Re:public Inc
Re:public Inc is a Tokyo-based design and innovation consultancy that uses ethnographic fieldwork and circular-design methodologies to deliver multi-year vision and policy projects for Japanese government ministries, municipalities, and select corporates, anchored by flagship programs including Circular Design Week, migakiba, and the CDP network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Re:public Inc does
Re:public Inc (株式会社リ・パブリック) is a Tokyo-headquartered boutique design and innovation consultancy, established in 2013, that operates as a 'Think & Do Tank' specializing in place-based systemic design, vision design, and circular-economy transition. The firm earns the majority of its revenue through multi-year project-based consulting contracts with Japanese national ministries and municipal governments — including the Ministry of Environment (migakiba across 19 regions over 4 years), METI Kyushu Bureau, Yokohama City, Hioki City, Satsuma-sendai City, Saga Prefecture, and Kochi Prefecture — alongside corporate engagements with firms such as Hitachi and GS Group Korea. Secondary revenue streams include event participation fees (CDW individual seats at JPY 500,000) and grant-funded applied research, exemplified by the Toyota Foundation-supported Repack cross-border project with REnato Lab Taiwan.
The firm's core delivery assets are methodology rather than technology: ethnographic fieldwork, participatory co-design, scenario planning, and community-anchored circular-design facilitation, packaged under sub-brands such as Circular Design Week (Japan, Taiwan, and the Kansai region), migakiba, the Circular Design Praxis (CDP) multi-stakeholder network, the RE:STORE citizen lab in Satsuma-sendai, and the Kyoto Creative Assemblage executive-education program. The company's core technology is described in its own materials as design thinking, systemic design, and facilitation rather than software, and the data exposes no APIs, integrations, or AI/ML components.
Distribution is referral-driven through ministries, academic partners (Kyoto Institute of Technology, RMIT, Keio SFC, Kyushu University), and corporate clients; GTM is enterprise field sales with event-driven demand generation. The firm operates from offices in Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima, with 6 disclosed employees on its operating entity. Pricing is negotiated per project and not publicly listed, with the exception of CDW event participation fees.
Re:public Inc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Re:public Inc
- Legal name
- 株式会社リ・パブリック
- Website
- https://re-public.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Re:public Inc is a Tokyo-based design and innovation consultancy that uses ethnographic fieldwork and circular-design methodologies to deliver multi-year vision and policy projects for Japanese government ministries, municipalities, and select corporates, anchored by flagship programs including Circular Design Week, migakiba, and the CDP network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Re:public Inc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Design Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)
Keywords
Where Re:public Inc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Re:public Inc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Consulting & Project Contracts: RE:PUBLIC derives the majority of its revenue from contracts with national government agencies (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and local/municipal governments (Kagoshima Prefecture, Yokohama City, Kobe City, etc.). These are typically multi-year project engagements involving vision design, policy design, community engagement, and program management.
- Corporate Innovation Programs: Fees from companies for designing and operating open innovation programs, design thinking workshops, and training programs. Examples include GS Group Korea (open innovation training), project englobe (Kobe SMEs), and Road To Shine (Hiroshima-India cross-border innovation). Typically project-based with defined scope and duration.
- Event Participation Fees: CDW individual participation fee is JPY 500,000 per person (excluding tax) for the 5-day program. Fellowship slots partially subsidize fees for selected participants. Conference tickets are sold separately. This represents a direct revenue stream from individuals and organizations attending flagship events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | CDW25 Individual Participation Fee — JPY 500,000 per person (tax excluded), 5-day full program |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | CDW25 Fellowship Slot — Partial fee waiver for selected participants contributing archive content |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Re:public Inc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Re:public Inc is a Think & Do Tank that provides systemic and circular design consulting services, including vision design, participatory policy design, and community engagement programs. The firm delivers project-based engagements for government agencies (national ministries and municipalities) and corporations, and operates flagship training and event programs such as migakiba, Circular Design Week (CDW), Kyoto Creative Assemblage, and the Satsuma Future Commons initiative.
