Japan Package Design Association

What Japan Package Design Association does

The Japan Package Design Association (公益社団法人日本パッケージデザイン協会, JPDA) is a public-interest incorporated association (公益社団法人) established in 1981 and headquartered at Hills 884 Building 6F, 3-4-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. It is the sole nationwide professional association in Japan dedicated specifically to package design, serving approximately 687 corporate and individual members as of March 31, 2024. Its member constituencies span individual package designers and design professionals, brand owners and manufacturers with in-house design departments (e.g., Shiseido, Suntory, Lion, POLA, Kirin Beverage), printing and packaging-material companies, and design students and schools. The association is governed by a board of directors headed by Representative Director and Chairman (信藤洋二), with Vice Chairman 福本佐登美 and approximately 20 directors and auditors drawn from member companies and academic institutions (Kanazawa College of Art, Osaka University of Arts, Tokai University).

JPDA's core programs are organized around four pillars: (1) the biennial Japan Package Design Award, its flagship design competition (Grand Prize 2025 awarded to POLA Cosmetology), (2) the ASPaC (Asia Student Package Design Competition) international exchange program launched in 2010 and now spanning 9 Asian countries with ~3,000 annual submissions, (3) the annual PACKAGE DESIGN INDEX / Yearbook of Japanese Package Design publication, and (4) Package Design Achievement and Contribution Awards recognizing career-long contributions (2026 recipients: Sony Group Creative Center and artience Co., Ltd.). Supporting services include seminars and workshops, the Academy Box education platform, the new Package Design School 2026 online bundled lecture program (¥30,000-¥150,000 per plan), and the 'Packajin' digital magazine. Its digital ecosystem spans jpda.or.jp plus four sub-sites (activity, library, myworks, members). The association is a founding member of D-8 (Japan Design Groups Council), a METI-recognized coalition of 10 Japanese design organizations, and maintains partnerships with JAGDA, JIDA, the Japan Foundation, the ASPaC Association, the Japan Packaging Technology Association, UCDA, and IDC Nagoya.

The association's revenue is derived from three streams: recurring annual membership dues (corporate and individual, set at the general meeting), event participation fees (seminars ranging from free for members to ¥3,500 for general attendees), and one-time publication sales (yearbook and design index). The Package Design School 2026 is the most prominent new paid offering, with tiered pricing (¥30,000 individual member / ¥50,000 general individual / ¥90,000 corporate member / ¥150,000 general corporate). No revenue, funding, or valuation figures are publicly disclosed, consistent with its status as a nonprofit public-interest corporation. JPDA's go-to-market is community-led: it recruits members, runs events and competitions, publishes a yearbook, and pursues international exchange — operating more as an industry standards body than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Japan Package Design Association

Legal name

公益社団法人日本パッケージデザイン協会

Website

https://jpda.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Japan Package Design Association (JPDA) is Japan's sole nationwide public-interest professional association dedicated to package design, serving approximately 687 corporate and individual members including designers, brand owners, printers, and students through awards, education, publications, and the ASPaC international student competition across 9 Asian countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: JPDA collects membership fees from corporate and individual members. The association is a public-interest incorporated association (公益社団法人) governed by its articles of association (定款).
2. Event participation fees: Various seminars, workshops, design conferences, and networking events charge participation fees. Pricing varies by event type and membership status.
3. Publications sales: JPDA publishes the annual 'Yearbook of Japanese Package Design / Package Design Index', which is sold to members and the general public.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

JPDA is a public-interest incorporated association serving package design professionals and companies in Japan. Its core offerings are annual membership services (corporate and individual), the biennial Japan Package Design Award competition, the annual PACKAGE DESIGN INDEX and Yearbook of Japanese Package Design publications, the ASPaC international student competition across nine Asian countries, and the Package Design School online educational program.

Product overview

JPDA operates a comprehensive digital ecosystem consisting of multiple interconnected web properties: the official JPDA website serves as the central hub, supported by dedicated sites for activities (seminars/events), a knowledge library (design rights, eco-design, UD), member portfolios (MY WORKS), and member-exclusive services. The association's core offerings include the Japan Package Design Award (biennial competition), the annual PACKAGE DESIGN INDEX publication, ASPaC (Asia Student Package Design Competition) for international student exchange, and the digital magazine 'Packajin'. Educational initiatives are supported through Academy Box and seminars on package design topics. This is an association providing professional development and industry promotion rather than a single commercial software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JPDA Annual Membership — Corporate (法人会員)
• JPDA Annual Membership — Individual (個人会員)
• Japan Package Design Award (日本パッケージデザイン大賞)
• PACKAGE DESIGN INDEX
• Yearbook of Japanese Package Design (年鑑 日本のパッケージデザイン)
• ASPaC (Asia Student Package Design Competition)
• Package Design School 2026
• Packajin Digital Magazine (ぱっけーじん)
• Academy Box
• Japan Package Design Student Award (日本パッケージデザイン学生賞)

Quantifiable outcome

• ASPaC competition receives approximately 3,000 submissions from 9 countries annually

