What NPO法人 does

特定非営利活動法人まちづくりNPOコザまち社中 (NPO Koza Machi Shachu) is a community urban-revitalization non-profit corporation (Tokutei Hieiri Katsudo Houjin) founded in October 2008 and headquartered at 1-16-11 Chuo, Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The organization operates in the Koza district of Okinawa City and serves a stakeholder ecosystem comprising Okinawa City municipal government, the Ichibanbashi Shopping Street Promotion Association, local merchants, residents, and cultural exchange partners in Taiwan. Its mission centers on "culture-based human development, and humans transforming the town" (文化による人づくり、そして人がまちを変える). Leadership has been continuous since founding, with Teruya Mikio serving as representative director throughout the organization's history.

The organization's core offerings span four business lines: (1) Designated Facility Management Services for three Okinawa City public venues — Okinawa Civic Hall, Yaeshima Park, and Ashibina Small Theater — operated under municipal designated management contracts; (2) a Renovation Sublease Business that leases vacant storefronts at below-market rates, renovates them, and subleases to tenants at market rates to recover renovation costs and reduce vacancy in the Koza shopping district; (3) International Exchange Programs anchored by an annual Taiwan-focused Moonlight Old Man (月下老人) matchmaking deity event, coordinated via the Asia City Exchange Center in Taipei; and (4) a media and hospitality portfolio consisting of the weekly Koza Machi Magazine, the Arcade Resort Okinawa Hotel & Cafe, and signature annual events (Yaejima Wonderland festival, Koza Yukata Contest). Revenue derives from municipal management contracts, sublease rent differentials, hospitality operations, event programming, and grants including a June 2020 Koza Shinkumi Regional Revitalization Fund grant. The organization has no proprietary technology platform — its operations are programmatic, cultural, and operational rather than technology product-based.

Strategically, the organization has compounded its institutional position through partnerships with Okinawa International University (industry-academia collaboration since ~2016), Startup Lab Lagoon KOZA co-location facility, and various local merchants (Den Suke Shoten, Cabaret Koza, Mr. Koza Project, International Design Academy). Marketing is community-embedded, relying on Koza Machi Magazine, Facebook (kozamachiinfo), YouTube live streams, and earned media coverage in Ryukyu Shimbun, Okinawa Times, Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting, and Okinawa Television. The organization employs approximately 586 people per firmographic records (though primary headcount data is empty, suggesting potential reporting inconsistency), operates three facilities across Okinawa City, and has maintained continuous operations for over 12 years.

Name

NPO法人

Legal name

特定非営利活動法人まちづくりNPOコザまち社中

Website

https://koza-npo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

A community urban-revitalization NPO in Koza, Okinawa City, Japan, founded in 2008 that manages public facilities on behalf of Okinawa City, revitalizes vacant storefronts via renovation subleases, and drives community engagement through cultural events, Taiwan exchange, and local media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Urban Revitalization Services

NAICS

Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (551114)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Government & Municipal Event Venues (THAHAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Festival Grounds & Fairgrounds Operations (MPAGALAH)

