For cities, governments and institutions
Learn from Japan’s circular cities and build partnerships that last
From Yokohama and Kamakura to Kyoto and Gamagori, Japanese cities are turning circular economy ambitions into policy, programmes and measurable results. Circular Economy Hub works with these cities every day, and helps overseas municipalities, national and regional governments, development agencies and research institutions understand Japan’s approach, visit the people behind it and build lasting partnerships.
CHALLENGESDoes this sound familiar?
Understanding Japan’s approach
You want to know how Japanese national and local governments are designing circular economy policy, and which cities are leading.
Finding a counterpart
You are looking for a Japanese city, ministry, university or company to learn from, exchange with or partner with.
Measuring the transition
You need indicators and methods to monitor progress towards a circular city and to compare with others.
Organising a visit
You are planning a delegation or study visit to Japan and want meetings that lead somewhere.
Engaging citizens and business
You want to see how Japanese cities bring local companies and residents into the circular transition.
Telling your story in Japan
You want Japanese cities, companies and media to know about your city’s circular initiatives.
FEATUREDTwo tools that anchor our work with cities
ACircular City Transition GuideA step-by-step guide for cities moving to a circular economy
Developed with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and Keio University’s COI-NEXT programme, the guide sets out the steps a city takes towards a circular economy, organised around a Strategy, Action and Impact framework.
Official site: CIRCULAR CITY TRANSITION GUIDE (in Japanese). We provide English briefings and workshops based on the guide.
Transition workshops
A workshop programme, delivered in six sessions in Japan, that takes a city from methods and case studies through analysis of its current state to a vision, priority areas, roadmap and indicators. Available for overseas cities in English, adapted to your context.
Transition support
Longer-term support, typically from six months, for policy design, programme development and partnerships that involve stakeholders inside and outside the city.
Briefings on Japan’s method
An English introduction to how Japanese cities use the guide, with examples from the municipalities we advise.
BCircular City Transition Indicators (CCTI)Every Japanese municipality, scored on its circular transition
The Circular City Transition Indicators score all 1,741 Japanese municipalities on ten measures of strategy, action and results, so that cities can monitor their transition, benchmark against peers of similar size and industrial make-up, and use the results in policy design and evaluation.
Explore the indicators: Circular City Transition Indicators
Find the right Japanese partner city
Use the indicators to identify Japanese municipalities that are strong in the areas you care about, from strategy and governance to business engagement and results, and let us make the introduction.
Research and comparison
A rare nationwide dataset on circular city transition. We support researchers and city networks who want to compare Japanese cities with cities elsewhere or study what drives progress.
Indicator design for your city
Advice on building a monitoring framework for your own city or region, drawing on the design of the CCTI and on our work with Circle Economy on circular jobs analysis and with Recotech on material flow analysis.
SERVICESHow we work with overseas cities, governments and institutions
01Research / IntelligenceResearch on Japan’s circular economy and circular city policy
Sourced, English-language answers about how Japan’s national and local governments are approaching the circular economy.
Policy briefings
Japan’s national circular economy strategy and legislation, the roles of ministries and agencies, subsidy and support programmes for regions, and how they translate into municipal action.
City case studies
In-depth studies of Japanese circular cities and regional initiatives: governance, programmes, business and citizen engagement, financing and results, with data from the Circular City Transition Indicators.
Thematic research
Custom research on themes such as circular procurement, waste and resource policy, circular tourism, wellbeing indicators or circular startups, tailored to your policy questions.
02Study Visits / DelegationsStudy visits to Japan’s circular cities
We design and coordinate delegation visits that put you in the room with the officials, companies and communities making Japanese cities circular.
Programme design
Destinations and hosts matched to your objectives, drawing on the cities and regions we work with, including Yokohama, Kamakura, Gamagori, Kyoto, Tokyo, the Setouchi region and Ise-Shima.
Coordination and briefings
Requests to municipalities and companies, scheduling, background briefings on each destination and support during the visit.
Learning and exchange formats
Workshops, roundtables and peer exchanges with Japanese officials and practitioners, so the visit produces shared conclusions and follow-up, not only impressions.
03Network / MatchingIntroductions to Japanese cities, government, research and business
The right counterpart, introduced with context, for exchanges, joint projects and formal partnerships.
City-to-city
Introductions to Japanese municipalities that match your interests, from the cities we advise to those identified through the Circular City Transition Indicators, for exchanges, cooperation agreements and joint programmes.
Government and institutions
Connections with ministries and agencies, universities and research programmes such as the JST COI-NEXT hubs we work with, and platforms such as Circular Partners, led by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Companies and startups
Japanese companies and circular startups that work with cities, from material recovery and repair to circular design, for procurement dialogues, pilots and investment.
