株式会社ぐるなび総研

What 株式会社ぐるなび総研 does

Gurunavi Research Institute (株式会社ぐるなび総研) is a 6-person, wholly-owned research subsidiary of Gurunavi, Inc. (a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed restaurant information platform), established in 2014 to document and analyze Japanese food culture. Its flagship output is the annual "Dish of the Year" (今年の一皿®) program, which selects a dish or food category that best reflects Japan's annual social climate through a codified methodology combining big data analysis of Gurunavi's restaurant search and browsing behavior, user surveys, media review by 65 partner companies, 85 media outlets, and 111 reviewers, and approval by a dedicated executive committee chaired by Gurunavi's founder.

The program's core "technology" is the proprietary selection methodology itself, paired with access to Gurunavi's large-scale restaurant-platform user data; it is not a software product or commercial offering. The institute produces one annual press conference event in Tokyo, a commemorative Arita-yaki porcelain plate designed by artist Tokoro Asao in partnership with Risou Gama and the Atami Yugawara Workshop, and a public archive of selections dating back to 2014 (Game Meat 2014 through Rice Dishes 2025). Distribution occurs through the institute's official website, Twitter/X, Facebook, and direct links into Gurunavi's restaurant-listing platform.

The business model is not a typical commercial SaaS or transaction model. No pricing is publicly disclosed, no revenue is reported, and the unit functions as a brand, marketing, and cultural-promotion asset for the parent Gurunavi group, with official backing from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Tourism Agency, and JNTO. Customers are food industry stakeholders (restaurants, food manufacturers, agricultural producers) and general consumers interested in Japanese food culture, both served as informational/PR audiences rather than paying customers.

Name

株式会社ぐるなび総研

Legal name

株式会社ぐるなび総研

Website

https://gri.gnavi.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gurunavi Research Institute is a 6-person Japanese research subsidiary of Gurunavi, Inc. that operates the annual "Dish of the Year" program, using platform big data, user surveys, and media review to select a food reflecting Japan's annual social climate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Culture Research and Trend Analysis

akta.pro primary industry

Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition (BPADAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Congresses (THAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Food trend research
• Restaurant industry analysis
• Food culture research
• Culinary trend forecasting
• Market research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

株式会社ぐるなび総研 runs the annual "今年の一皿" (Dish of the Year) program, selecting the dish or food category that best reflects each year's social climate in Japan. The selection combines big data analysis from the Gurunavi restaurant platform, user surveys, media review, and approval from a dedicated Executive Committee. The institute also documents Japanese food culture, produces annual press conferences with commemorative Arita-yaki plates, and publishes historical archives of each year's selection.

Product overview

株式会社ぐるなび総研 operates the '今年の一皿（R）' (Dish of the Year) annual program - a research initiative that selects a dish or food category that reflects the year's social trends in Japan. The program uses big data from the Gurunavi restaurant information site, user surveys, and media review to identify trends. Each year features a main 'Dish of the Year' selection along with runner-up awards, special awards, and nominations. Commemorative limited-edition Arita-yaki porcelain plates are produced annually, designed by artist Asao Tokoro. The program has been running since 2014, covering food trends from ジビ工料理 (Game Meat) in 2014 to お米グルメ (Rice Dishes) in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 今年の一皿®: Annual food culture program that selects a dish reflecting the year's social trends and Japanese food culture. Registered trademark of Gurunavi, Inc.

Products and services

• 「今年の一皿®」(Dish of the Year) annual program Annual food-culture program that selects a dish or food category reflecting the year's social trends in Japan, using big data from the Gurunavi restaurant platform, user surveys, media review, and Executive Committee approval. Includes a commemorative Arita-yaki porcelain plate designed annually by artist Asao Tokoro, an exclusive historical archive, and an "Eat the Dish of the Year" page on the Gurunavi restaurant platform directing consumers to partner venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Conducted annually since 2014 (12 years as of 2025)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 農林水産省 (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)coreOthersOfficial backer of the 今年の一皿 initiative, providing governmental support for Japanese food culture promotion and heritage preservation. Representatives participate in annual press conferences as guest speakers.
• 文化庁 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)coreOthersOfficial backer supporting cultural initiatives related to Japanese food heritage and traditions.
• 観光庁 (Japan Tourism Agency)coreOthersOfficial backer supporting the promotion of Japanese food culture to international visitors and tourism enhancement through culinary experiences.
• 日本政府観光局 (JNTO)coreOthersOfficial backer of the initiative, promoting Japanese food culture internationally to attract inbound tourism.
• 李荘窯 (Risou Gama)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional Arita-yaki pottery kiln in Saga Prefecture that collaborates annually with artist Tokoro Asao to create commemorative dishes for the 今年の一皿 press conferences. Partnership spans multiple years from 2014 to present.
• クレアーレ熱海湯河原工房 (Clareh Atami Yugawara Workshop)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduces and oversees the creation of commemorative Arita-yaki ceramic plates for the annual 今年の一皿 selection events, working with master craftspeople.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Mintel: Global market research firm publishing consumer and food/drink trend reports worldwide. Comparable methodology of annual trend identification supported by consumer research, though operating at global scale and serving paying B2B subscribers.
• Macromill: Japanese online market research and digital consumer-intelligence firm. Overlaps on consumer-data-driven trend research and operates a broader consumer-research portfolio than the institute's food-only focus.
• Intage: Larger Japanese consumer and market research firm offering consumer panels, retail data, and food-industry trend tracking. Operates at a broader scale than the institute but overlaps on food/consumer trend research.
• Nikkei Research: Affiliated with Nikkei, this research firm conducts consumer, media, and industry surveys including food-related consumer trend studies. Comparable publishing model but with much broader scope beyond food culture.

Direct peers

• Datassential: U.S. food-industry research firm that identifies and publishes annual menu and food trends using operator data and consumer surveys. Highly comparable methodology — annual trend selection backed by data — to the Dish of the Year program.
• Yano Research Institute: Japan-based market research and consulting firm specializing in food, beverage, agriculture, and consumer industries. Operates a research-and-publishing model that publishes annual trend reports on Japanese food markets, directly comparable to Gurunavi Research Institute's annual trend-identification work.
• The Hartman Group: U.S. consumer research firm focused on food culture, eating behaviors, and culinary trend analysis. Overlaps with the institute's focus on cultural narrative around food choices and consumer preferences.
• Fuji Keizai: Japanese market research company focused on food, beverage, and consumer goods. Publishes annual trend reports covering menus, ingredients, and food culture shifts, closely aligned with the institute's food-culture research output.
• GIRA Foodservice Worldwide: Germany-based foodservice research consultancy that tracks restaurant, menu, and culinary trends across European markets. Comparable as a foodservice and culinary trend-research specialist serving industry stakeholders.

Others

• Hakuhodo: Major Japanese advertising and research agency that publishes consumer trend reports (e.g., 'Hakuhodo Life Hack', 'Seikatsu-sha Insight'). Adjacent comparator for cultural trend research methodology rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tweet
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%E6%A0%AA%E5%BC%8F%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E3%81%90%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AA%E3%81%B3%E7%B7%8F%E7%A0%94

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 →

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