Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J)

What Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) does

NACS-J (Nature Conservation Society of Japan) is a Japanese public interest foundation (公益財団法人) founded in 1951 and headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. It operates as one of Japan's oldest science-based nature conservation NGOs, running 21 active projects organized around four thematic pillars: expanding nature interaction opportunities and cultivating conservation guardians, protecting endangered species and their habitats, safeguarding at-risk natural areas, and leveraging conserved natural blessings for sustainable society. Programs span terrestrial, marine, and coastal ecosystems and include the National Beach Movement (over 1.7 million cumulative participants), Monitoring Site 1000 satoyama biodiversity surveys at approximately 200 sites, species-specific protection work (Asiatic black bear, Golden Eagle, Japanese Sparrowhawk, grassland butterflies), and the volunteer Nature Observation Instructor program. NACS-J also coordinates internationally through the IUCN Japan Committee.

The organization's revenue is derived primarily from individual supporter memberships (starting at 1,000 yen/month), one-time donations, legacy and inheritance gifts, and corporate partnerships (e.g., Mitsubishi Estate, NTT Docomo, Montbell, Patagonia Japan). Its go-to-market combines community-led volunteer activation, direct corporate and municipal engagement, and citizen science data collection through partner apps such as BIOME (wildlife observation) and Pirika (trash collection). A newly launched April 2026 demonstration project applies AI and satellite image analysis to wide-area vegetation and wildlife estimation, in partnership with NTT Docomo and Tokorozawa City, marking an early step into technology-enabled biodiversity monitoring as a complement to traditional field surveys.

NACS-J has received the 2025 Ministry of the Environment Green Day Commendation and runs the annual Japan Nature Conservation Grand Prize (consecutively in 2025 and 2026). The organization operates with a very small core staff (1-10 employees) supplemented by a nationwide network of trained volunteer instructors, enabling broad geographic reach across Japan with limited fixed-cost infrastructure.

Name

Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J)

Legal name

公益 日本自然保護協会

Website

https://nacsj.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NACS-J is a Japanese public interest foundation founded in 1951 that protects biodiversity through 21 projects across 4 themes, combining citizen science, volunteer instructor networks, and partnerships with corporations and municipalities nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Biodiversity conservation
• Environmental advocacy
• Nature education
• Wildlife monitoring
• Habitat protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Shinkawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees and donations: NACS-J receives ongoing support through supporter memberships starting from 1,000 yen per month and one-time donations. This forms the primary recurring revenue stream for the organization's conservation activities.
2. Corporate partnerships and sponsorships: The organization collaborates with corporations for biodiversity conservation projects, including corporate donations, product partnerships (e.g., Montbell donation T-shirts), and sponsorship of specific conservation initiatives.
3. Legacy and inheritance donations: NACS-J accepts legacy donations and contributions from inherited assets, providing tax-deductible donation options for supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NACS-J is a public interest foundation operating 21 conservation projects across 4 activity themes (expanding nature interaction opportunities, protecting endangered species, protecting at-risk natural areas, and leveraging conserved nature for sustainable society). It delivers its work through citizen science programs, volunteer Nature Observation Instructor training, corporate-government partnerships, and policy advocacy across Japan.

Product overview

Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) is a public interest foundation that operates conservation programs organized around 4 thematic areas and 21 active projects. The organization's portfolio includes: (1) Land conservation area creation and management, (2) Marine conservation initiatives including the 全国砂浜ムーブメント (National Beach Movement), coral reef monitoring and restoration, and sea turtle protection, (3) Endangered species conservation programs for birds of prey (Golden Eagle, Japanese Sparrowhawk), Asiatic black bear in Shikoku, and butterflies, (4) Nature observation instructor training and certification, (5) Environmental education initiatives for children, (6) Nature positive approach implementation with local governments and enterprises, and (7) International coordination through IUCN Japan Committee. The 全国砂浜ムーブメント includes three core citizen science actions: distributing beach notebooks to children (砂浜ノート), conducting beach wildlife surveys via the BIOME app, and beach cleanup activities tracked through the Pirika app. These projects are free community programs rather than commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 全国砂浜ムーブメント (National Beach Movement): Campaign to protect Japan's beaches and coastal environments with goal of increasing beach awareness to 300,000 participants.
• モニタリングサイト1000里地調査 (Monitoring Site 1000 Satoyama Survey)
• 日本自然保護大賞 (Japan Nature Conservation Award)
• 自然観察指導員 (Nature Observation Instructors)
• 日本版ネイチャーポジティブアプローチ (Japan Nature Positive Approach)
• 日本版ネイチャーポジティブアプローチ (Japan Nature Positive Approach)

