Regions

What Regions does

Regions (リージョンズ株式会社) is a private Japanese recruitment and career-change consulting firm founded in 2008 in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The company operates under two complementary legal entities — Regions Co., Ltd. (the consulting and platform operator) and subsidiary Regional Style Co., Ltd. (a franchise-style brand launched in 2009 for nationwide expansion of the firm's recruitment model) — both under founder/CEO Yukio Takaoka. The firm describes itself as Japan's first UI-Turn (U-turn and I-turn) specialized recruitment company and licenses regulated 'Fee-Based Employment Placement' (有料職業紹介, permit 01-ユ-300168).

The core product is a contingency-fee recruitment consulting service targeted at growth-stage regional enterprises in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Northern Kanto. Consultants conduct on-site diagnostics with company owners, define candidate profiles, source mid-career and executive talent (including successors, DX specialists, and M&A practitioners), and guide the hiring process to placement. A parallel career-change support service serves job seekers seeking to relocate from metropolitan areas. The firm also operates five branded regional job-seeker portals — Regional Career Hokkaido, Miyagi, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and the newly launched Iwate — which generate candidate pipelines and lead flow. Specialized offerings include the Successor President Recruitment Service and a Hokkaido-Prefecture-commissioned specialized-talent matching program.

Revenue is generated primarily via success-based placement fees on individual hires, supplemented by consulting engagements and operations on the regional career portals. GTM is exclusively direct enterprise field sales through five physical offices (Sapporo HQ, Sendai, Utsunomiya, Tokyo, Iwate). There is no proprietary technology platform — Regions is a service organization, and the headcount of 27-28 employees implies a deliberately boutique operating model.

Name

Regions

Legal name

リージョンズ株式会社

Website

https://regions.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Regions is a private Japanese recruitment consulting firm founded in 2008 in Sapporo that provides contingency-fee mid-career and executive placement, plus job-seeker career-change support, to regional SMEs across Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Northern Kanto as Japan's first UI-Turn specialized recruiter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Recruitment & Career Placement

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local & Regional Generalist Staffing Agencies (BPACACAH)

Keywords

• Regional recruitment services
• UI-turn career support
• Executive placement
• Business succession hiring
• Talent consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Sapporo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 有料職業紹介事業 (Fee-based Employment Placement): Regions operates as a licensed private employment agency (有料職業紹介, permit 01-ユ-300168) providing placement services for mid-career professionals and executives in regional Japan. Revenue is earned on a contingency/success fee basis — the client pays only upon successful placement of a candidate.
2. 採用コンサルティングサービス (Recruitment Consulting): Direct consulting engagements with company owners to diagnose management-level talent needs and deliver tailored hiring solutions. Operates on a 完全成功報酬制 (full success-based fee) model.
3. リージョナルキャリアサイト運営 (Regional Career Site Operation): Operates and maintains regional job-seeker portals under the 'Regional Career' brand for Hokkaido, Miyagi, Tochigi, and Ibaraki, driving candidate registration and placement volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Regions Co., Ltd. is a regionally specialized recruitment and career change support firm that provides recruitment consulting services for companies seeking mid-career to executive-level talent in Japan's Hokkaido, Tohoku, and North Kanto regions. It simultaneously runs free career change support services for individual job seekers (including UI-turn candidates relocating from metropolitan areas), operates prefecture-specific job seeker portals under the Regional Career sub-brand, and offers specialized business succession and DX talent matching services. Revenue is earned primarily on a contingency/success fee basis when candidates are successfully placed with corporate clients.

Product overview

Regions operates a multi-product platform consisting of two core service lines: (1) Recruitment Consulting Services for corporations seeking talent solutions, and (2) Career Change Support Services for job seekers. The portfolio includes regional sub-brands under the 'Regional Career' umbrella—Regional Career Hokkaido, Miyagi, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and the newly launched Iwate—each serving specific geographic areas. A specialized offering, the Successor President Recruitment Service, addresses business succession needs. The company also holds a fee-based employment placement license from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Discontinued services included DX Partner and DXP-HUB for DX support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• リージョナルキャリア: 地方特化型の転職支援网站ネットワーク（北海道・宮城・栃木・茨城・岩手）
• 後継社長

