Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club

What Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club does

Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club (認定特定非営利活動法人おてらおやつクラブ) is a Japan-based nonprofit organization established in September 2017 that addresses child poverty by redistributing surplus food offerings (おそなえ, osonae) from Buddhist temples to single-parent households through an activity called osusowake (おすそわけ, sharing). The organization's distribution network encompasses 2,393 cooperating temples across all 47 Japanese prefectures, supported by 1,045 registered support organizations (登録団体), reaching 22,954 registered households as of July 2026. Operations are organized around three program pillars: osusowake (sharing), awareness/education (啓発事業) including the Tebanashi free magazine (てばなす) and Voice testimonial booklet (声), and place-making programs (居場所事業) including the Otera Oyatsu Theater (おてらおやつ劇場).

The organization operates without proprietary technology, relying on standard digital infrastructure including LINE for temple registration, third-party crowdfunding platforms (notably Sony Bank's GIVING for SDGs), and a shipping coordination system for parcel logistics. Product outputs extend beyond the core sharing service to include the Tebanashi free magazine (10 issues as of 2026), the Voice testimonial booklet, and published books including 『おてらおやつクラブ物語』 (October 2024) and 『おやつのおぼうさん』 (Snack Monk, December 2025). Physical donation collection is augmented by 39 FamilyMart convenience-store drop-off points in Kanagawa, Saitama, and Nara prefectures.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations — no fees are charged to recipients, temples, or support organizations. The four documented revenue streams are individual donations (including monthly supporters in the マンスリーサークル program and year-end saimatsu campaigns), corporate donations and sponsorships, government grants and subsidies (including the Jodo-shu Tomoiki Foundation), and Furusato Nozei (ふるさと納税, Hometown Tax) contributions. Long-term corporate partners include Felissimo (since 2014), Value Books (since 2014), Sony Bank, FamilyMart, Fukoku Life, and Juchheim, alongside formal cooperation agreements with multiple local governments including Yamagata City (January 2024) and Kasugai City.

Name

Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club

Legal name

認定特定非営利活動法人おてらおやつクラブ

Website

https://otera-oyatsu.club

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club (認定特定非営利活動法人おてらおやつクラブ) is a Japanese nonprofit that redistributes Buddhist temple food offerings to 22,954 single-parent households across all 47 Japanese prefectures via a network of 2,393 cooperating temples and 1,045 support organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Child poverty support
• Food redistribution network
• Nonprofit social welfare
• Temple-based charity
• Community aid services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tawaramoto Town (田原本町)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual donations: Recurring and one-time monetary donations from individuals, including monthly supporters (マンスリーサークル) and event-based giving such as year-end saimatsu campaigns.
2. Corporate donations and sponsorship: Donations and sponsorship from corporations, including dedicated corporate partnership pages (企業との取り組み), crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., Sony Bank GIVING for SDGs), and product donations from companies like Felissimo, Value Books, Juchheim.
3. Government grants and subsidies: Support from public sources, including partnerships with local governments and grants from organizations such as the Jodo Shu Tomoiki Foundation.
4. Furusato Nozei (Hometown Tax): Donations received through the Japanese Furusato Nozei (National Tax) system, contributing to operational funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club operates the "osusowake" (sharing) service that collects food offerings and daily necessities from Buddhist temples across Japan and distributes them anonymously to single-parent families facing hardship. The organization supplements this core service with awareness/education programs (publications, lectures, symposiums) and place-making programs (Otera Oyatsu Theater) to address child poverty, food insecurity, and social isolation among children.

Product overview

Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club operates as a social welfare organization connecting Buddhist temples with single-parent families through a three-pillar approach: (1) おすそわけ事業 (Sharing Service) - the core activity that collects food offerings from temples and distributes them as anonymous shares to struggling households; (2) 啓発事業 (Awareness Programs) - educational initiatives including publications like 『てばなす』 magazine and 『声』 booklets, plus public lectures and symposiums; and (3) 居場所事業 (Place Programs) - creating safe spaces including おてらおやつ劇場 theatrical performances. The organization coordinates nationwide temple participation (2,393 temples), partnerships with 1,045 support organizations, and serves 22,954 registered households, supported by corporate partnerships for crowdfunding and ongoing donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• てばなす: A free magazine featuring interviews with temples and organizations, activity reports, and topics related to child poverty awareness.
• おてらおやつ劇場

Products and services

• Osusowake Sharing Service (おすそわけ事業) Core service that collects food offerings (おそなえ/osonae) from Buddhist temples and distributes them as 'osusowake' (shares) to single-parent families facing difficulties. The organization facilitates the collection, sorting, packaging, and anonymous delivery of food and daily necessities from temples nationwide to registered households. Free to all participants.
• Awareness and Education Programs (啓発事業) Educational initiatives to raise awareness about child poverty issues in Japan, including public lectures, symposiums, printed materials, and media campaigns to inform communities about child poverty and the organization's mission.
• Place/Space Programs — including Otera Oyatsu Theater (居場所事業) Programs creating safe spaces and learning opportunities for children, including the Otera Oyatsu Theater (おてらおやつ劇場) performances, which use Buddhist storytelling and theatrical presentations to engage children and communities.
• Tebanashi Free Magazine (『てばなす』フリーマガジン) A free magazine published to spread awareness about child poverty issues, featuring interviews with temples and organizations, activity reports, and educational content about the challenges facing single-parent families in Japan. 10 issues published as of 2026.
• Voice Booklet (『声』冊子) Annual publication compiling messages from single-parent families who receive osusowake support, documenting their experiences, gratitude, and the impact of the assistance on their daily lives.
• Family Research and Reports (家族調査・レポート) Research initiatives including surveys of single-parent families (e.g., nationwide survey of 2,909 households) to understand needs and publish impact reports on the organization's effectiveness.
• Corporate Partnership Programs (企業連携プログラム) Collaborative programs with companies for donations and support, including crowdfunding initiatives like 'GIVING for SDGs sponsored by Sony Bank' and partnerships with companies like Felissimo and Value Books for ongoing support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,954 households served as of July 2026
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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 major, minor and core.

