Council of Local Authorities for International Relations

Name

Council of Local Authorities for International Relations

Legal name

一般財団法人自治体国際化協会 (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations)

Website

https://clair.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Internationalization Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Education Authorities & Municipal Education Offices (EDADABAD), Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA), Study Abroad Provider Networks, Consortia & Membership Organizations (EDAIAAAK)

Keywords

• International exchange programs
• Multicultural coexistence support
• Sister city partnerships
• JET Programme administration
• Local government internationalization

Headquarters

HQ city

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions from Local Governments: CLAIR operates as a general incorporated foundation (一般財団法人) that receives financial contributions from Japanese prefectures and municipalities to support its operations and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

CLAIR (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations) is a Japanese General Incorporated Foundation that supports the internationalization efforts of Japanese prefectures, municipalities, cities, and towns. It administers the JET Programme (recruiting foreign nationals as Assistant Language Teachers and Coordinators for International Relations), operates a Multicultural Coexistence Tool Library and Portal Site with multilingual resources, facilitates bilateral and trilateral local government exchange conferences (Japan-China-Korea and Japan-France), and dispatches regional internationalization advisors.

Product overview

CLAIR (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations) is a Japanese public interest corporation that supports internationalization efforts of local governments. The organization operates as an administrative and information services body rather than a technology product company. Its portfolio includes the JET Program for foreign national recruitment, the Multicultural Coexistence Tool Library for searchable multilingual resources, the Multicultural Coexistence Portal Site as an information hub, and various digital resources such as Multilingual Disaster Information Sheets, Disaster Pictograms, Pointing Boards, and Evacuee Registration Cards. CLAIR also facilitates international exchange conferences including the Japan-China-Korea and Japan-France Local Government Exchange Conferences, manages sister city partnership databases, and operates certification/advisory programs for multicultural coexistence professionals. The organization functions as an aggregator and distributor of international exchange resources rather than a software technology provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JET Programme: Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme - brings foreign nationals to Japan as assistants in schools and government offices
• 多文化共生ツールライブラリー (Multicultural Symbiosis Tool Library)
• 市民国際プラザ (Shimin International Plaza)
• 多文化共生ポータルサイト (Multicultural Symbiosis Portal)

Products and services

• JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme)
• Multicultural Coexistence Tool Library
• Multilingual Disaster Information Sheets
• Disaster Pictograms for Foreign Resident Support
• Multilingual Pointing Board
• My Timeline Evacuation Planning Tool for Foreign Residents
• Multilingual Evacuee Registration Card and Food Pictograms (FOODPICT)
• Multicultural Coexistence Portal Site
• Multilingual Living Information
• Japan-China-Korea Local Government Exchange Conference
• Japan-France Local Government Exchange Conference
• Sister City Partnership Information Service
• Regional Internationalization Promotion Advisor Dispatch
• Multicultural Coexistence Manager Certification Program

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Emerging players

• Interexchange: U.S. non-profit sponsoring cultural exchange programs including au pair and work-travel. Partial overlap with CLAIR's JET-style exchange mission, but operates commercially-funded inbound/outbound exchange rather than government placement.
• Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR): European umbrella association representing local and regional governments. Comparable to CLAIR in aggregating municipal governments for international action, but focused on European governance and EU-level advocacy.
• Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange (AFS Intercultural Programs): Global non-profit running international student exchange and intercultural programs. Comparable to CLAIR's exchange facilitation function, but operates as an independent NGO rather than government-affiliated.

Broad incumbents

• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA): Japan's primary government-affiliated agency for international cooperation and development. Like CLAIR, JICA operates under governmental mandate but at a national/international-development scale, broader than CLAIR's sub-national focus.
• The Japan Foundation: Japan's principal government-affiliated organization for international cultural exchange. Comparable in being a Japanese public-interest body focused on international engagement, but operates at a national cultural-diplomacy level rather than municipal.
• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): Global network of cities and local governments advocating for sub-national diplomacy. Operates a wider geographic and political remit than CLAIR, but shares the function of convening municipalities for international cooperation.

Others

• Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC): Asia-Pacific business organization promoting cross-border economic exchange. Comparable to CLAIR's economic exchange pillar, but private-sector driven rather than local-government-led.

Regional players

• Tama City Foundation for Global Communication: Local Japanese foundation providing multicultural coexistence and internationalization services to a single municipality. Comparable mission to CLAIR's multicultural programs but at a single-city scale, regionally focused.

Direct peers

• Cités Unies France: French association of local governments engaged in international cooperation. Directly comparable to CLAIR as a national coordinator of municipal-level international partnerships, particularly relevant given the Japan-France exchange conference.
• Sister Cities International: U.S.-based non-profit that facilitates and supports sister-city partnerships between American and international municipalities — directly comparable mission to CLAIR's sister-city database and municipal exchange programs, but operating in the U.S. context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CLAIR_tabunka
• Facebookfacebook.com/tabunka.clair#!/tabunka.clair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-of-local-authorities-for-international-relations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council of Local Authorities for International Relations