Ethical Association

What Ethical Association does

Ethical Association (一般社団法人エシカル協会) is a Tokyo-headquartered non-profit incorporated in November 2015 under Japanese law as a General Incorporated Association. Founded by Representative Director Rikako Sueyoshi after witnessing the impact of climate change on communities near Mount Kilimanjaro, the organization is dedicated to promoting ethical consumption and sustainability in Japan. It co-established the official Japanese definition of "ethical consumption" with the Consumer Affairs Agency (2015-2017) and operates as a policy-influencing advocacy body alongside its educational programs. The association serves Japanese individuals seeking ethical lifestyle education, corporations pursuing ESG and sustainability training, and government entities (Consumer Affairs Agency, METI, Ministry of Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and others) seeking expert input on consumer and circular-economy policy.

The association's core offering is the Ethical Concierge Course (エシカル・コンシェルジュ講座), a multi-session (10-session general; 6-session corporate package) educational program covering topics from climate change and fair trade to human rights and regenerative practices. Pricing is ¥55,000 for the full individual program, ¥33,000 for the corporate package, ¥5,500 per single session, and ¥1,000 for a student tier. Supporting products include public seminars, the Concierge Directory, regional Concierge Groups, an individual Supporter system, and the Ethical White Paper. A new Sustainable Education Promotion Business (April 2025) and the Ethical Leader program (March 2025) extend the model into compensated regional sustainability education delivery. The platform stack is conventional web infrastructure (ethicaljapan.org plus the ethical-concierge.net course site) with no proprietary AI or technology components.

Revenue is generated from three streams: educational course fees (one-time program purchases), recurring corporate membership subscriptions (40+ corporate members), and donations (including through Mercari's Mercari Donation feature). Go-to-market is community-led: 30,150+ cumulative graduates across 17 cohorts serve as evangelists, supplemented by media appearances (NHK, Nikkei, Forbes JAPAN), government partnerships (TOKYO Ethical scaled to 270 partner companies by 2025), and annual flagship events such as Ethical Festa. The association maintains no parent company, subsidiaries, or disclosed funding rounds, operating as an independent non-profit with a small professional team (approximately 10 staff including representative director, board, coordinators, and administrative support).

Name

Ethical Association

Legal name

一般社団法人のエシカル協会 (General Incorporated Association Ethical Association)

Website

https://ethicaljapan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ethical Association is a Tokyo-based Japanese non-profit that educates individuals, corporations, and government bodies on ethical consumption and sustainability through its multi-cohort Ethical Concierge Course, corporate membership program, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Education and Ethical Consumption Advocacy

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Code of Conduct & Business Ethics (EDABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compliance, Ethics & Regulatory Training (EDAGANAD), Environmental, Health & Safety / Sustainability (EHS, Environmental Compliance CE) (EDAAALAO)

Keywords

• Ethical consumption education
• Sustainability training programs
• Corporate ESG advisory
• Consumer advocacy services
• Fair trade education

Headquarters

HQ city

Shibuya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Course Fees: Revenue from the Ethical Concierge lecture program, offered in three formats: general 10-session course (¥55,000), corporate 6-session package (¥33,000), and individual session purchases (¥5,500 per session).
2. Corporate Membership: Annual corporate membership fees from companies seeking ethical business guidance and networking with the concierge community.
3. Donations: Donation system enabled through Mercari's Mercari Donation feature, accepting contributions from supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

一般社団法人エシカル協会 (Ethical Association) delivers multi-session educational programs (Ethical Concierge Course) teaching the fundamentals of ethical consumption, sustainability, fair trade, climate change, human rights, and circular economy to individual learners and corporate members. It supplements courses with public seminars, corporate ESG/networking membership programs, community-building initiatives (Concierge Directory and Groups), the Ethical White Paper, and policy advocacy through Japanese government committees. The organization operates as Japan's pioneering non-profit advocating ethical lifestyles and serving as a bridge among consumers, businesses, and government policy.

