Nippon Information Incorporated

What Nippon Information Incorporated does

Nippon Information Incorporated (日本一博メーション株式会社) is a privately held, independent Japanese market research firm founded in 1970 and headquartered in the Ginza district of Tokyo. The company delivers full-spectrum consumer and market research for enterprise clients, spanning quantitative methods (internet surveys, CLT, home use tests, LINE research, DIY, street surveys, postal surveys, mystery shopping) and qualitative methods (group interviews, depth interviews, online interviews, behavioral observation, ethnography, home visits). It layers a proprietary "NI Original" methodology stack on top of these traditional services, including the NI Shopper Lab (a mock-store facility), FAST ODI (in-store decision observation), FASTVIDEO LOG (video behavior logging), FAST Feelings (emotional response capture), FAST RECRUIT (special-monitor program at the Higashi-Ginza venue), eye tracking, virtual shopper, and senior surveys.

The business operates on a custom project-based professional services model with quote-based pricing and free estimates; clients engage directly without intermediaries and the company reports a 90% direct transaction ratio with manufacturers. Customer segments are predominantly Japanese consumer goods manufacturers across F&B (Asahi, Ezaki Glico, Morinaga, Toyo Suisan, Ajinomoto AGF, Ebara Food, Lotte), cosmetics and personal care (Mandom, Kao, Lion, NIVEA, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical), retail (Lawson, LINE Yahoo), paper and consumer products (Daio Paper, Nepia), and adjacent verticals such as advertising (Daiko), pharmaceuticals, and appliances (Toshiba Lifestyle). Supporting infrastructure includes an 18-million-respondent panel network (including affiliated panels), 220+ investigators, 150+ opportunity recruiters, and 8 research facilities, with reported outcomes of 5,000+ survey projects over the past three years, 93% overall customer satisfaction, and a 96% repeat request rate. The firm markets itself as a neutral, independent (non-capital-affiliated) research partner, holds Privacy Mark certification, and is a regular member of the Japan Marketing Association.

Name

Nippon Information Incorporated

Legal name

日本一博メーション株式会社

Website

https://n-info.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nippon Information Incorporated is a privately held, independent Japanese market research firm founded in 1970 that delivers quantitative, qualitative, and proprietary "NI Original" consumer research services to major Japanese manufacturers across F&B, cosmetics, retail, and consumer goods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Competitive & Market Intelligence (Competitive Tracking, TAM/SAM/SOM) (MPAAALAL), Data Analytics Integration & Insight Platforms (Research Ops, Dashboards, Insight Repositories) (MPAAALAO), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Consumer insights research
• Shopper research
• Survey research
• Qualitative research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chuo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Services: Professional research services including quantitative research (CLT, internet research, HUT, LINE research, DIY, street, postal, mystery shopper) and qualitative research (group interviews, depth interviews, online interviews, behavioral observation, home visits)
2. NI Original Specialized Research: Specialized proprietary research methodologies including medical research, inbound tourism research, brand aging research, influencer research, eye tracking, senior surveys, shopper research, intellectual property research

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Nippon Information Incorporated is a B2B market research company that designs and executes quantitative and qualitative research projects for Japanese enterprises, primarily consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, and advertising agencies. Its core offering combines conventional survey methods (CLT, internet research, HUT, LINE research, DIY, street, postal, mystery shopper, group/depth interviews, online interviews, behavioral observation, home visits) with a suite of proprietary "NI Original" methodologies (NI Shopper Lab mock-store facility, FAST ODI, FASTVIDEO LOG, FAST Feelings, VIRTUAL SHOPPER, eye tracking). It also operates specialized research verticals (medical, inbound tourism, brand-aging, influencer, shopper, intellectual property) and draws on a 18-million respondent panel network, 220+ investigators, 150+ opportunity recruiters, and 8 research facilities.

Product overview

Nippon Information Incorporated operates as a comprehensive marketing research platform offering both quantitative and qualitative research services. The core offering consists of quantitative research methods (internet surveys, CLT, HUT, street surveys, LINE Research) and qualitative research methods (group interviews, depth interviews, online interviews, observational research). The company also provides proprietary 'NI Original' research methodologies including NI Shopper Lab (simulated store facility), FAST ODI (observational decision research), FASTVIDEO LOG (video behavior analysis), and FAST Feelings (emotional response measurement). Additional specialized services include text mining, eye tracking, multivariate analysis, mystery shopping, medical research, and inbound tourism research. The company serves major Japanese consumer brands across food, beverages, cosmetics, and daily goods sectors with a panel of 18 million consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NI Shopper Lab. Mock-store / simulated retail environment (模擬店舗会場) for shopper research, a proprietary NI research facility.
• FAST ODI
• FASTVIDEO LOG
• FAST Feelings
• FAST RECRUIT
• NIリサーチアカデミー (NI Research Academy)

