2012 was one of the greatest years for the cooperative movement. We leveraged the opportunities of the United Nations’ International Year of Co-operatives (IYC 2012) and organized a number of programs and events to raise awareness of and to promote growth of cooperatives. However, IYC 2012 is just a starting point for the cooperative development in a real sense.

In Japan, a new national cooperative alliance “Cooperatives Japan” was formed in May 2013, replacing the Japan National Planning Committee for IYC 2012, to commemorate the spirits of the IYC and to continue pursuing the goals set by the National Planning Committee for IYC 2012: To increase awareness about co-operatives and to promote growth of co-operatives. To this end, “Cooperatives Japan,” which consists of 25 national co-operative organizations, is engaged in various activities, including: organizing workshops, requesting to governments and providing various co-operative information via website (e.g. Overview on co-operatives and IYC, what is going on at the local level to increase awareness and to promote growth of co-operatives, etc.).

For information about cooperatives in the world, please visit the website of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA).

What's New

Overview of Cooperatives in Japan

  
(click to enlarge）

Member Organizations with English Website

• Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA ZENCHU):http://www.zenchu-ja.or.jp/eng
• National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations (ZEN-NOH) : http://www.zennoh.or.jp/about/english/index.html
• National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives (ZENKYOREN):http://www.ja-kyosai.or.jp/about/annual/index_e.html
• The Norin Chukin Bank:http://www.nochubank.or.jp/en/
• Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU): http://jccu.coop/eng/
• National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations (ZENGYOREN) : http://www.zengyoren.or.jp/syokai/jf_eng1.html
• National Federation of Workers and Consumers Insurance Cooperatives (ZENROSAI):http://www.zenrosai.coop/english/index.php
• Japan Workers’ Co-operative Union (JWCU): http://english.roukyou.gr.jp/index.html
• National Federation of University Co-operative Associations (NFUCA): http://www.univcoop.or.jp/en/index.html
• National Association of Labour Banks (NALB): http://all.rokin.or.jp/english/index.html
• National Federation of Small Business Associations:http://www.chuokai.or.jp/en/index.htm
• Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union:http://www.seikatsuclub.coop/about/english.html
• Nokyo Tourist Corporation (N-tour): http://www.ntour.jp/english/
• Japanese Health and Welfare Co-operative Federation (HeW CO-OP JAPAN):http://www.hew.coop/english/
• Japan Agricultural News (Nihon Nogyo Shimbun):http://english.agrinews.co.jp/

English News and Newsletters

• The Japan Agri News:http://english.agrinews.co.jp/
• JCCU News:http://jccu.coop/eng/jccunews/index.php

Member Organizations with Japanese Website

• Ie-No-Hikari Association:http://www.ienohikari.net/
• Japan Agricultural News (Nihon Nogyo Shimbun):http://www.agrinews.co.jp/
• National Federation of Forest Owners Co-operative Associations (ZENMORI-REN):http://www.nw-mori.or.jp/index.shtml
• Japan CO-OP Insurance Consumers’ Co-operative Federation:http://coopkyosai.coop/
• National Welfare Federation of Agricultural Co-operatives:http://www.ja-zenkouren.or.jp/index.html
• The National Association of Shinkin Banks:http://www.shinkin.org/
• Community Bank Shinyo Kumiai:http://www.shinyokumiai.or.jp/
• Kyoei Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Limited:http://www.kyoeikasai.co.jp/
• Workers’ Collective Network Japan:http://www.wnj.gr.jp/
• Central Council of Workers Welfare Associations of Japan :http://www.rofuku.net/