Products and services

• Recruitment Consulting Service (採用コンサルティングサービス) Hiring consulting service for corporations facing recruitment challenges in regional Japan. Consultants analyze management issues and propose talent solutions that achieve 'recruitment beyond company capability.' Targets regional SMEs seeking mid-career to executive-level talent.
• Career Change Support Service (転職支援サービス) Job change support for career seekers, including resume preparation, job matching, and interview preparation for mid-career and professional-level positions seeking to relocate to regional Japan.
• Regional Career Hokkaido (リージョナルキャリア北海道) UI-turn and local career site specifically for Hokkaido, operated by Regions to connect job seekers with Hokkaido-based companies.
• Regional Career Miyagi (リージョナルキャリア宮城) Career support platform for Miyagi Prefecture, helping job seekers find opportunities in the Tohoku region.
• Regional Career Tochigi (リージョナルキャリア栃木) Career support platform for Tochigi Prefecture, serving the North Kanto region.
• Regional Career Ibaraki (リージョナルキャリア茨城) Career support platform for Ibaraki Prefecture, covering the southern part of North Kanto.
• Regional Career Iwate (リージョナルキャリア岩手) Career support platform for Iwate Prefecture, launched in January 2026 to strengthen Tohoku region recruitment support through a two-location (Miyagi + Iwate) structure.
• Successor President Recruitment Service (後継社長採用サービス) Recruitment service for businesses without successors, providing comprehensive support from defining candidate requirements to successful hiring of successor candidates. Targets regional SMEs and family-owned businesses facing succession challenges.
• Fee-based Employment Placement Service (有料職業紹介事業) Licensed fee-based employment placement service (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare license number 01-ユ-300168). Operates on a contingency/success fee basis where clients pay only upon successful placement of a candidate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96.8% post-hire retention rate
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• J-Startup HOKKAIDO サポーターズmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2024Participating supporter in the J-Startup HOKKAIDO accelerator program, an initiative led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Hokkaido Bureau, Sapporo City, and Sapporo Industrial Promotion Foundation. Regions provides startup companies with talent acquisition consulting support.
• 北海道コンサドーレ札幌 (Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2023Official partner (オフィシャリティパートナー) of the professional soccer club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. Regions supports the club as part of its vision to create vibrant communities where challenge-makers gather. The partnership aligns with regional community building through sports.
• ヴォレアス北海道 (Voreas Hokkaido)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2022Official partner of professional men's volleyball team Voreas Hokkaido. 'Children of The Revolution' slogan — supporting the team in its push for top division.
• 伊達信用金庫 (Date Shinyokinko)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Business partnership (業務提携) with regional financial institution Date Shinyokinko. Collaboration on regional talent matching, business succession support, and local SME consulting services.
• レバンガ北海道 (Levanga Hokkaido)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2022Official partner (オフィシャリティパートナー) of professional basketball B.League team Levanga Hokkaido. Partnership aimed at regional community activation and brand visibility in Hokkaido.
• 株式会社道銀地域総合研究所 (Dojin Sogo Kenkyu)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2021Joint consortium partner (コンソーシアム) with Hokkaido Bank's regional research arm for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Hokkaido talent matching program. Matching specialized professionals with Hokkaido SMEs using new workstyles (side work, remote, etc.).
• 市町村政策情報誌『プラクティス』minorOthers公益財団法人北海道市町村振興協会が発行する政策情報誌。第37号（2022年1月発行）に弊社代表高岡のインタビューが掲載された。
• 北海道中小企業家同友会 (Hokkaido SME Association)moderateOthersRegions actively participates in and speaks at events organized by the Hokkaido SME Association (北海道中小企業家同友会), including regional chapters in Kushiro, Otaru-Shichihama, Hakodate, and other areas. The association is a key channel for reaching regional SME owners.
• 大札新パートナーズ (Dai-Sashin Partners)moderateOthersRegistered member of the Dai-Sashin Partners organization operated jointly by Sapporo City and businesses to promote urban redevelopment and corporate attraction to central Sapporo. Regions contributes by helping attracted companies with recruitment.
• ほっかいどう応援団会議 (Hokkaido Supporter Network)minorOthersMember of the Hokkaido Supporter Network coordinated by the Hokkaido government to promote Hokkaido's attractiveness and foster a community of companies and individuals who support regional development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• en Japan: Major Japanese mid-career and executive permanent placement agency with multiple brands (en Tenshoku, en Ambassador). Comparable as a multi-channel, success-fee direct-hire placement firm serving Japanese employers across industries.
• BizReach: Japan's leading online headhunting and direct-hire platform focused on mid-career and managerial talent. Comparable as a multi-industry placement competitor using a digital/consultative hybrid model.
• Robert Walters Japan: International professional recruitment firm with established Japan operations focused on mid-career to executive permanent placement across industries. Comparable for fee structure, white-collar client base, and executive search overlay.
• Daijob.com (Human Holdings): Bilingual professional and executive recruitment platform targeting global talent for Japanese employers. Comparable as a fee-based direct-hire specialist serving mid-career to executive roles.
• JAC Recruitment: Japan-focused mid-career and executive placement firm with international links, particularly strong in manufacturing, technology, and consumer roles. Comparable as a multi-industry success-fee recruiter with executive search capability.

Emerging players

• Wantedly: Japanese employer-branding and matching platform that emphasizes company culture fit and has expanded into regional markets. Comparable as a tech-enabled mid-career placement competitor pursuing similar fit-quality messaging.
• YOLO JAPAN: Japan-focused platform that recruits foreign nationals and inbound professionals for regional employers, often through relocation-support models. Comparable for addressing regional talent shortages via non-traditional candidate pools.

Broad incumbents

• Persol Holdings: One of Japan's largest HR services conglomerates spanning temporary staffing, permanent placement, and RPO. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping permanent placement services, though at vastly larger scale.
• Recruit Holdings: Parent of Indeed Japan, Rikunabi, and RGF Talent Solutions. Operates the largest recruitment and HR services portfolio in Japan. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose HR placement businesses compete for the same mid-career Japanese employers.
• Pasona Group: Diversified Japanese HR services provider offering permanent placement, temporary staffing, and consulting with a regional focus including Hokkaido. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping regional recruitment capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/regionsglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/regions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Regions