Products and services

• Quantitative Research (定量リサーチ) Survey-based quantitative research services for Japanese enterprises, including internet research, CLT (Central Location Test), home use tests (HUT), DIY research, street/visitor research, postal surveys, LINE research, and mystery shopping. Designed to gather numerical data on consumer behavior and market trends for brand owners, marketers, and product development teams.
• Qualitative Research (定性リサーチ) Qualitative research services for Japanese enterprises, including group interviews (GI/FGI/FGD), in-depth interviews (DI/IDI), online interviews, behavioral observation / ethnography, and home visit (家庭訪問観察) studies. Used to explore consumer motivations, attitudes, and deep insights that complement quantitative data.
• NI Original Research (NIオリジナルリサーチ) A portfolio of proprietary research methodologies developed by Nippon Information for specialized client needs, including NI Shopper Lab, FAST ODI, FASTVIDEO LOG, FAST Feelings, FAST RECRUIT, VIRTUAL SHOPPER, eye tracking, medical research, inbound tourism research, brand-aging research, influencer research, house studio research, restaurant panel research, and intellectual property research. Targeted at enterprises requiring custom or differentiated research approaches.
• Medical Research (メディカルリサーチ) Specialized market research services for pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical-device companies, including human trial support services (ヒト試験サポートサービス). Designed for healthcare marketers, medical affairs, and product developers needing consumer/patient insights and clinical-trial support.
• Inbound Tourism Research (インバウンドリサーチ) Research services focused on foreign visitors to Japan, providing insights into inbound tourist behavior, preferences, and consumption patterns for tourism boards, retailers, hospitality operators, and consumer brands targeting overseas visitors.
• Brand Aging Research (ブランドエイジングリサーチ) Longitudinal brand research tracking how brand perception, equity, and consumer relationships evolve over time, used by brand managers and marketers to monitor brand health and lifecycle dynamics.
• Influencer Research (インフルエンサーリサーチ) Research services measuring the effectiveness and impact of influencer marketing campaigns, providing insights into influencer reach, audience response, and ROI for marketers and brand managers.
• Overseas Research (海外調査) Cross-border market research services conducted outside Japan for Japanese enterprises needing international consumer insights, market entry research, or overseas trend monitoring.
• Academic Research (学術調査・アカデミックリサーチ) Academic survey research services supporting universities, researchers, and public-sector institutions with rigorous quantitative and qualitative fieldwork and data collection.
• Foreign Resident Research (在日外国人リサーチ) Research services targeting foreign residents living in Japan, providing insights into their consumer behavior, lifestyle, and preferences for retailers, consumer brands, and public-sector organizations.
• Product Development Support Service (商品開発支援サービス) End-to-end research support for new product and service development, including idea exploration, concept validation, naming, design evaluation, and pricing research for product development teams and brand managers.
• Respondent Recruiting Service (リクルーティング) Standalone respondent recruitment services leveraging the firm's 150+ opportunity recruiters and panel network to supply qualified participants for client-run research projects and other vendors' studies.
• NI Research Academy (リサーチアカデミー) Educational platform offering free archived seminar videos and research training content on marketing research fundamentals and best practices, aimed at marketing professionals and prospective enterprise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000件超の調査実施件数 (直近3年間)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Video Research Ltd. Long-established Japanese research firm specializing in media and audience measurement (TV ratings). Comparable as a Japanese independent research company with proprietary methodology and panel infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Macromill, Inc. Tokyo-headquartered digital market research firm operating online panels and proprietary research platforms in Asia. Closely mirrors Nippon Information's panel-driven, online and offline quantitative research model.
• GMO Research, Inc. Tokyo-listed online research and panel operator (GMO Research & AI) serving Japanese and Asian enterprises. Directly comparable in online survey design, panel access, and multi-country research.
• Rakuten Insight (Rakuten Group): Operates one of Asia's largest online consumer panels via Rakuten's ecosystem. Competes directly with Nippon Information's internet research and panel-based services across Japan and APAC.
• Intage Inc. Japan's largest independent market research and consulting firm, offering both consumer insight and marketing solutions. Directly comparable to Nippon Information on quantitative/qualitative research services, panel operations, and Japanese F&B/CPG client base.
• Cross Marketing Inc. Japanese research firm providing internet-based quantitative and qualitative research with a panel operator (Cross Marketing Panel). Directly comparable in service scope and Japanese enterprise client base.

Emerging players

• Toluna Inc. Global tech-led consumer insights platform with panel and DIY research tooling. Increasingly competing with Nippon Information on online quant research, agile brand tracking, and DIY concept testing.

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos Japan: Global market research firm with full Japan presence covering consumer, brand, advertising, and customer experience research. Comparable in methodology scope and CPG client base.
• NielsenIQ Japan: Japan arm of the global measurement and consumer intelligence giant. Overlaps with Nippon Information on CPG/F&B market research, retail measurement, and brand tracking, but at broader global scale.
• Kantar Japan: WPP-owned research and insights consultancy with deep Japan operations. Directly comparable in brand tracking, shopper research, and consumer insights delivered to multinational and Japanese CPG clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ni_info_sns
• Facebookfacebook.com/ninfofb
• Instagraminstagram.com/ni_info_sns

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 →

Frequently asked questions about Nippon Information Incorporated