Japan Natto Cooperative Society

What Japan Natto Cooperative Society does

The Japan Natto Cooperative Society Federation (全国納豆協同組合連合会) is a Tokyo-based national cooperative federation founded around 2000 that serves as the central industry body for Japan's natto (fermented soybean) manufacturers. It represents regional cooperative societies across Hokkaido, Kanto, Shinetsu-Hokuriku, Tokai, Kinki, and Kyushu-Okinawa, with a member network spanning 50+ producers including Yamada Foods, Takano Foods, Daruma Foods, and Nitto Foods. The federation's core offerings are industry-wide PR and marketing rather than commercial products: it operates the Natto PR Center (納豆PRセンター) information portal, runs the annual National Natto Appraisal Competition (now in its 29th edition), hosts the annual Natto Health Science Seminar series, administers the Natto Shintsuchi (Master) online certification, funds academic research via the Natto Research Grant program, and produces consumer-facing content (recipes, YouTube videos, mascot-driven educational programs). Under president Hasegawa Kentaro, with vice president Aizawa Katsuya heading the Activation Committee and former president Noguchi Takahiro overseeing research and PR committees, the organization is led by industry veterans rather than technology executives.

Name

Japan Natto Cooperative Society

Legal name

全国納豆協同組合連合会

Website

https://natto.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Japan Natto Cooperative Society Federation is a Tokyo-based national cooperative that promotes natto consumption, manages industry standards, and disseminates health research on behalf of regional natto manufacturers across Japan.

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, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Japan Natto Cooperative Society Federation (全国納豆協同組合連合会) is the national federation of regional natto manufacturer cooperatives in Japan. It operates the Natto PR Center, providing industry-wide promotional services including the annual National Natto Appraisal Meeting competition, the Natto Shintsuchi Examination certification, the Natto Health Science Seminar series, the Natto Research Grant program, and consumer-facing educational initiatives like Natto Kindergarten and the Miss Natto/Natto Queen ambassador program.

