JR Tokai Agency Co., Ltd.

JR Tokai Agency Co., Ltd. (JTA) is a Japanese advertising agency and the in-house agency of the JR Central Group. It is headquartered in two locations — Tokyo (Minato-ku) and Nagoya (Nakamura-ku) — and is a consolidated subsidiary of Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), which holds 90% of its shares, with West Japan Railway Company (JR West) holding the remaining 10%. Its English corporate name is JR TOKAI AGENCY CO.,LTD. The company operates across several business lines. Its transit media business develops, sells and manages advertising media on the Tokaido Shinkansen and JR Central conventional lines, including in-train media, station media, event spaces and digital signage. Its advertising business provides planning, creative and digital communication services not only for JR Central and the JR Central Group but also for general corporations, government agencies and municipalities. It also runs licensing, IP content and cultural businesses, including merchandising rights for railway vehicles and the planning of exhibitions and events. As the agency behind JR Central's promotional campaigns, JTA is associated with well-known campaigns such as "Sōda Kyōto, Ikō" ("Let's go to Kyoto") and "Umashi Uruwashi Nara." It also handles advertising for outside clients, making it both a house agency and a general advertising agency. Like many railway-affiliated house agencies, it functions as a media owner for the transit advertising assets of its parent company. JTA traces its roots to the founding of Ad Media Center Co., Ltd. in 1963 and Ad Tokai Co., Ltd. in 1987; the two merged in 1990 to form JR Tokai Agency. The company moved to a two-headquarters structure in Tokyo and Nagoya in 1998, and changed its name to the current Japanese form in 2024. It employs 317 people (as of April 1, 2026) and reported revenue of 18.651 billion yen for the fiscal year ended March 2026. Its representative director and president is Kazuya Sato.

JR Tokai Agency traces its origins to two predecessor companies. Ad Media Center Co., Ltd. was established on November 8, 1963, and Ad Tokai Co., Ltd. was established on July 31, 1987. On October 1, 1990, the two companies merged to form JR Tokai Agency Co., Ltd. (then named 株式会社ジェイアール東海エージェンシー). In 1991, the company took over the advertising and publicity operations of Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). In 1992, it took over the advertising and publicity operations of JR Tokai Tours. In 1998, it reorganized to establish a two-headquarters structure with headquarters in both Tokyo and Nagoya. In 2000, the Nagoya headquarters moved to the Toyo Building and JR Central Towers. In 2004, the Tokyo headquarters moved to Shinagawa (Konan, Minato-ku, JR Tokai Shinagawa Building B). In 2007, the Osaka branch was renamed the Kansai branch. Further organizational changes followed: in 2010, the Communication Design Department, Production Department, and Publishing and Cultural Business Department were established; in 2014, Sales Department 5 was established; in 2017, the Nagoya headquarters was relocated and consolidated into JR Central Towers; in 2018, sales divisions and the Communication Design Department were renamed; in 2019, the Digital Solutions Department was established; in 2020, the Corporate Planning Department and Kyoto Branch were established, and the Shizuoka and Kansai branches were upgraded to branches; in 2022, the i-Business Promotion Office was established and Nagoya Sales Department 2 was abolished; in 2023, Nagoya Sales Department 1 was renamed and the Group Business Department was abolished. On July 1, 2024, the company changed its Japanese name to 株式会社JR東海エージェンシー and carried out organizational reforms, establishing the Marketing Strategy Department and West Japan Business Division, abolishing the Planning Marketing Department, Kyoto Branch and Kansai Branch, and formulating a corporate concept (vision, mission, credo and new corporate logo). In 2025, the IP Content Business Department was established. In 2026, the Publishing and Cultural Business Department was renamed the Cultural Business Department. The company is a consolidated subsidiary of JR Central, which holds 90% of its shares, with JR West holding 10%. It employs 317 people (as of April 1, 2026) and reported revenue of 18.651 billion yen for the fiscal year ended March 2026. Its representative director and president is Kazuya Sato. It has a labor union, the JR Tokai Agency Labor Union, affiliated with the JR Central Group Labor Union Federation.

• Ad Media Center Co., Ltd. established

• Ad Tokai Co., Ltd. established

• Ad Media Center and Ad Tokai merge to form JR Tokai Agency Co., Ltd.

• Took over advertising and publicity operations of Central Japan Railway Company

• Took over advertising and publicity operations of JR Tokai Tours

• Moved to a two-headquarters structure in Tokyo and Nagoya

• Nagoya headquarters relocated to Toyo Building and JR Central Towers

• Tokyo headquarters relocated to Shinagawa (JR Tokai Shinagawa Building B)

• Osaka branch renamed Kansai branch

• Organizational reform: Communication Design Department, Production Department, Publishing and Cultural Business Department established

• Organizational reform: Sales Department 5 established

• Nagoya headquarters relocated and consolidated into JR Central Towers

• Organizational reform: sales divisions and Communication Design Department renamed

• Organizational reform: Digital Solutions Department established

• Organizational reform: Corporate Planning Department and Kyoto Branch established; Shizuoka and Kansai branches upgraded

• Organizational reform: i-Business Promotion Office established; Nagoya Sales Department 2 abolished

• Organizational reform: Nagoya Sales Department 1 renamed; Group Business Department abolished

• Company name changed to JR Tokai Agency Co., Ltd.; organizational reform; corporate concept and new logo established

• Organizational reform: IP Content Business Department established

• Publishing and Cultural Business Department renamed Cultural Business Department

A house agency and media owner within the JR Central Group, combining transit advertising on the Tokaido Shinkansen with general advertising, licensing and cultural businesses.

• Transit media (in-train, station, event spaces, digital signage)

• Advertising planning and creative services

• Tourism promotion

• BtoB communication

• Area marketing

• BtoC communication

• Licensing business

• IP content business

• Cultural business

1. 1株式会社JR東海エージェンシー［JTA］jrta.co.jp
2. 2JTAの歩み｜会社概要｜株式会社JR東海エージェンシー［JTA］jrta.co.jp
3. 3会社概要｜株式会社JR東海エージェンシー［JTA］jrta.co.jp
4. 4私たちのビジョン｜会社概要｜株式会社JR東海エージェンシー［JTA］jrta.co.jp
5. 5JR Tokai Agency - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6JR東海エージェンシー - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org