Product overview

Ethical Association operates a unified educational platform centered on the Ethical Concierge Course, supplemented by public seminars, corporate membership programs, and community-building initiatives. The core offering is the multi-session Ethical Concierge Course teaching ethical consumption and sustainability practices. Supporting services include a concierge directory connecting graduates with consumers, regional concierge groups for networking, corporate membership for businesses seeking sustainability guidance, and individual supporter programs. The association also publishes the Ethical White Paper documenting consumption trends and maintains government partnerships for policy advocacy. A new Sustainable Education Promotion initiative combines ethics education with sports and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• エシカル・コンシェルジュ講座 (Ethical Concierge Course) A comprehensive 10-session educational program teaching the fundamentals and practices of ethical living and consumption, covering sustainability, fair trade, ethical fashion, human rights, renewable energy, climate change, social business, regenerative practices, animal rights, disability, gender, and resource circulation. Targeted at general consumers and professionals seeking to learn about ethical consumption, delivered through in-person Tokyo lectures (and Kyoto from 2024 cohort) plus online archive access.
• 講演 (Seminars/Lectures) Public speaking engagements and lecture services delivered by organization representatives (including Representative Director Rikako Sueyoshi) to educate corporations, schools, and event audiences about ethical principles, social challenges, and practical sustainable practices for daily life and business.
• サステナブル教育推進事業 (Sustainable Education Promotion Business) A community-based educational initiative launched in 2025 that partners with local governments, educational institutions, companies, and civil organizations to provide sustainability education through sports and regional engagement, training the next generation of sustainability leaders and Ethical Leaders to lead local education activities.
• コンシェルジュ名鑑 (Concierge Directory) A public directory showcasing certified Ethical Concierge graduates who are active in various regions of Japan, featuring their backgrounds, professions, interests, and ethical activities to help connect individuals seeking ethical guidance with trained practitioners.
• コンシェルジュグループ (Concierge Group) Regional community groups for certified Ethical Concierge graduates to network, share knowledge, and organize local ethical activities and events across Japan.
• 法人会員制度 (Corporate Membership) An annual corporate membership program providing companies with the latest ethical and sustainability information, networking opportunities with concierge graduates, and participation in exclusive events and quarterly member meetings; more than 40 corporate members participate including Kao Corporation, Yukigaya Chemical Industry, Yamazakura, Hi no Ki, and Meiji Holdings.
• エシカル・サポーター制度 (Ethical Supporter System) An individual supporter/membership program allowing individuals to financially support the organization's activities and receive updates on ethical initiatives.
• 寄付制度 (Donation System) A donation program enabling supporters to contribute financially to the association's mission of promoting ethical living and a sustainable society, also accessible through Mercari's Mercari Donation feature.
• エシカル白書 (Ethical White Paper) Japan's first ethical white paper published by the association, containing survey results from approximately 6,000 respondents on ethical consumption trends and detailed analysis of the ethical market in Japan.
• エシカル消費 (Ethical Consumption Education) Educational content and workshops helping consumers make ethical choices in their daily purchasing decisions by considering impact on people, animals, and the environment, aligned with the Consumer Affairs Agency's definition of ethical consumption.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,150+ cumulative program participants
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• 湘南ベルマーレ (Shonan Bellmare)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Professional soccer club partnering in the new 'Sustainable Education Promotion Project' launched in 2024, combining ethics, sports, and regional community development.
• 株式会社日ノ樹 (Hi no Ki)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Long-term supporter and corporate member. CEO Uchida promotes 'Money Follows the Vision' philosophy aligned with ethical values. Supported association since establishment and participates in 10th anniversary celebrations.
• 東京都 (Tokyo Metropolitan Government) - TOKYOエシカルflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Partner in Tokyo Metropolitan Government's flagship ethical consumption initiative launched December 2022. The association's representative serves as advisor. By 2025, 270 companies participate in the program promoting ethical consumption across Tokyo.
• 株式会社メルカリ (Mercari)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Association registered as donation recipient on Mercari's 'Mercari Donation' platform since September 2021, enabling users to support ethical education through their platform.
• 消費者庁 (Consumer Affairs Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Established the official Japanese definition of 'ethical consumption' through the agency's 2015-2017 research committee. Ongoing collaboration on consumer education programs and ethical consumption workshops for children.
• 花王株式会社 (Kao Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate member participating in annual Ethical Festa events and quarterly member meetings, presenting company sustainability practices to the concierge community.
• ハチドリ電力 (Hachidori Denryoku)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed on association's website as a recommended ethical lifestyle service platform for consumers seeking sustainable energy options.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Green Purchasing Network (グリーン購入ネットワーク): Japan-based network that promotes ethical/sustainable purchasing practices among consumers, businesses, and government bodies. Operates a similar membership-based model serving corporate sustainability buyers and consumer education programs directly comparable to Ethical Association's corporate membership and concierge training.
• Fairtrade Label Japan (フェアトレード・ラベル・ジャパン): Japan-based non-profit promoting fair trade and ethical consumption through consumer education, corporate partnerships, and the FAIRTRADE mark. Most directly comparable Japanese peer — same country, same non-profit model, same target audience of ethically-minded consumers and corporate members.
• B Lab Japan: Japan arm of the global B Corp movement, certifying and promoting businesses meeting ethical and sustainability standards. Runs a parallel certification/community model where companies become members of an ethical business community, mirroring Ethical Association's corporate membership and Concierge Directory concepts.

Broad incumbents

• WWF Japan: Established Japan-based sustainability NGO with much broader scope (wildlife, climate, oceans) and significantly larger donor base. Overlaps with Ethical Association on corporate engagement for sustainability and consumer-facing campaigns, but operates at a much larger scale with broader thematic coverage.
• Ethical Trading Initiative: UK-based alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs promoting ethical supply chain practices. Operates a similar corporate-member/alliance model focused on ethical business practices, but at broader corporate-supply-chain scale rather than consumer-focused education.
• Fair Trade USA: US-based fair trade certification and advocacy organization running consumer education, corporate partnerships, and supply chain programs. Conceptually parallel to Ethical Association's combination of certification, education, and advocacy, but operating at significantly larger scale in the US market.
• Forum for the Future: UK-based sustainability non-profit offering training programs, advisory services, and thought leadership on sustainability to corporates and governments. Comparable in training/advisory model and corporate audience, but with deeper corporate consulting scope and broader international reach.

Emerging players

• NPO ETIC. Japan-based non-profit supporting social entrepreneurs and sustainable ventures through training, networking, and community programs. Comparable in mission (promoting sustainable business and social impact), target audience (purpose-driven professionals), and non-profit educational model.
• Sustainable Brands Japan: Japan arm of the global Sustainable Brands community, running conferences and networking events for sustainability-focused businesses in Japan. Comparable on the community/events/conferences axis and corporate sustainability audience, but more focused on events than education delivery.

Others

• CSR Japan (日本CSR普及協会): Japan-based CSR/ESG advisory and education organization offering training programs and corporate sustainability guidance to Japanese companies. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — focuses on CSR consulting and certification rather than consumer-facing ethical consumption education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9R3GT_r1kQDhxDIhJ67Cbw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/ethicalassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/ethical_association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Ethical Association