Re:public
Re:public is a Tokyo-based Japanese 'think-and-do tank' founded in 2013 that designs place-based circular economy ecosystems through ethnographic research, co-creation workshops, and systemic design for government agencies and enterprises. It operates programs including Circular Design Week, the Ministry of Environment's migakiba training, RE:STORE lab, and the Circular Design Praxis network across Asia-Pacific.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Re:public does
Re:public (株式会社リ・パブリック) is a Tokyo-headquartered Japanese private corporation founded in 2013 that operates as a 'think-and-do tank' researching and practicing sustainable innovation ecosystems. The company is structured around three functional pillars: reinterpreting latent cultural and regional assets, exploring non-continuous futures through cross-context ethnography, and brokering cross-sector 'collectives' that translate research into action. It serves Japanese national and local government agencies (Ministry of Environment, METI Kyushu Bureau, prefectures including Kagoshima, Yokohama, Hioki, Fukui, Hiroshima, Kochi, Kobe), enterprises seeking circular and inclusive design capability (Hitachi R&D, GS Group Korea, Kokuyo, Mercari, Odakyu Electric Railway), and an international community of design researchers and practitioners across the Asia-Pacific.
Its core methodology is a Visual/Sensory Ethnography framework combined with a Place-Based Circular Design framework, applied via co-creation workshops, systems-thinking facilitation, and field-based research. The proprietary platforms and programs include Circular Design Week (an annual rotating international practitioner convening), Circular Design Praxis (a multi-stakeholder network co-founded with Kyoto Institute of Technology in 2022), RE:STORE (a citizen-led circular innovation lab in Satsuma-sendai, Kagoshima), migakiba (a Ministry of Environment Local SDGs leader training program run across 19 regions from 2020-2023), Satsuma Future Commons (a circular city initiative), Kyoto Creative Assemblage (a university-led creativity program), and the physical product SUKERU (debuting at Milan Salone Satellite 2026).
Re:public generates revenue primarily through commissioned government projects (vision design for municipal comprehensive plans, policy research, citizen co-creation programs), fee-based training and event programs (CDW25 individual participation at ¥500,000 per person for a 5-day program), and corporate network partnerships via the CDP steering and co-creation partner structure. The firm maintains offices in Tokyo (Bunkyo-ku) and Fukuoka (regional hub for Kyushu operations), operates primarily in Japan with a growing international footprint across Taiwan, Korea, and India, and is independently owned with no disclosed external investors.
Re:public firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Re:public
- Legal name
- 株式会社リ・パブリック
- Website
- https://re-public.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Re:public is a Tokyo-based Japanese 'think-and-do tank' founded in 2013 that designs place-based circular economy ecosystems through ethnographic research, co-creation workshops, and systemic design for government agencies and enterprises. It operates programs including Circular Design Week, the Ministry of Environment's migakiba training, RE:STORE lab, and the Circular Design Praxis network across Asia-Pacific.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Re:public industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO), Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)
Keywords
Where Re:public is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Re:public business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government Consulting & Project Contracts: Re:public generates revenue primarily through commissioned projects from national government agencies (e.g., Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and local governments (e.g., Kagoshima prefectural government, Satsuma-sendai City, Yokohama City). Projects involve vision design, policy research, community co-creation programs, and open innovation strategy. Revenue is project-based and recurring as governments return for multi-year engagements.
- Event & Training Programs: Revenue is generated through fee-based programs including Circular Design Week (CDW) participant fees (individual participation at ¥500,000 per person for 5 days), open innovation training programs for corporate clients (e.g., GS Group 6-day program), and the migakiba leadership training program commissioned by the Ministry of Environment.
- Network & Membership Programs: Circular Design Praxis (CDP) operates with steering partners and co-creation partners (corporate members) who fund the network's activities and research outputs. Corporate partners include Hitachi, Kokuyo, Mercari, and Odakyu Electric Railway.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | CDW25 Individual Participation (5-day program) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | CDW25 Fellowship (partial fee waiver) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Re:public product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Re:public operates as a "Think & Do Tank" that researches and designs sustainable innovation ecosystems. The company delivers commissioned consulting projects for government agencies and corporate clients, conducts ethnographic fieldwork and vision design, designs and facilitates training programs (e.g., Circular Design Week, migakiba), and runs place-based circular design initiatives across Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.
