Japan Institute for Community Affairs

The Japan Institute for Community Affairs (JRIC; Japanese: 株式会社日本地域社会研究所) is a private Japanese consulting and research firm headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. According to its official website, the company was established on 5 February 2016 and is led by Representative Director Yasumaro Agehara, with stated capital of 6 million yen. Its office is listed at Aoyama Tower Place 8F, 8-4-14 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo. JRIC positions itself at the intersection of public administration, civil society and private enterprise. Its stated mission is to realize public-interest mechanisms in cooperation with government, to draw future visions for regional cities by combining public and private capabilities, and to advance resident-led, citizen co-creation. The firm says it uses the SDGs as a guideline and aims for a society that leaves no one behind while preserving what is distinctively good about Japan. The company's service lines, as described on its website, include consulting for regional community development; consulting on administrative services; research on next-generation regional issues; investment consulting for new businesses; investment, incubation support and consulting for venture companies; sourcing of solutions from Japan and overseas; planning and promotion of volunteer-based transport businesses in regional cities; building mutual-aid communities where elderly people can continue living in place; public-interest projects co-created by government and NPOs; support for drafting medium-term plans for local municipalities; consulting on local government projects; consulting on the planning, development and provision of IT systems; and related system implementation management and intellectual property management. JRIC also states that, constrained by non-disclosure agreements, it cannot disclose full details, but that with the goodwill and cooperation of many people it is pooling necessary software and development capabilities to research and develop a 'Resident Life Platform' intended to support digital transformation for the next generation. The website lists an affiliated company, 博恩キャピタル日本株式会社 (Boen Capital Japan Co., Ltd.), also represented by Yasumaro Agehara. As a small, privately held consultancy rather than a consumer-facing brand, JRIC operates mainly in the Japanese public-sector and community-development market, working with local municipalities, NPOs and neighborhood associations. Its public profile is limited; Wikidata records it simply as a company in Tokyo, Japan.

The Japan Institute for Community Affairs (JRIC) was established on 5 February 2016 as a private Japanese company, 株式会社日本地域社会研究所, with stated capital of 6 million yen. It is headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, at Aoyama Tower Place 8F, 8-4-14 Akasaka. From its founding it has been led by Representative Director Yasumaro Agehara. The company was created to address challenges facing Japanese regional cities and communities, including aging populations, depopulation, the sustainability of local public services and the need for digital transformation. Rather than operating as a conventional for-profit consultancy alone, JRIC frames its work around public-interest goals: realizing public mechanisms in cooperation with government, combining public and private capabilities to envision the future of regional cities, and promoting resident-led, citizen co-creation. Its website states that it uses the SDGs as a guideline and aims for a society that leaves no one behind while preserving what is distinctively good about Japan. Over its operating life JRIC has built a service portfolio spanning community development consulting, administrative service consulting, research on next-generation regional issues, investment consulting for new businesses, venture investment and incubation support, sourcing of solutions from Japan and overseas, planning and promotion of volunteer-based transport businesses in regional cities, construction of mutual-aid communities where elderly residents can continue to live in place, public-interest projects co-created by government and NPOs, support for local municipalities' medium-term plans, consulting on local government projects, and consulting on the planning, development and provision of IT systems, together with related system implementation management and intellectual property management. A notable current initiative described on the company's website is research and development of a 'Resident Life Platform' intended to support digital transformation for the next generation. JRIC notes that non-disclosure agreements prevent it from disclosing full details, but that it is pooling software and development capabilities with the cooperation of many parties. The website also lists an affiliated company, 博恩キャピタル日本株式会社 (Boen Capital Japan Co., Ltd.), whose Representative Director is also Yasumaro Agehara, indicating a linked investment and consulting activity. JRIC remains a small, privately held company. It is recorded in Wikidata simply as a company in Tokyo, Japan, and does not appear to be listed on any stock exchange. Its public communications are primarily in Japanese through its website at jric.jp.

• 2016

  Japan Institute for Community Affairs (株式会社日本地域社会研究所) is established with stated capital of 6 million yen.

• Company operates from Aoyama Tower Place 8F, 8-4-14 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, under Representative Director Yasumaro Agehara.

• JRIC conducts research and development of a 'Resident Life Platform' to support next-generation digital transformation, subject to non-disclosure agreements.

A private, public-interest-oriented consultancy and research institute working with Japanese local governments, NPOs and residents on community development, administrative services and digital transformation.

• Consulting for regional community development

  Advisory services for developing regional communities.

• Consulting on administrative services

  Consulting related to public administrative services.

• Research on next-generation regional issues

  Research into emerging issues facing regional communities.

• Investment consulting for new businesses

  Consulting on investment for new business ventures.

• Venture investment and incubation support

  Investment, incubation support and consulting for venture companies.

• Sourcing of solutions from Japan and overseas

  Procurement of solutions from domestic and international sources.

• Volunteer-based transport business planning and promotion

  Planning and promotion of volunteer-based transport businesses in regional cities.

• Mutual-aid community building

  Building mutual-aid communities where elderly residents can continue living in place.

• Public-interest project co-creation with NPOs

  Building public-interest projects through co-creation between government and NPOs.

• Local government medium-term plan support

  Support for drafting medium-term plans for local municipalities.

• Consulting on local government projects

  Consulting on projects undertaken by local governments.

• IT system planning, development and provision consulting

  Consulting on the planning, development and provision of IT systems, including related implementation management and intellectual property management.

• Resident Life Platform

  A platform under research and development to support next-generation digital transformation, details subject to non-disclosure agreements.

1. 1JRIC official websitejric.jp
2. 2Wikidata: Japan Institute For Community Affairs (Japan)wikidata.org