Jichitai Career — delivering an integrated stack that includes paid municipal advertising (Smart Resource, Smart Creation), a media platform for municipal employees (Jichitai Works magazine, web portal, HA×SH business card service, free business cards), corporate hometown tax donation support, the Machiiiro municipal information distribution app, the Machikago local childcare information app, the AKISOL vacant-home consultation service, B-to-G telemarketing and field sales solutions, and an Energy Solutions electricity supply offering.

The business model is built around helping cash-constrained Japanese municipalities generate alternative revenue by monetizing municipal media spaces (bulletins, websites, newsletters, physical assets) and providing adjacent citizen-communication and administrative-support services. The primary customer segment is municipal and prefectural governments across Japan, served via a sales-led motion that combines inside sales/telemarketing with national field-sales branches (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku/Shikoku, Kyushu); private enterprises form a secondary segment accessing municipal procurement opportunities through the B-to-G Solutions offering. The company does not rely on a proprietary technology platform — its services are media, advertising, content, and consulting-driven rather than software-product based.

Headcount has grown from 93 employees at the time of the June 2016 IPO (public offering price ¥1,400 per share; initial market cap ~¥1.9B) to 192 by June 2019 and to over 200 by mid-2024. Disclosed revenue grew from ¥1,592M (FY2016) to a projected ¥3,862M (FY2019), though the company suffered approximately ¥8 billion in losses from the JEPX electricity market crisis of December 2020–January 2021, leading to a fiscal-year change (June to March) in March 2022 and a divisional reorganization. Cumulative revenue contribution to local government coffers since founding reached approximately ¥6.84 billion through Q3 FY2019. The CEO has stated an operating profit target of ¥10 billion for FY2025 (ending March 2025) and a long-term ¥10 billion annual sales goal.

Name

HOPE Japan

Legal name

株式会社ホープ

Website

https://zaigenkakuho.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Ipo

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HOPE Japan (TSE Growth: 6195) is a publicly listed Fukuoka-based service company that helps Japanese municipal governments generate revenue from municipal advertising spaces and provides adjacent media, citizen-communication, corporate hometown tax, vacant property, and B-to-G solutions through six operating subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Advertising and Media Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Media Representatives (54184), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Print Media Buying (Newspapers & Magazines) (BPAFABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Municipal advertising services
• Local government revenue
• Administrative media
• Corporate hometown tax
• Vacant property consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Business (広告事業): The foundational business generating revenue by utilizing various spaces across local governments (e.g., official bulletin boards, websites, newsletters, office buildings) as advertising media. Local governments receive advertising revenue while private companies gain promotion, sales, and branding benefits. This is the core/founding revenue stream.
2. Jichitai Works Business (ジチタイワークス事業): Operates media targeting local government employees; publishes the administrative magazine 'Jichitai Works'; provides platforms such as 'HA×SH' for government-to-citizen communication; offers BtoG solutions linking local governments with private enterprises; provides free collaborative publishing of information booklets (マチレット) for municipalities.
3. Corporate Hometown Tax Donation Support (企業版ふるさと納税支援事業): Supports local governments in solicitation activities for corporate tax donation programs and assists corporations in utilizing the system. Managed by Jichitai Link, Inc.
4. Akisol (アキソル) Vacant Property Business: Comprehensive consultation service for solving vacant property problems. Provides support for local government vacant property measures and property owners, acting as a companion through the resolution process.
5. MachIIRO (マチイロ) Municipality Information App: Provides a municipal information distribution app 'MachIIRO' that delivers latest news from registered municipalities, allows browsing of municipal official bulletins, and distributes content about local governments and communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HOPE Japan sells municipal advertising and media services that convert public-sector spaces (bulletin boards, websites, newsletters, office buildings) into paid advertising media, sharing the resulting revenue with local governments while giving private companies branding and sales-channel access. The group also publishes the Jichitai Works magazine and related media for local-government employees, supports corporate hometown tax donation programs, runs the AKISOL vacant-property consultation service, and operates the MachIIRO municipal information mobile app.

Product overview

HOPE Japan is a service company specializing in local government (municipality) solutions, offering a portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include: (1) the Advertisement Business, which helps municipalities generate revenue by utilizing their spaces for advertising through SMART RESOURCE and SMART CREATION services; (2) the Jichitai Works Business, providing media services for municipal employees including the administrative magazine 『ジチタイワークス』, web platform, free business cards, and BtoG solutions; (3) Corporate Hometown Tax Support Services; (4) the AKISOL vacant home consultation service; and (5) the MACHIIRO municipal information app. Products are delivered across multiple brands including ジチタイワークス (media), 自治体クリップ (BtoB knowledge portal), and various sub-products like マチレット (resident information booklets). The company operates through subsidiaries including JICHITAI AD, INC., JICHITAI WORKS, INC., MACHIIRO, INC., and JICHITAI LINK, INC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ジチタイワークス (JICHITAI WORKS): Local government employee media operation and civil-public collaboration support business — publishes the administrative magazine 'ジチタイワークス' for municipal workers
• マチイロ (MACHIIRO)
• アキソル (AKISOL)
• ジチタイリンク (JICHITAI LINK)
• 自治体クリップ (Jichitai Clip)
• HA×SH (Hash)
• ジチワクWEB (JichiWaku WEB)