04Advisory / WorkshopsAdvisory, workshops and assessment
The methods we use with Japanese cities, adapted for cities and institutions elsewhere.
Transition strategy
Vision, priority areas, roadmap and indicators for your circular city, using the Circular City Transition Guide’s Strategy, Action and Impact framework and lessons from Japanese cities.
Measurement and impact
Circular jobs analysis in collaboration with Circle Economy, material flow and circularity analysis with Recotech, and wellbeing impact assessment using logic models and the Regional Well-Being indicators developed by Japan’s Digital Agency.
Programmes for business and citizens
Circular business design workshops for local companies, startup and incubation programmes such as Circular Startup Tokyo, and citizen-facing formats from design exhibitions to upcycling workshops and film screenings, as developed with Japanese cities.
05CommunicationShare your city’s story with Japan
Japanese cities and companies look abroad for inspiration. Our media puts your initiatives in front of them.
Coverage in our media
Interviews and reports in Circular Economy Hub, in IDEAS FOR GOOD, our magazine of ideas that make society better, and in Zenbird, our English-language media on sustainability in Japan.
Events with Japanese cities
Present at our events or co-host a session with Japanese municipalities and practitioners, online or in Japan.
Circular tourism and promotion
We design circular economy tourism and city branding programmes with Japanese regions, and can help you connect your city’s story to Japanese visitors and partners.
Planning to work with Japan?
Tell us about your city or institution, what you want to learn or achieve, and your timeline. We work through cooperation agreements, commissioned research, advisory contracts and joint programmes, and will reply within three business days.
TRACK RECORDOur work with Japanese cities and regions
Local governments
- City of Yokohama: Minato Mirai Circular City Project, decarbonised circular lifestyle programmes, an upcycling project for gymnasium flooring, wellbeing impact assessment for the Yokohama Co-Creation Consortium and a partnership on a circular system for clothing
- City of Gamagori (Aichi): adviser to Circular City Gamagori; publication of the circular jobs dashboard Gamagori Data Explorer with Circle Economy
- City of Kyoto: building the foundations of the circular economy through Circular Business Design School Kyoto
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Circular Startup Tokyo, a startup support programme dedicated to the circular economy
- Saitama Prefecture: adviser to the prefecture’s circular economy promotion subcommittee
- Ministry of the Environment, Japan: master adviser for the FY2025 programme supporting regional resource circulation
Regions and platforms
- Circular Yokohama (Yokohama): circular city transition platform, operated by Artiql
- JST COI-NEXT, Kanazawa University (Kanazawa): value innovation project for spreading circular lifestyles
- JST COI-NEXT, Keio University (Kamakura): assessing the feasibility of circular city transition in medium-sized cities
- AJI CIRCULAR PARK (Takamatsu, Kagawa): launch support for a circular lifestyle hub
- COVA KAKUDA (Shima, Mie): design and delivery of circular economy tourism
- Circular Kameoka (Kameoka, Kyoto): launch support for a circular platform media
WHY USWhat we bring to overseas cities and institutions
Practice
Know-how from doing it in Japanese cities
Through Circular Yokohama and our advisory work with municipalities, we support the whole chain from policy design to programmes on the ground. We share what works, and what did not, from real projects.
Expertise
Methods and data built for cities
The Circular City Transition Guide, the Circular City Transition Indicators covering all 1,741 Japanese municipalities, and partnerships with Circle Economy and Recotech give our advice a foundation in frameworks and data, not only opinion.
Media
A voice that reaches Japan’s circular economy community
Circular Economy Hub, IDEAS FOR GOOD and Zenbird reach the Japanese officials, companies and citizens you want to engage, and international readers who follow Japan.
FAQFrequently asked questions
In what form do you work with overseas cities and institutions?
Commissioned research and briefings, study visit coordination, advisory contracts, workshop delivery, cooperation agreements between cities and joint programmes. Tell us your situation and we will suggest the format that fits.
Are the Circular City Transition Guide and Indicators available in English?
Both were developed for Japanese cities and are published in Japanese. We provide English briefings, workshops and data support based on them, and welcome partners interested in international editions.
Can you arrange meetings with Japanese city officials?
Yes. We work directly with several Japanese municipalities and can introduce you to officials and practitioners whose work matches your interests, as part of a study visit or online.
Do you work with universities and research institutes?
Yes. We collaborate with Japanese university research programmes and support international researchers who study Japanese cities or want Japanese partners.
Contact us
Tell us about your city, government or institution and what you want to achieve with Japan. We will reply within three business days.