Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association
The Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association is a Tokyo-based nonprofit founded in 2001 that certifies over 60,000 vegetable, fruit, and produce-knowledge professionals in Japan, serving food retailers, restaurants, agricultural cooperatives, local governments, and individual learners through multi-tiered curricula and national championship events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association does
The Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association (日本野菜ソムリエ協会) is a Tokyo-based general incorporated association (一般社団法人) founded in 2001 that operates the dominant professional certification system for vegetable and fruit knowledge in Japan. The association runs a multi-tiered certification curriculum comprising three Vegetable Sommelier levels (standard, professional, and advanced professional), plus parallel programs including Fruit Sommelier, Frozen Food Life Advisor, Food Tourism Meister, Athlete Food Meister, Junior and Children's Vegetable Sommelier, and Inner Beauty Advisor. Its proprietary curriculum covers cultivation methods, nutritional science, culinary applications, and consumer communication skills. Over its 24-year history, the association has certified more than 60,000 Vegetable Sommeliers who now work across Japan's food retail, restaurant, agricultural cooperative, and government sectors, and it has served over 150 corporate and organizational clients with more than 7,000 individuals trained through dedicated B2B group training programs.
The association generates revenue through individual course enrollment fees (e.g., Inner Beauty Basic ¥88,000, Advanced ¥151,500), corporate group training contracts, B2B professional matching services via its Vegetable Sommelier Company (Campeigne) platform, recipe and menu development commissions, media and PR campaigns for food manufacturers and retailers, and supplementary revenue from publications and merchandise. Distribution combines a self-serve individual enrollment channel through its website and mobile app with a direct B2B sales team for enterprise clients and government contracts. The association is operationally managed under contract by Food Discovery Co., Ltd. (フードディスカバリー株式会社), which shares the Tokyo headquarters address.
The association complements its certification business with a national events platform — including the monthly Vegetable Sommelier Summit, annual championships across strawberries, tomatoes, corn, pears, edamame, peaches, citrus, salad vegetables, and condiments — that generates recurring earned media across Japan's major television networks and newspapers. It also operates the Vegetable Sommelier Municipality Partner System with 18+ prefectural and municipal government partners and has formed product development partnerships with Morinaga Milk, Ohayo Dairy, Ezaki Glico, Natural/Kanto Lawson, and academic partner Tokyo University of Agriculture. In April 2026 the association announced the integration of its Osaka branch.
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association
- Legal name
- 一般社團法人 日本野菜ソムリエ協会
- Website
- https://vege-fru.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association is a Tokyo-based nonprofit founded in 2001 that certifies over 60,000 vegetable, fruit, and produce-knowledge professionals in Japan, serving food retailers, restaurants, agricultural cooperatives, local governments, and individual learners through multi-tiered curricula and national championship events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Certification and Education Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) – ISO 22000/FSSC 22000/BRCGS/SQF (AFALACAA)
Keywords
Where Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Course Fees and Certification: Revenue from sale of professional certification courses (Vegetable Sommelier standard, professional, and advanced professional levels) and associated certification/examination fees. One-time or periodic fee per course enrollment.
- Corporate Group Training: Customized in-person training programs delivered at client sites or association venues for enterprise clients (retail chains, restaurant groups, agricultural cooperatives, local governments). Billed per cohort with customized scheduling and content.
- Vegetable Sommelier Company Matching Services: A professional matching service placing certified Vegetable Sommeliers with corporations and organizations for seminars, cooking classes, recipe development, and event support. Commission or service fee per placement.
- Promotion and Media Services: Corporate promotion services including product endorsement by certified professionals, recipe development for client products, menu development for restaurants, media campaigns, and workshop/sampling events. B2B service contracts with food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurant chains.
- Publication and Merchandise: Revenue from published books (e.g., '日本野菜ソムリエ協会公式 体を整える野菜事典' published by Takarajimasha, June 2017) and official merchandise.
- Inner Beauty Training Courses: Revenue from the Vegetable Fru Inner Beauty Association's supplementary courses: ベジフルビューティーセルフアドバイザー (Basic, ¥88,000) and ベジフルビューティーアドバイザー (Advanced, ¥151,500). These are separate certification programs operated by the affiliated ベジフルインナービューティー協会.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ベジフルビューティーセルフアドバイザー Basic Course (Basic Self-Advisor) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ベジフルビューティーアドバイザー Advanced Course (Professional Advisor) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 日本野菜ソムリエ協会公式 体を整える野菜事典 (Official Publication) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association is a general incorporated association that sells multi-tiered professional certification courses in vegetable and fruit expertise (Vegetation Sommelier standard/Pro/Advanced Pro levels, plus supplementary certifications such as Fruit Sommelier, Vegetal Beauty Advisor, Frozen Food Life Advisor, Food Tourism Meister, Athlete Food Meister, and Junior Vegetable Sommelier). It complements these courses with corporate B2B group training, a professional matching service (Vegetable Sommelier Company), national product championships (Vegetation Sommelier Summit, strawberry/tomato/pear/corn/edamame championships, Condiment Championship), member community services, and a small publication/merchandise line.