Keywords

• Community urban revitalization
• Public facility management
• Renovation sublease services
• International cultural exchange
• Community event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Okinawa City (Koza)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 指定管理事業 (Designated Facility Management): The organization is entrusted by Okinawa City to manage three public facilities — Okinawa Civic Hall, Yaeshima Park, and Okinawa City Civic Small Theater Ashibina. This generates core operational revenue through management contracts with the municipal government.
2. リノベーション・サブリース事業 (Renovation Sublease): The NPO leases vacant storefronts from property owners at below-market rates, renovates them to increase value, and subleases them to tenants at market rates. Renovation costs are recouped through the rent differential. This addresses vacancy challenges in the Koza shopping district while generating rental income.
3. 国際交流事業 (International Exchange): Sustained cultural exchange with Taiwan, centered on the Moonlight Old Man matchmaking deity event. Draws regional and national visitors to Koza, creating indirect economic impact for local businesses.
4. メディア事業 (Media Operations — コザまちマガジン): Weekly web magazine publishing Koza-area business and community stories targeting Okinawa residents. Currently not generating revenue but intended to drive awareness and foot traffic to local establishments.
5. ホテル・カフェ運営 (Hotel & Cafe Operations): Operation of Arcade Resort Okinawa Hotel & Cafe, a hospitality venue in the arcade district, serving both overnight guests and daytime cafe customers.
6. 助成金・補助金 (Grants and Subsidies): The organization supplements its earned revenue with grants such as the Koza Shinkumi Regional Revitalization Fund grant, used to fund specific projects including a neighborhood map publication.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The NPO manages three public facilities (Okinawa Civic Hall, Yaeshima Park, and Ashibina Theater) under designated management contracts with Okinawa City, renovates and subleases vacant storefronts in the Koza commercial district, and runs international cultural exchange programs primarily with Taiwan. It also operates a weekly web magazine, a boutique hotel and cafe in the arcade, and produces community festivals and matchmaking deity events aimed at drawing foot traffic to the Koza district.

Product overview

特定非営利活動法人まちづくりNPOコザまち社中 is a community development NPO founded in 2008, operating a portfolio of interconnected services centered on revitalizing Koza, Okinawa. The core offerings include Designated Management Services (managing Okinawa Civic Hall, Yaeshima Park, and Ashobinā theater), Renovation Sublease Business (renovating and subleasing vacant storefronts), and International Exchange Programs (primarily Taiwan exchanges featuring the Yue Xia Lao Ren matchmaking deity through Taiwan Culture Hall). Additional services include Koza Machi Magazine (local media), Arcade Resort Okinawa Hotel & Cafe (hospitality), and event programs like Yajima Wonderland festivals. The organization follows a philosophy of 'culture-driven human development, where people transform their communities,' adapting its activities to address evolving urban challenges while maintaining focus on sustainable community revitalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 台湾文化館 (Taiwan Culture Center): A special venue set up in the Ichiban-gai shopping district for the Gekkaroujin matchmaking god event, serving as a hub to introduce Taiwan culture and promote Koza town.

Products and services

• Designated Management Services (指定管理業務)