Product overview
Re:public operates as a 'Think & Do Tank' that researches (Think) and practices (Do) ecosystems where sustainable innovation occurs. The company offers a portfolio of programs and initiatives focused on circular design, regional innovation, and sustainable community development. Key offerings include Circular Design Week (an annual multi-day exploration of place-based circular design), migakiba (a Ministry of Environment-sponsored local SDGs training program), RE:STORE (a citizen-initiated circular innovation lab), Circular Design Praxis (a network connecting academia and industry for circular design), and various regional innovation programs like Kyoto Creative Assemblage and Satsuma Future Commons. The company also develops physical products like SUKERU spatial products and publishes the trans-local magazine MOMENT.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Circular Design Praxis (CDP): A network connecting academia, enterprises, and communities for place-based circular design, established in 2022.
- RE:STORE
Products and services
- Circular Design Week (CDW) Annual multi-day program combining fieldwork and conferences exploring place-based circular design practices across the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together researchers, designers, and practitioners to explore circular economy approaches rooted in local contexts.
- RE:STORE A citizen-initiated circular innovation lab in Satsuma-sendai City, Kagoshima, serving as a bottom-up exploration hub for reading local resources and rediscovering values inherent to the land.
- migakiba Ministry of Environment-commissioned practical training program for local SDGs leaders where cross-regional teams with diverse expertise explore and polish regional resources and cultures to think about circular economies.
- Circular Design Praxis (CDP) A network connecting academia, companies, and regions to foster and practice systemic circular design, with a secretariat operated by Re:public, aiming to establish bottom-up, place-based circular design approaches.
- Satsuma Future Commons Next-generation city planning and circular city initiative in Satsuma-sendai City, Kagoshima, providing direction for social implementation of new urban design integrating citizen life, corporate activities, and research.
- Kyoto Creative Assemblage Creativity development program for working professionals in Kyoto, bringing together instructors from three representative Kyoto universities and practitioners to cultivate new worldviews through sociological perspectives, speculative design, and artistic practice.
Quantifiable outcome
- 19 Japanese regions covered; 469+ participants trained through migakiba program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Re:public
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Re:public technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Re:public partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Kyoto Institute of Technology (京都工芸繊維大学)coreCo-founded Circular Design Praxis (CDP) in 2022. KYOTO Design Lab (D-lab) is a co-organizer of Circular Design Week 2025 and hosts CDP symposia. Joint research on place-based circular design and futures studies, with Professor Mizuno serving on the CDP Steering Board.
- Hitachi Ltd. (株式会社日立製作所)coreHitachi R&D Group's Design Department is a Steering Partner of Circular Design Praxis (2023). Re:public also conducted future insights field research with Hitachi for their 'Signs of a Sustainable Society' project, conducting fieldwork in Kagoshima. The partnership connects corporate R&D with place-based design methodology.
- Kokuyo Co., Ltd. (コクヨ株式会社)minorCo-creation partner of Circular Design Praxis in 2023, supporting the network's activities and participating in working groups focused on circular design research.
- Mercari, Inc. (株式会社メルカリ)minorCo-creation partner of Circular Design Praxis in 2023, engaging with the network to explore circular economy applications in the secondhand marketplace context.
- Odakyu Electric Railway (小田急電鉄株式会社)minorCo-creation partner of Circular Design Praxis in 2023, contributing to place-based circular design research and CDW programs.
- Kyoto University (京都大学)coreKyoto University is a university partner in the Kyoto Creative Assemblage program and a founding member of CDP. The Graduate School of Management and Business Administration serves as the secretariat for the program, with faculty contributing to design education and futures studies.
- Kyoto City University of Arts (京都市立芸術大学)coreUniversity partner in the Kyoto Creative Assemblage program, contributing art exercises and aesthetic strategy components to the 6-month creativity training program.
- REnato Lab (Taiwan)coreREnato Lab serves as the Taiwan secretariat for the Repack project and co-organizes Circular Design Week Taiwan. The partnership enables cross-border circular design research between Taiwan and Japan on food packaging systems, funded by the Toyota Foundation.
- 5% Design Action (Taiwan)coreTaiwan-based international social design platform co-organizing CDW2024 in Taiwan alongside CDP and Re:public. Founded by Kevin Yang, the organization contributed speakers, venue (Taiwan Design Research Institute), and regional network connections for the 4-day Taiwan program.
- Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI)coreCo-organizer of CDW2024 conference in Taipei, providing the Creative Forum venue and institutional support. Key local partner for connecting international circular design practitioners with Taiwan's design ecosystem.
- T-Hub (India)coreIndia's leading innovation hub partnered with Hiroshima Prefecture to launch the Road To Shine program. Re:public served as program operator, facilitating connections between Hiroshima companies and Indian engineers through T-Hub's innovation network.