Product overview

The Japan Natto Cooperative Society Federation (全国納豆協同組合連合会) operates the Natto PR Center, a comprehensive promotional organization for Japan's natto industry rather than a product manufacturer. The core offerings include the National Natto Appraisal Meeting (全国納豆鑑評会) competition, the Natto Research Grant program, and the annual Natto Health Science Seminar series. Supporting initiatives include the Natto Shintsuchi Examination certification, Miss Natto/Natto Queen ambassador program, the Nebaru-kun mascot character, educational programs like Natto Kindergarten (なっとうようちえん) and BABY&NATTO, recipe publications, natto movie content, and senryu poetry contests. The organization coordinates with the Washoku Culture Promotion Council to position natto within Japan's traditional food heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Natto Appraisal Meeting (全国納豆鑑評会) Annual national competition evaluating and awarding the best natto products from member manufacturers across Japan, judged on appearance, aroma, taste, and texture. The 29th edition was held in 2025 in Fukushima Prefecture with 68 manufacturers and 176 entries.
• Natto PR Center (納豆PRセンター) Comprehensive information portal serving as the central PR hub for the Japanese natto industry, providing health information, recipes, industry news, research data, and promotional campaigns.
• Natto Shintsuchi Examination (納豆真打試験) Online certification test examining knowledge of natto's history, nutrition, manufacturing, and culture, offered in tiers: Zenza (55+ points), Futatsume (75+), and Shinfu/Master (90+ points). The 10th exam registration opened on July 1, 2026.
• Natto Research Grant (納豆研究奨励金) Grant program supporting academic research on natto's health benefits, fermentation science, and cultural significance. The 4th edition awarded ¥300,000 to top winners and ¥100,000 to six runners-up.
• Natto Health Science Seminar (納豆健康学セミナー) Annual academic seminar series presenting latest research findings on natto's health effects, functional components, and nutritional benefits from medical, nutritional, and cultural perspectives, held at venues including Tsukuba University and Tokyo conference centers. The 16th edition moved online in 2020 due to COVID-19.
• Miss Natto / Natto Queen Ambassador Program (ミス納豆・納豆クイーン) Annual beauty ambassador program selecting representatives to promote natto culture and products through public relations activities across Japan.
• Natto Kindergarten Program (なっとうようちえん) Children's educational program featuring mascot character Nebaru-kun visiting kindergartens to teach young students about natto through interactive storytelling and tasting activities, aimed at reducing childhood aversion to natto consumption.
• Natto Movie Content Library (納豆Movie) YouTube-based video content library featuring natto recipes, science documentaries, entertainment content, promotional picture book stories (Natto Ehon), and profiles of sustainable natto producers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avex Natto Club (avex納豆部)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Avex's Natto Club, a group of entertainers led by花村部長 (花村部長). The club's SNS members (approximately 30,000 followers) serve as investigators for the Nippon Natto Map project, researching regional natto eating customs and traditions. Avex members have been designated as 'Natto Ambassadors' by the cooperative.
• USSEC (U.S. Soybean Export Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Soybean Export Council collaborates on the Natto Master examination content and sponsors the sustainable natto video series showcasing natto producers using American sustainable soybeans who won awards at the National Natto Appraisal Competition.
• Local Natto CooperativescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of regional natto manufacturer cooperatives including Hokkaido, Kanto, Shinetsu-Hokuriku, Tokai, Kinki, and Kyushu-Okinawa regions. Member companies include Yamada Foods, Oshikiri Foods, Taishi Food, Aduma, Kamakura-yama, Kikusui Foods, Koishiya, Sasunuma Goro Shoten, Takano Foods, Daruma Foods, Nitto Foods, and over 50 other manufacturers.
• Washoku Culture Promotion Council (和食文化推進協議会)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborates with the Washoku Culture Promotion Council to promote natto as part of traditional Japanese dietary culture, aligned with UNESCO intangible cultural heritage designation.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Japan Plant Protein Food Association: 日本植物蛋白食品協会 is a Japanese industry body for plant-protein foods, co-listed with the Japan Natto Cooperative Society in joint soybean industry advocacy. Both organizations operate with similar industry-promotion functions targeting plant-based protein consumption in Japan.
• Japan Soymilk Association: 日本豆乳協会 promotes soymilk consumption in Japan and is co-listed with the Japan Natto Cooperative Society in soybean industry positions. Both organizations share a soy-based product promotion mandate and similar research/PR-oriented structures.
• Japan Tofu Association: 日本豆腐協会 is the industry body for tofu manufacturers in Japan, co-listed with the Natto Cooperative in soybean-related industry advocacy. It operates with a similar trade association model promoting a traditional soy-based food through research, education, and cultural preservation.
• Washoku Culture Promotion Council: 和食文化推進協議会 is a partner organization that promotes traditional Japanese dietary culture including natto as part of UNESCO-registered Washoku heritage. Its mission directly overlaps with the cooperative's cultural-preservation activities and shares the same cultural-promotion and educational remit.
• National Federation of Miso Industry Cooperatives: 全国味噌工業協同組合連合会 is a Japanese cooperative federation representing miso producers with an analogous structure to the Japan Natto Cooperative Society. Both organizations are explicitly co-listed in soybean/isoflavone industry positions and run parallel promotional, research, and policy activities for a traditional Japanese fermented food category.
• National Federation of Frozen Tofu Industry Cooperatives: 全国凍豆腐工業協同組合連合会 represents frozen tofu (kori-dofu) manufacturers and is co-listed with the Japan Natto Cooperative Society in joint statements on soybean isoflavone safety and broader soy industry advocacy. Operates as a parallel cooperative federation promoting a traditional Japanese soy-based product.

Broad incumbents

• Japan Dairy Council: 全国乳業協同組合連合会 is a large cooperative federation representing Japan's dairy producers, offering a comparable organizational model of regional cooperative aggregation, national policy advocacy, research funding, and consumer education programs—though focused on dairy rather than fermented soy.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyQFrBdWRZrwSLkySuwL4dA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Japan Natto Cooperative Society