Products and services

• National Beach Movement (全国砂浜ムーブメント)
• Beach Notebook (砂浜ノート)
• Nature Observation Instructor (自然観察指導員)
• Monitoring Site 1000 Satoyama Survey (モニタリングサイト1000里地調査)
• Japan Nature Conservation Award (日本自然保護大賞)
• Minakami Nature Positive Project (みなかみネイチャーポジティブプロジェクト)
• Akaya Project (赤谷プロジェクト)
• Natural Experiences for All Children (すべてのこどもに自然を！)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.7 million cumulative participants in the Sand Beach Movement conservation activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NTT DocomocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Updated 2023 cooperation agreement with Tokorozawa City and NTT Docomo to launch a demonstration of wide-area estimation technology for vegetation and wildlife using AI and satellite image data, starting April 1, 2026. The project targets the Bodai Tree Pond Satoyama Conservation Area to supplement traditional field surveys and establish a replicable biodiversity conservation model for deployment across Japan.
• Tokorozawa CitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Municipal government partner in the satellite-based biodiversity monitoring demonstration project at the Bodai Tree Pond Satoyama Conservation Area, collaborating with NTT Docomo and NACS-J to establish replicable conservation models.
• Mitsubishi EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in the Minakami Nature Positive Project, a 10-year partnership agreement signed in 2023 with NACS-J and Gunma Prefecture Minakami Town to advance sustainable society through nature conservation.
• Montbell Co., Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing corporate supporter selling donation T-shirts and offering Montbell points that can be converted to donations, providing ongoing support for NACS-J conservation activities.
• Patagonia JapanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner with board representation (Kenji Shino serving as NACS-J Director), supporting beach and ocean conservation activities and environmental grant programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Nature Conservancy Japan: Japan presence of a leading global conservation organization focused on land and water protection with corporate and government engagement. Directly comparable to NACS-J's mission, NGO structure, and partnership-driven conservation model.
• WWF Japan: Japan arm of WWF, one of the world's largest conservation NGOs operating biodiversity, marine, and forest programs domestically. Highly comparable to NACS-J as a science-based Japanese conservation NGO with corporate partnerships and policy advocacy.
• Conservation International Japan: Global biodiversity NGO with Japan operations focused on nature-positive outcomes and corporate biodiversity partnerships. Overlaps directly with NACS-J's mission, corporate ESG positioning, and science-based conservation approach.
• BirdLife International (Tokyo office): Global bird and biodiversity conservation organization with Asia-Pacific activities. Comparable for species-focused conservation work (NACS-J's endangered raptor and butterfly programs) and citizen science/rarity data collection.
• Friends of the Earth Japan: Japanese environmental NGO focused on biodiversity, forests, and sustainable society advocacy. Comparable as a Japan-based, membership- and donation-funded NGO working on overlapping conservation themes with NACS-J.
• NatureServe Japan / NatureServe: International biodiversity data and conservation science network producing species and ecosystem data. Comparable to NACS-J's Monitoring Site 1000 satoyama survey work in producing scientific biodiversity datasets used by policymakers and enterprises.
• Sea Shepherd Japan: Marine conservation NGO active in Japanese waters on ocean ecosystem protection. Comparable to NACS-J's marine portfolio (coral, sea turtles, beaches), though more confrontational in advocacy style.
• Greenpeace Japan: Major environmental NGO in Japan active in biodiversity, climate, and ocean campaigns. Comparable as a high-profile Japanese environmental NGO competing for donor mindshare and policy influence, though more advocacy-led than NACS-J.
• Surfrider Foundation Japan: Ocean and beach conservation organization with Japan activities, focused on coastal cleanup and citizen engagement. Directly comparable to NACS-J's National Sand Beach Movement and beach notebook programs.
• IUCN Japan Committee: Japan committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in which NACS-J already participates. Comparable as a domestic convener for conservation policy, scientific standards, and international coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nacsj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClUy3wg5i1qB1GYT6YxRTDQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/NACSJ
• Instagraminstagram.com/nacsj_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J)