- Kyushu University Graduate School of Design (九州大学院芸術工学研究院)coreJoint research partner with Re:public on 'future food, clothing, shelter + infrastructure' as part of the Satsuma Future Commons initiative. Assistant Professor Inamura (稻村徳州) serves as a development member, bridging academic research and local implementation.
- Nakadai Corporation (株式会社ナカダイ)coreA 99% recycling rate creative recycling company leading the Satsuma Future Commons development team. Represents the industrial-scale circular economy anchor for the Satsuma-sendai circular city initiative.
- Deep Care Lab (株式会社ディープケアラボ)coreCo-developer of the Kyoto Creative Assemblage Part 2 program 'Thinking about viable futures starting from de-growth.' Led by Masashi Kawachi, the organization brings ecological anthropology and future ethics perspectives to the CDP ecosystem.
- Deep Care Lab (ディープケアラボ)corePartner in Kyoto Creative Assemblage and CDW2025 speaker faculty. Contributed to Session 3 of CDW2025 on 'spirituality in circular design' and co-develops the 'de-growth to viable futures' curriculum module.
- SELF (特定非営利活動法人薩摩リーダーシップフォーラム)coreLocal co-organizer of CDW2023 in Kagoshima alongside Re:public and CDP. NPO focused on leadership development in Satsuma region, providing local practitioner connections and community facilitation for the 7-day circular design program.
- Public Organizations (Provincial/City Governments)coreLong-term operational partners including Satsuma-sendai City (Satsuma Future Commons, RE:STORE), Yokohama City (child policy design), Hioki City (comprehensive planning), Kochi Sakuwa Town (library information design), and Fukui City (Fukui Miru-ka). Engagements span vision design, policy co-creation, and community programming.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Re:public competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy with deep corporate and government practice. Comparable methodologically (design thinking, ethnography, co-creation) but operates at much larger scale across industries and geographies.
- frog (part of Capgemini Engineering): Global design and strategy firm applying human-centered design to consumer products and services. Comparable to Re:public's design research and corporate training offerings, but as a much larger portfolio firm.
Direct peers
- Nesta: UK innovation foundation that funds, designs, and runs programs for social and economic innovation across government and corporate partners. Comparable in mission and operating model (research + applied programs + convening).
- 5% Design Action: Taiwan-based social design platform that convenes designers, academics, and communities around systemic social issues. Co-organizes Circular Design Week in Taiwan; directly comparable through shared methodology and CDW partnership.
- Design Council: UK-based design policy and innovation think-and-do tank that advises government and industry on design-led economic and social impact. Highly comparable to Re:public's model of convening research, policy, and place-based practice around design.
- Dark Matter Labs: Global design and systems-change organization building infrastructure for alternative economic and civic models. Closely comparable to Re:public's blend of ethnographic research, speculative design, and place-based civic futures work.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Leading global circular economy foundation that convenes companies, governments, and academia to accelerate circular design and systems change. Directly comparable to Re:public's CDP network and circular design focus, though at a much larger international scale.
- Forum for the Future: International sustainability nonprofit combining futures thinking, systems change, and multi-stakeholder programs with corporate and government clients. Comparable to Re:public's think-and-do tank approach, particularly around training programs and futures methodologies.
- REnato Lab: Taiwan-based circular design research and practice organization that co-runs the Repack project and CDW Taiwan with Re:public. Directly comparable partner-peer in regional circular design networks.
Emerging players
- Impact Hub Japan: Japanese arm of the global Impact Hub network supporting social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs through programs, labs, and convening. Comparable in mission (sustainability, place-based innovation) and corporate training offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Re:public social profiles
Digital presenceRe:public financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Re:public leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Re:public funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Re:public M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Re:public
What does Re:public do?
Re:public operates as a "Think & Do Tank" that researches and designs sustainable innovation ecosystems. The company delivers commissioned consulting projects for government agencies and corporate clients, conducts ethnographic fieldwork and vision design, designs and facilitates training programs (e.g., Circular Design Week, migakiba), and runs place-based circular design initiatives across Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.
Is Re:public a public or private company?
Re:public is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Re:public founded?
Re:public was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Re:public based?
Re:public is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Re:public make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Consulting & Project Contracts are the primary driver. The others are event & Training Programs and network & Membership Programs.
Who are Re:public's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IDEO and frog (part of Capgemini Engineering). Direct peers are Nesta, 5% Design Action, Design Council, Dark Matter Labs, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Forum for the Future and REnato Lab. Impact Hub Japan is listed as an emerging player.
Does Re:public have an API?
No public API is recorded for Re:public.
What industry is Re:public in?
Re:public's product category is Sustainability Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAN, Public Sector & Policy Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAO, Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.