Product overview
Re:public Inc operates as a Think & Do Tank that offers a portfolio of programs and initiatives rather than a unified software product. The company's offerings include event-based programs like Circular Design Week (CDW), training programs such as migakiba and Kyoto Creative Assemblage, research labs including RE:STORE, and urban development initiatives like Satsuma Future Commons. These offerings are service-based rather than software products, focused on fostering sustainable innovation ecosystems through circular design, community building, and regional development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Circular Design Praxis: 学術・企業・地域をつなげ、システム移行を伴なうサーキュラーデザインを育み実践するためのネットワーク（2022年設立）
- RE:STORE
- Circular Design Week
- migakiba
Products and services
- Circular Design Week (CDW) A multi-day international event platform exploring place-based circular design practices rooted in Asia-Pacific traditions, combining field workshops and conferences for government officials, researchers, designers, and corporate practitioners.
- migakiba A Ministry of Environment-sponsored practical training program for Local SDGs leaders, sending multidisciplinary teams to local regions for fieldwork and project proposal development on circular sustainability.
- RE:STORE A citizen-initiated circular innovation lab located in Satsuma-sendai City, Kagoshima, focused on discovering and re-presenting the value of local resources and acting as a community anchor for workshops and local circular economy initiatives.
- Satsuma Future Commons A next-generation urban development and circular city initiative in Satsuma-sendai City, Kagoshima, integrating circular design principles into urban planning, local industry, and citizen-led innovation.
- Circular Design Praxis (CDP) A network connecting academia, enterprises, and regions to nurture and practice systemic circular design, convened by Re:public as its secretariat and including partners such as Kyoto Institute of Technology, RMIT, and Keio University SFC.
- Kyoto Creative Assemblage A 6-month creativity development program for working professionals, bringing together instructors from three Kyoto universities and practitioners to cultivate worldview creation abilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 469 participants from 125 teams developed sustainability projects across 19 regions in Japan over 4 years through migakiba
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Re:public Inc
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Re:public Inc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Re:public Inc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Circular Design Praxis (CDP) — Network/CoalitioncoreCDP is a coalition of academic institutions, businesses, and communities that RE:PUBLIC serves as secretariat for. Partners include Kyoto Institute of Technology, RMIT, Keio University SFC, and others. CDP organizes CDW events and publishes the Substack newsletter.
- REnato Lab (Taiwan)coreTaiwan-based research organization focused on circular economy policy and industrial transition. Partnered with RE:PUBLIC on the Repack project (2-year Taiwan-Japan design research on food packaging circularity) and co-organizes CDW Taiwan (2024). REnato Lab served as Taiwan secretariat for Repack.
- Ministry of Environment (Japan) — Environmental Education Promotion DivisioncoreClient and program co-organizer for migakiba (local SDGs leader training program) — 4-year engagement across 19 regions. Ministry of Environment served as the commissioning body; RE:PUBLIC handled all program design and operations.
- Kyoto Institute of Technology — KYOTO Design LabcoreOngoing academic partnership for Circular Design Praxis (CDP) — KYOTO Design Lab is a founding co-organizer of CDP and co-hosts annual symposium. Jointly organizes CDW events and academic conferences. RE:PUBLIC staff contribute to Kyoto Institute of Technology as part-time lecturers. Water/Daijiro Mizuno from KIT serves on the CDP Steering Board.
- Keio University SFC / i.schoolminorRE:PUBLIC co-founder Hiroshi Tamura co-founded the University of Tokyo i.school innovation program and maintains guest lecturer ties at Keio University SFC. Academic collaboration on systemic design education and research.
- Satsuma-sendai CitycoreMulti-year partnership for the Satsuma Future Commons circular city initiative (from 2019) and RE:STORE lab operations. RE:PUBLIC provides direction and implementation for the city's circular economy strategy, with support from Kyushu University Graduate School of Design.
- Kyushu University Graduate School of DesignminorAcademic partner for Satsuma Future Commons joint research on 'future food, clothing, shelter + infrastructure.' Professor Inamura from Kyushu University is listed as a development member of SFC.
- Hitachi Manufacturing (Hitachi Ltd.) R&D Design DivisionminorHitachi's design department engaged RE:PUBLIC for ongoing future foresight research — co-developing vision design activities and field research in Kagoshima regions. Hitachi is also a 2023 CDP Steering Partner.
- 8thCal Inc., Kokuyo Co. Ltd., Mercari Inc., Odakyu Electric Railway Co. — CDP Co-creation Partners 2023minorCorporate partners engaged with CDP in 2023 as co-creation partners — participating in working groups exploring circular design themes including research on Zama City's circular economy practices.