• Sony Bank (ソニー銀行)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 May 2026Sony Bank collaborated with the organization on a crowdfunding campaign called 'GIVING for SDGs sponsored by ソニー銀行' from May 7 to June 30, 2026. The campaign aimed to raise 5 million yen to build a sustainable mechanism for continuing osusowake deliveries. Sony Bank provided its crowdfunding platform to amplify the NPO's outreach and fundraising capabilities.
• Felissimo (株式会社フェリシモ)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Felissimo has partnered with the organization since 2014. The partnership includes the 'Minna de Osanae Gift' monthly product donation program where Felissimo donates goods monthly, the Charibon book donation initiative, and regular speaking engagements at Felissimo headquarters. The collaboration has been ongoing for over a decade.
• Value Books (株式会社バリューブックス)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Value Books has collaborated since 2014 through the Charibon book donation program (converting book purchase value into donations) and the Book Gift project (donating books to families). The partnership also includes the sale of 'Oya no Obosan' book with approximately 20% of proceeds donated. Value Books' stock of approximately 30,000 books per day provides ongoing donation capacity.
• Juchheim (ユーハイム)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJuchheim donated 500 Baumkuchen (German cake) items to the organization in January 2026, which were included in winter osusowake deliveries to families.
• East Osaka Lions Club (東大阪ライオンズクラブ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Lions Club participated in osusowake packing events and supported distribution activities as part of their community service.
• Fukoku Life (フコク生命)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFukoku Life selected the organization as a donation recipient of the 'Fukoku Life THE MUTUAL Fund' in November 2025, providing financial support.
• FamilyMart (株式会社ファミリーマート)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamilyMart partners with the organization on the FamilyMart Food Drive initiative. Donors can drop off food items at designated FamilyMart stores 24/7/365. Collected items are picked up by the organization and used in osusowake distributions. 39 FamilyMart stores in Kanagawa, Saitama, and Nara prefectures participate.
• Various local governments (Yamagata City, Kasugai City, etc.)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization has entered cooperation agreements with local governments including Yamagata City (signed January 2024) and Kasugai City. These partnerships facilitate regional awareness events, distribution coordination, and alignment with local child welfare programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Table For Two: NPO addressing food and nutrition issues both domestically and internationally, with a strong Japanese donor/corporate partnership model. Comparable as a Japan-based nonprofit tackling hunger through innovative partnership-driven mechanisms.
• Kodomo Shokudo (Children's Cafeteria) National Network: Nationwide network of community-based children's cafeterias providing meals and safe spaces for children in poverty. Comparable as a decentralized, volunteer-driven Japanese NPO network serving food-insecure children and families.
• Kids' Door: NPO providing learning support, meals, and safe spaces for children from low-income and single-parent households in Japan. Comparable in mission (child poverty relief) and recipient demographic (single-parent families), though focused on educational/place-based programs rather than food distribution.
• Ashinaga: Major Japanese NPO supporting children who have lost a parent, including financial and educational support. Comparable as a Japan-based NPO addressing child poverty through direct material support and donor-funded programs.
• Second Harvest Japan: Japan's first and largest food bank, redistributing surplus food to people in need. Directly comparable as a food-redistribution nonprofit serving vulnerable populations in Japan, though operating via conventional food-bank infrastructure rather than a temple network.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children Japan: Japan affiliate of a major international child welfare organization, operating child poverty and education programs nationally. Comparable as a child-focused nonprofit with corporate partnerships and government grant funding in Japan.
• Florence (NPO): One of Japan's largest child welfare NPOs, operating children's homes, support services, and advocacy. Comparable in mission and Certified NPO status, but operates broader social services beyond food redistribution.

Others

• Jodo Shu Tomoiki Foundation: Pure Land Buddhism-affiliated foundation supporting child poverty and welfare programs. Directly comparable as a religious-sector-grant-making organization in the same child-poverty and Buddhist network space as Otera Oyatsu Club.
• Japan NPO Center: Intermediary support organization for Japanese NPOs, providing capacity-building, grants, and policy advocacy. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler in the Japanese Certified NPO landscape, though not directly delivering food/child poverty services.

Regional players

• Food Bank Kawanishi: Regional Japanese food bank serving Hyogo Prefecture. Comparable as a Japan-based food-redistribution NPO for vulnerable populations, though geographically narrower and using conventional food-bank distribution rather than temple networks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/otera_oyatsu
• Facebookfacebook.com/oteraoyatsu
• Instagraminstagram.com/otera_oyatsu_club

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Certified NPO Otera Oyatsu Club