Product overview
日本野菜ソムリエ協会は、野菜・果物の知識普及と資格認定を行うNPO/一般社団法人は масштабную образовательную и сертификационную организациюです。主な製品群は：（1）資格講座事業として「野菜ソムリエ講座」（知識習得コース）、「野菜ソムリエプロコース」（専門職コース）、「野菜ソムリエ上級プロコース」（起業開業コース）の3段階の金字塔的な資格プログラムと、「ベジフルビューティー養成講座」「冷凍生活アドバイザー養成講座」「フードツーリズムマイスター養成講座」などの専門講座、（2）大会・選手権イベント事業として「野菜ソムリエアワード」「野菜ソムリエサミット」「調味料選手権」「青果物選手権」（いちご・桃・トマト・ミカン等の各全国選手権）を年間を通じて開催、（3）会員サービスとして「野菜ソムリエメンバーズ」と企業と認定者のマッチングサービス「野菜ソムリエCampeigne」を運営、（4）出版事業として「体を整える野菜事典」などの公式ムック本 издает、（5）子供向け教育として「キ克斯野菜ソムリエ」プログラムを実施。これらの製品群は、相互に連携して蔬菜・果物の価値向上と消費拡大を目指す包括的なプラットフォームを構築しています。
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ベジフルインナービューティー協会 (Vegeful Inner Beauty Association): A related association focused on inner beauty through vegetables and fruits, offering the Vegeful Beauty Advisor certification course.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60,000+ Vegetable Sommeliers certified and actively practicing across Japan
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- 東京農業大学 生物産業学部 (Tokyo University of Agriculture, Faculty of Bioscience Industry)flagshipComprehensive partnership agreement signed on October 6, 2023, between the Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association and Tokyo University of Agriculture's Faculty of Bioscience Industry. Aims to strengthen collaboration in agricultural education, research, and professional development in the food and agricultural sectors.
- 博報堂DYグループ ファーマーズ・ガイド (Hakuhodo DY Group / Farmers Guide)coreBusiness partnership with Hakuhodo DY Group's Farmers Guide division to promote regional agriculture and food culture. Joint activities to energize local agricultural and food industries through marketing, event organization, and producer-consumer connection programs.
- 医師のとも (Doctor's Companion)minorBusiness partnership signed December 19, 2018, aimed at achieving 'a healthy society where everyone can enjoy food' through the integration of dietary habits and medical/healthcare expertise.
- 江崎グリコ (Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.)minorGlico's 'Dekitate Revolution' and 'Delica Salad' products were officially recognized as products that allow consumers to enjoy the full flavor of ingredients. Association provided expert endorsement and recipe development support for product promotion.
- 森永乳業 (Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.)coreAssociation supervised development of Morinaga Milk product '&Fruit Vegetable Smoothie Jelly YELLOW/GREEN'. Joint product development leveraging the association's vegetable and fruit expertise for consumer-oriented product design.
- ナチュラルローソン / 関東ローソン / カトシゲ (Natural Lawson / Kanto Lawson)minorPartnership for promoting cheese-compatible vegetable recipes. Association chefs developed 'Mochi Shaki' recipes in collaboration with Craft Fresh Mozzarella. 70 store managers trained in 2006, and 18 trainer store managers certified in 2007.
- オハヨー乳業 (Ohayo Dairy Co., Ltd.)coreJoint product development collaboration resulting in the co-creation of smoothie product '1食分の野菜＆果実 ナチュベジ'. Association provided expertise in vegetable and fruit selection, nutritional value optimization, and recipe development for the product.
- フードディスカバリー株式会社 (Food Discovery Co., Ltd.)flagshipThe association's operations are fully entrusted to Food Discovery Co., Ltd., which handles all operational management including course administration, member services, venue management, and business development. Food Discovery also operates vegetable shop and juice bar businesses using certified Vegetable Sommeliers. Located at the same Tokyo address as the association's headquarters.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SSI (Sake Service Institute / 日本酒サービス研究会・酒匠研究会連合会): Japan's leading sake sommelier and Kikisake-shi certification body, operating a multi-tiered professional credentialing program with nationwide exam infrastructure and corporate training. Most directly comparable as a Japanese specialty-food certification organization with similar revenue model (course fees, exams, corporate training) and member community dynamics.