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• 独立行政法人国際交流基金 (Japan Foundation) + 一般社団法人アスパック協会coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010JPDA co-promotes the ASPaC (Asia Student Package Design Competition) initiative with the Japan Foundation and the ASPaC Association. ASPaC started in Japan and Korea in 2010 and has grown to include 9 countries/regions. The program includes the ASPaC Awards (student competition), joint corporate training for winners, and international forums and workshops.
• 公益社団法人日本包装技術協会 (Japan Packaging Technology Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a key linked organization. JPDA co-organizes the 'Modern Japanese Packaging Exhibition' (現代日本のパッケージ展) together with the Japan Packaging Technology Association and the Japan Printing Industries Association. The annual Japan Packaging Contest is also co-promoted.
• 公益社団法人日本グラフィックデザイナー協会 (JAGDA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth JPDA and JAGDA are founding members of D-8 (Japan Design Groups Council), a METI-recognized coalition of 10 Japanese design organizations. The two associations occasionally collaborate on disaster recovery projects (e.g., 'おいしい東北パッケージデザイン展').
• 公益社団法人日本インダストリアルデザイナー協会 (JIDA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth JPDA and JIDA are D-8 member organizations. JPDA collaborated with JIDA on the Tohoku reconstruction project, with JAGDA members independently supporting the 'おいしい東北パッケージデザイン展'.
• 公益社団法人日本デザイン団体協議会 (D-8)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerD-8 is a coalition of 10 METI-recognized Japanese design organizations. JPDA is a founding member. D-8 organizes joint events such as the 'ROOTS OF FUTURE' exhibition at Tokyo Midtown Design Hub. Members include JAGDA, JIDA, DSA, JPDA, and others.
• 公益財団法人日本デザイン振興会 (Japan Institute of Design Promotion)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Japan Design Promotion Organization runs the Good Design Award program, Japan's most recognized design award. JPDA is connected as part of the broader design community and shares information about Good Design Award competitions on its platform.
• 一般社団法人気付コミュニケーションンデザイン協会 (UCDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJPDA collaborated with UCDA to host a seminar on Universal Communication Design (UCD) at the DIC Corporation headquarters in July 2025. UCDA provides expertise on design clarity and universal communication standards.
• 公益財団法人名古屋産業振興公社 国際デザインセンター (IDC Nagoya)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the JPDA Chubu Package Design Exhibition (中部パッケージデザイン展), held at the International Design Center Nagoya in Chubu region. JPDA and IDC jointly promote package design in Japan's central region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ico-D (International Council of Design): ico-D is the international non-governmental body for design professionals and design organizations worldwide. It is comparable to JPDA as an umbrella professional association, though at global rather than national level.
• D&AD: D&AD is a UK-based international design education body running the prestigious D&AD Awards and Pencil programs. It is comparable to JPDA as a design professional association focused on award-driven education, though with a broader design remit and global footprint.
• AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts): AIGA is the largest US-based professional association for designers, providing education, community, and advocacy. It mirrors JPDA's role as a national design association, though at substantially larger scale and scope across all design disciplines.
• Communication Arts: Communication Arts is a long-established US-based design publication and award organizer serving graphic designers globally. Comparable to JPDA in combining award recognition, publications, and community events, though operating at much larger scale and broader scope than package design.

Direct peers

• Japan Graphic Designers Association (JAGDA): JAGDA is Japan's leading professional association for graphic designers and a D-8 co-founding body alongside JPDA. Both organizations run award programs, publish yearbooks, and represent overlapping designer populations in Japan, making them the most natural comparator.
• Japan Industrial Designers Association (JIDA): JIDA is a sister D-8 design association focused on industrial/product design professionals. It shares the same member-driven governance model, award programs, and advocacy role for designers in Japan, making it directly comparable in structure and scale.
• Japan Packaging Technology Association: Japan Packaging Technology Association is a core partner that co-organizes the Modern Japanese Packaging Exhibition and the Japan Packaging Contest with JPDA. It addresses the packaging ecosystem from a technology/engineering angle versus JPDA's design angle, making it a complementary peer.

Others

• Tokyo Midtown Design Hub (D-8 events): Tokyo Midtown Design Hub hosts the D-8 'ROOTS OF FUTURE' exhibition and other design coalition events. It functions as a venue/enabler for joint association programming involving JPDA, making it a relevant ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Asia Package Design (APD) / ASPaC Association: APD is the pan-Asia conference and ASPaC is the student competition co-promoted by JPDA with the Japan Foundation. They are tightly intertwined with JPDA and represent its international extension into 9 Asian countries.

Regional players

• Universal Communication Design Association (UCDA): UCDA is a Japanese association focused on universal communication design. JPDA recently co-hosted a UCDA seminar in July 2025, indicating direct partnership. UCDA's narrower remit and similar scale make it a relevant Japanese peer for design association programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/JPDA_PR
• Facebookfacebook.com/JPDA.jp
• Instagraminstagram.com/jpda.jp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Japan Package Design Association