Products and services

• Advertisement Business (広告事業) Paid municipal advertising service that proposes advertising opportunities in spaces owned by local governments (bulletin boards, websites, newsletters, office buildings) to private companies. Helps municipalities secure alternative revenue while giving private companies branding, sales, and customer-acquisition benefits.
• Jichitai Works Business (ジチタイワークス事業) Media business for local-government employees that publishes the administrative magazine 'Jichitai Works' and related web platforms, and provides BtoG solutions that support activities of both municipalities and private companies.
• Corporate Hometown Tax Donation Support (企業版ふるさと納税支援事業) Support service run by subsidiary JICHITAI LINK, INC. that assists local governments with corporate hometown tax donation solicitation activities and helps corporations utilize the corporate version of the hometown tax donation system.
• AKISOL Vacant Property Consultation Service (アキソル事業) Comprehensive consultation service for solving vacant-property problems, acting as a companion service for both municipalities' vacant-property countermeasures and the fundamental resolution of issues for vacant-property owners.
• MachIIRO Municipal Information Distribution Service (マチイロ事業) Subscription-based mobile application operated by subsidiary MACHIIRO, INC. that delivers the latest information from registered municipalities, allows residents to view municipal public-relations papers, and distributes content about local governments and regions.
• BtoG Solutions Service BtoG (Business to Government) solutions service that connects private companies with local-government opportunities through integrated marketing, inside sales, telemarketing, and field-sales approaches.
• Machilet Resident Information Booklet Service (マチレット) Free collaborative publishing service that produces information booklets for residents (e.g., childcare and nursing-care guides) jointly with municipalities to reduce municipal expenses.
• Machikago Local Childcare Information App (マチカゴ) Mobile application distributing local childcare information with residence- and child-age-based personalization, family calendar sharing, and direct contact with consultation services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cumulative local government revenue secured of approximately ¥68.4 billion since founding (through Q3 FY2019)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• B-biz LINK ((一社)別府市産業連携・協働プラットフォーム)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019B-biz LINK is a general incorporated association that supports local industry collaboration and cooperation in Beppu City. HOPE worked with Beppu City through B-biz LINK for the 'Beppu New Standard' product development initiative featured in the 2019 shareholder benefit program.
• Officer Comainu (オフィスコマイヌ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Local company in Beppu City involved in the 'Beppu New Standard' initiative for developing and selling local specialty products. Co-founded by Yoshida Takuya, the company handles sales promotion of locally-produced goods and has been involved in the initiative since its inception.
• Trim Co., Ltd. (Trim株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for the 'mamaro' (ママロ) nursing room product. Trim develops, manufactures, and operates the mamaro portable nursing room. HOPE promotes the introduction of mamaro units to local governments as part of its social contribution services. The first local government to install mamaro was Omura City in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Wantedly, Inc. Japanese HR/marketing platform connecting companies with talent and business opportunities. Adjacent to HOPE's JICHITAI CAREER subsidiary (HR/staffing for municipalities) and its BtoG solutions business.

Broad incumbents

• ADK Holdings Inc. Japanese advertising agency holding company with creative, media, and content offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent in advertising services adjacent to HOPE's BtoG advertising intermediation.
• Dentsu Group Inc. Global advertising and marketing services group headquartered in Tokyo; competes for the same advertiser spend that HOPE secures through municipal media placements. Far larger and broader portfolio.
• Hakuhodo DY Holdings: Japan's largest advertising agency group, providing full-service campaign management, media buying, and creative across print, broadcast, digital, and out-of-home — overlapping with HOPE's SMART RESOURCE/SMART CREATION advertising business but at much broader scale.
• Asahi Shimbun Holdings: National newspaper group with regional/local news distribution that overlaps with HOPE's MachIIRO municipal-news app and municipal advertising channels, though at vastly different scale and with a broader news media focus.
• Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. A large incumbent operating across HR media, marketing, and information services in Japan — overlapping with HOPE's media/marketing capabilities for municipalities (e.g., Jichitai Clip, Jichitai Works). Significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Others

• MACROMILL, Inc. Digital marketing research and analytics firm serving Japanese enterprises. Comparable as a Japanese marketing/insights services player whose data capabilities complement or compete with HOPE's BtoG market intelligence offering.
• Toppan Holdings Inc. Large printing and communications conglomerate producing books, magazines, and government/public-sector information materials. Adjacent because HOPE's Machilet booklets and Jichitai Works magazine share printing/communications infrastructure considerations.
• Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. Major Japanese printing group producing publications, commercial printing, and information communications. Relevant as a potential production partner or competitor for HOPE's municipal publishing services.

Direct peers

• Faith, Inc. Faith publishes free magazines, town magazines, and recruitment media in Japan — a directly comparable model to HOPE's Jichitai Works magazine and Machilet information booklets. Both monetize local/town-level content with advertising and BtoG angle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zaigenkakuho
• Instagraminstagram.com/hope_zaigenkakuho
• Xx.com/zaigenkakuho

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about HOPE Japan