We are pleased to share the 25-year journey of the Japan Career Development Association (JCDA) and announce our upcoming 25th Anniversary Commemorative Conference.
The Japan Career Development Association (JCDA) was founded in February 2000. In March of the same year, a paper by our current Chairperson, Ryoji Tatsuno, titled “Career Counseling in Japan: Today and in the Future” was published in the Career Development Quarterly, the journal of the National Career Development Association (NCDA). Three months later, he delivered a keynote speech at the NCDA International Conference.
In October, JCDA held its first Career Counseling Forum in Tokyo, and in December, the nonprofit organization Japan Career Development Association was officially established. This marked the beginning of JCDA’s history.
In July 2001, JCDA was certified as an international affiliate of the NCDA. The following year, in November 2002, the CDA (Career Development Adviser) certification exam was designated by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as an approved competency evaluation test for the Career Formation Promotion Subsidy (Occupational Ability Evaluation Promotion Benefit). This was a pivotal moment that helped establish and popularize “career counseling” across Japan.
Around the same time, we held Career Counseling Forums in both Tokyo and Osaka, and hosted networking events that gradually expanded the community of CDAs nationwide. In August 2003, JCDA opened its Kansai Office in Osaka, and “Peer Training” sessions—spaces where CDAs could learn and grow together—began. For over 20 years since then, this peer learning culture has been at the very heart of JCDA.
In July 2005, JCDA was awarded a contract for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Working Youth Online Counseling Project for three consecutive years. We also hosted the Working Youth Support Forum 2007. Our founding vision of “realizing career counseling functionality as a social system” was steadily coming to life.
In 2009, Chairperson Tatsuno introduced the concept of “Experience Metabolism (Keiken Taisha)”. The following year, coinciding with JCDA’s 10th anniversary in 2010, we held the first Peer Facilitator National Conference. The Supervisor Training Course was also launched, producing our first generation of supervisors. In 2011, JCDA established a new Career Counseling Training (CC-T) Program, dedicated to enhancing the professional expertise of CDAs and career counselors.
In March 2011, following the Great East Japan Earthquake, we asked ourselves a simple but profound question: “What can CDAs do?” In response, volunteers established the Tohoku Branch, actively working to expand the CDA network and support people’s careers—their very way of life. Thanks to these dedicated efforts, JCDA membership surpassed 10,000 in 2012.
The following year, in 2013, we held the JCDA General Meeting and Conference in Fukushima, a disaster-affected region, focusing on JCDA’s role in social contribution as a nonprofit organization.
In March 2014, JCDA developed and released “The Golden Thread Life Game (Jinsei Sugoroku Kin-no-Ito)”, a reflective board game designed to help individuals look back on their life experiences, recognize meaningful connections, and discover their unique “golden threads.”
Through workshops and outreach programs, The Golden Thread Life Game has since become one of JCDA’s signature initiatives, promoting self-understanding, dialogue, and experiential learning in schools, communities, and workplaces across Japan.
In 2017, we launched “Ribora” (short for Rehabilitation Volunteer Project), a program that supports individuals recovering from illness as they prepare to return to work and daily life. Through career counseling, group dialogue, and volunteer experiences, participants can explore “rehabilitation for working” and rebuild confidence at their own pace—a program that continues to this day.
Following the national conference in Fukushima, JCDA began holding annual conferences in various regions—Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kyushu/Okinawa, Hokkaido, and Hiroshima—building a truly nationwide network of CDAs.
Today, JCDA has grown into one of the largest professional associations for career development in Japan, with over 22,000 members, including more than 20,000 certified CDAs.
As our membership grew beyond 20,000, JCDA was preparing for a “Nationwide Simultaneous Career Counseling” event when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Yet, this challenge opened new doors: career counseling took on a new form—online. Under the leadership of Yoshio Ohara, who previously served as JCDA President and now acts as Board Member and Special Advisor, JCDA launched the “Nationwide Online Career Counseling 2021.” After about six months of preparation, it was held successfully in November 2021. For three consecutive years since then, we have continued to offer people across Japan the opportunity to experience career counseling firsthand.
This initiative evolved into what is now our regular “Career Dock” service—a nationwide career check-up program—further advancing our vision of establishing career counseling as part of Japan’s social infrastructure.
In 2023, JCDA established the “CDA STUDENT Certification Program,” recognizing university/college students who have completed JCDA-certified career education curricula. Each student receives a digital open badge certifying that they have learned the foundations of career development and self-directed growth. This initiative connects higher education with lifelong career development, supporting young people as they step into the future.
Now, in 2025, JCDA celebrates its 25th anniversary with a commemorative conference in December—the same month we were founded. More information will be shared soon, but we have already announced the key details below.
We warmly invite you to join us for this special occasion.
JCDA 25th Anniversary Conference
Exploring Who We Are and Why We Live
Co-creating a Sustainable Future for Society
Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Doors open at 1:30 PM) Times may slightly change
Format: In-person (Tokyo, Ikebukuro) No online streaming available
Venue: Teikyo Heisei University, Ikebukuro Campus — Okinaga Memorial Hall
Address: 2-51-4 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8445
Reception: 6:00 PM (Venue: Teikyo Heisei University cafeteria)
Participation Fees: Conference ¥2,000 / Reception ¥5,000