Quantifiable outcome

• ~9,000 visitors attracted to Koza over a 2.5-month period (Oct–Dec 2019) from across Okinawa prefecture and nationwide Japan
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Okinawa City (沖縄市)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2008The organization was established at the invitation of Okinawa City in October 2008 to serve as the city's primary community urban-revitalization partner. Okinawa City entrusts the management of three major public facilities (Okinawa Civic Hall, Yaeshima Park, Ashibina Theater) to the NPO through designated management contracts, and co-sponsors events such as the Moonlight Old Man matchmaking deity program.
• Ichibanbashi Shopping Street Promotion Association (沖縄市一番街商店街振興組合)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NPO collaborates closely with the Ichibanbashi Shopping Street on events including the Moonlight Old Man event, the 2nd Koza Yukata Contest, and the Koza Good Match (良縁) Mixer. The shopping street serves as the primary physical venue for many of the NPO's community programming activities.
• Asia City Exchange Center (アジアシティー交流センター)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Taiwan, this organization facilitates the NPO's ongoing cultural exchange with Taiwan. It is responsible for arranging the loan of the Moonlight Old Man deity statue from Taipei's Xiahai Chenghuang Temple and coordinating Taiwan-side cultural activities including Taiwanese cooking classes, lion dance performances, and the Singapore choir exchange.
• Okinawa International University / Hige-Shirashi Seminar (沖縄国際大学 髭白ゼミ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 4-year ongoing industry-academia partnership with Prof. Hige-Shirashi's seminar at Okinawa International University in Ginowan City. Joint initiatives include a monitoring tour following Ryukyu Golden Kings games (2018), an FC Ryukyu away-match public viewing co-organized with university students (2019), and co-authorship of a book chapter on Koza community revitalization published by the university's open lecture committee.
• Startup Lab Lagoon KOZA (スタートアップラボラグーンコザ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA co-location and entrepreneurship support facility in the Ichibanbashi Shopping Street. The NPO's Taiwan Culture馆 (Taiwan Culture Center) was set up directly opposite Startup Lab Lagoon, and the facility supports NPO event logistics. Startup Lab Lagoon also appears as a supporting partner in NPO events including the public viewing and FC Ryukyu activities.
• Den Suke Shoten (でんすけ商店)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local izakaya and food business in the Ichibanbashi Shopping Street. Den Suke Shoten hosted Taiwanese cooking classes and taste-testing sessions in collaboration with the NPO's Moonlight Old Man event, and provided food, beverages, tables, and chairs as an in-kind sponsor for the FC Ryukyu public viewing event.
• Rainbow Chura (虹色ちゅらぁ～ず)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local drag performer who served as the cross-dressing makeup artist for participants in the 2nd Koza Yukata Contest, a major community event organized by the Ichibanbashi Shopping Street Youth Association with NPO support.
• Cabaret Koza (キャバレーコザ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local entertainment venue in Koza. Referenced as a supporting partner in the 2nd Koza Yukata Contest event page, indicating involvement in cross-promotional community events.
• Mr. Koza Project (ミスターコザPROJECT9)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA human resource development initiative for Okinawa City tourism PR. NPO-supported events like the 2nd Koza Yukata Contest featured Mr. Koza candidates as co-performers, integrating the two programs.
• International Design Academy (IDA, インターナショナルデザインアカデミー)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA design trade school in Urasoe City that collaborated with the Ichibanbashi Shopping Street Youth Association on a shutter art project at Oyakawa Kimono Store. The project used creative painted shutters as a crime-prevention measure against graffiti — a community design initiative the NPO covered and reflected on in its blog.
• Koza Shinkumi (胡屋支店)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Koza branch of Koza Shinkumi (a regional credit union) provided procedural guidance to the NPO on grant application methods and documentation for the Koza Shinkumi Regional Revitalization Fund grant.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• 認定NPO法人ふるさと回帰支援センター (Furusato Kaiki Shien Center): Japanese non-profit supporting regional revitalization and migration to rural/regional areas across Japan. Comparable in mission and non-profit structure for place-based community revitalization, but serves multiple regions rather than a single district and focuses on migration rather than commercial district renewal.

Broad incumbents

• 株式会社日本管財 (Nippon Kanzai): Large Japanese facility management company operating designated management contracts for public facilities nationwide. Comparable because they operate in the same designated-management-of-public-facilities space as the NPO, but at significantly larger scale and across many asset types.
• 大成設備株式会社 (Taisei Setsubi): Major Japanese building and facility services company providing facility management for public and commercial properties. Comparable in providing facility operations under contract, but operates at much larger scale with a national footprint and broader service portfolio.

Direct peers

• 公益財団法人都市づくりパブリックデザインセンター (Public Design Center for Urban Development): Japanese foundation engaged in urban planning, public space design, and community-based revitalization consulting. Comparable as a non-profit working at the intersection of urban regeneration and community programs, though operates more as an advisory body than as a venue/event operator.
• 一般社団法人エリア・イノベーション・アライアンス (Area Innovation Alliance): Japanese regional development association supporting urban revitalization and community development projects. Comparable as a peer-level organizational model for place-based regeneration work, though with a broader cross-region remit rather than single-district focus.

Emerging players

• NPO法人ETIC. Japanese non-profit focused on social entrepreneurship and community development support, including workspace and program management. Comparable as a fellow mission-driven NPO operating community spaces and programs, though focused on entrepreneurship rather than urban regeneration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kozamachiinfo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/npo%E6%B3%95%E4%BA%BA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NPO法人