- Toyota Foundation (公益財団法人トヨタ財団)corePrimary funder of the Repack project (Taiwan-Japan food packaging circular design research, 2-year program). Toyota Foundation provided grant funding to enable the research collaboration between RE:PUBLIC and REnato Lab.
- Fukuoka City (via Fukuoka Office)minorFukuoka office relocated in January 2019 — serves as operational base for Kyushu regional activities including Satsuma-sendai projects. Nature of relationship is operational rather than formal partnership.
- Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI)coreCo-organizer of CDW Taiwan 2024 — TDRI hosted the conference portion of the event in Taipei. Strategic partner for expanding CDP activities into Taiwan and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
- 5% Design Action (Taiwan)coreTaiwan-based social design platform and CDW co-organizer. Kevin Yang, CEO of 5% Design Action, co-moderated CDW Taiwan sessions. Represents key Asia-Pacific network partner in the CDP coalition.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Re:public Inc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IDEO: Global design consultancy renowned for human-centered design, ethnographic research, and participatory co-creation. Operates the same methodology category as RE:PUBLIC at much larger scale and with corporate-client focus.
- The Young Foundation: UK-based 'think-and-do tank' focused on social innovation and system change. Closely mirrors RE:PUBLIC's self-described 'Think & Do Tank' model combining research, prototyping, and place-based social innovation.
- Nesta: UK innovation foundation combining research, programs, and investment in social and systemic innovation. Direct analogue of RE:PUBLIC's think-and-do-tank model at larger institutional scale.
- frog: Global design and strategy firm (part of Capgemini Invent) delivering design research, vision design, and innovation consulting. Direct comparator for systemic-design methodology applied to corporate and public-sector clients.
- Takram: Tokyo-based design and innovation studio that combines systemic design, futures research, and brand strategy. Most directly comparable Japan-based peer operating in the same systemic-design and futures-thinking space.
- Dark Matter Labs: London-based research and design lab working on systemic change, transitions, and circular economies. Highly comparable in mission, methodology (ethnography + systems design), and public-sector engagement.
- REnato Lab: Taiwan-based research organization focused on circular economy policy and industrial transition, and a confirmed RE:PUBLIC partner on the Repack project. Comparable in circular-economy research and Asia-Pacific public-sector positioning.
- 5% Design Action: Taiwan-based social design platform and CDW Taiwan co-organizer (active RE:PUBLIC partner). Operates the same social-design + public-sector methodology in a complementary Asia-Pacific geography.
Broad incumbents
- Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting: Japan arm of Big Four consulting with established sustainability, public-sector, and human-centered design practices. Competes for the same ministry and municipal transformation mandates, but as part of a broad consulting portfolio.
- Hakuhodo: Japan's second-largest advertising agency, and the previous employer of RE:PUBLIC's founder at Hakuhodo Innovation Lab. Broad incumbent with a wide portfolio of services including innovation consulting; overlaps in innovation lab and futures research.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Re:public Inc social profiles
Digital presenceRe:public Inc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Re:public Inc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Re:public Inc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Re:public Inc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Re:public Inc
What does Re:public Inc do?
Re:public Inc is a Think & Do Tank that provides systemic and circular design consulting services, including vision design, participatory policy design, and community engagement programs. The firm delivers project-based engagements for government agencies (national ministries and municipalities) and corporations, and operates flagship training and event programs such as migakiba, Circular Design Week (CDW), Kyoto Creative Assemblage, and the Satsuma Future Commons initiative.
Is Re:public Inc a public or private company?
Re:public Inc is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Re:public Inc founded?
Re:public Inc was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Re:public Inc based?
Re:public Inc is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Re:public Inc make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Consulting & Project Contracts are the primary driver. The others are corporate Innovation Programs and event Participation Fees.
Who are Re:public Inc's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IDEO, The Young Foundation, Nesta, frog, Takram, Dark Matter Labs, REnato Lab and 5% Design Action. Broad incumbents are Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting and Hakuhodo.
Does Re:public Inc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Re:public Inc.
What industry is Re:public Inc in?
Re:public Inc's product category is Design Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAN, Public Sector & Policy Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAO, Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes. Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8742.