- Japan Tea Association (日本茶協会): National Japanese tea association that administers certified tea advisor (日本茶アドバイザー) and tea instructor credentials with multi-tiered curriculum. Comparable business model: specialized food-category certification, course-fee revenue, and community of certified professionals in Japan's food/beverage industry.
- Japan Bread Baking Meister Association (日本パン baking関連資格団体): Specialized bread and baking certification organizations operating professional baking credentials in Japan, including home-baking instructor (JHBS) and bread sommelier programs. Comparable as another Japan-based specialty food-certification body with multi-tier curriculum and member community of certified professionals.
- Japan Cheese Professional Association (NPO法人日本チーズプロフェッショナル協会): Operates Japan's premier Cheese Professional and Cheese Meister certification programs with multi-tiered curriculum and pro-level examinations. Directly mirrors the subject's professional sommelier certification structure but for cheese, serving overlapping food-industry professionals (retailers, restaurants, importers) in Japan.
- All Japan Coffee Association (全日本コーヒー協会): National coffee industry association operating coffee certification, judging, and education programs in Japan. Shares the subject's positioning as a category-specific food/beverage credentialing body with event-driven visibility and corporate-training offerings for retail and foodservice operators.
Broad incumbents
- Japan Food Industry Center (公益財団法人日本食品産業センター): MAFF-affiliated industry organization covering the full Japanese food industry with policy advocacy, food safety standards, and sustainability programs. Comparable in non-profit/government-aligned positioning and food-industry convening role, but operates as a broad incumbent across all food categories rather than specialty vegetable/fruit certification.
- Culinary Institute of America: Premier U.S. culinary college offering professional culinary degrees, continuing education, and certifications across food categories. Comparable in mission (professional food knowledge credentialing) but operates at much larger scale and broader curriculum scope; serves as an aspirational incumbent reference point for Japan-based specialty food education.
- Le Cordon Bleu Japan: International culinary and hospitality school with Tokyo campus offering professional culinary diplomas and short courses. Comparable as a high-prestige culinary education institution operating in Japan with similar B2C and B2B student profile, though positioned more upmarket and broader in scope.
Others
- Japan Restaurant Association (一般社団法人日本飲食業協会): Industry-wide restaurant trade association providing standards, training, and advocacy across Japan's food service sector. Adjacent peer: not a credentialing body, but shares the subject's customer base (restaurant chains like Skylark) and engages in workforce development and food-safety training that overlaps with the subject's corporate training offerings.
- JA Group (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives for JA): Japan's national agricultural cooperative network, which is both a customer (JA Fukuoka, JA Ibaraki trained staff via the subject's programs) and a structural counterpart in produce education. Related ecosystem participant that collaborates with but does not compete directly with the subject's vegetable certification offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association social profiles
Digital presenceJapan Vegetable Sommelier Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association 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 Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association
What does Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association do?
The Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association is a general incorporated association that sells multi-tiered professional certification courses in vegetable and fruit expertise (Vegetation Sommelier standard/Pro/Advanced Pro levels, plus supplementary certifications such as Fruit Sommelier, Vegetal Beauty Advisor, Frozen Food Life Advisor, Food Tourism Meister, Athlete Food Meister, and Junior Vegetable Sommelier). It complements these courses with corporate B2B group training, a professional matching service (Vegetable Sommelier Company), national product championships (Vegetation Sommelier Summit, strawberry/tomato/pear/corn/edamame championships, Condiment Championship), member community services, and a small publication/merchandise line.
Is Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association a public or private company?
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association founded?
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association based?
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Course Fees and Certification is the primary driver. The others are corporate Group Training, vegetable Sommelier Company Matching Services, promotion and Media Services, publication and Merchandise and inner Beauty Training Courses.
Who are Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SSI (Sake Service Institute / 日本酒サービス研究会・酒匠研究会連合会), Japan Tea Association (日本茶協会), Japan Bread Baking Meister Association (日本パン baking関連資格団体), Japan Cheese Professional Association (NPO法人日本チーズプロフェッショナル協会) and All Japan Coffee Association (全日本コーヒー協会). Broad incumbents are Japan Food Industry Center (公益財団法人日本食品産業センター), Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu Japan. Others are Japan Restaurant Association (一般社団法人日本飲食業協会) and JA Group (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives for JA).
Does Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association.
What industry is Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association in?
Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association's product category is Professional Certification and Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALACAA, Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) – ISO 22000/FSSC 22000/BRCGS/SQF.