Glossary

Crowdfunding glossary

Every term you'll meet researching CAMPFIRE, Makuake and the rest — defined plainly, in plain Japanese and English.

The basics

Crowdfundingcrowdfunding: Raising money for a project by gathering small contributions from many people online, instead of from one bank or investor.What is crowdfunding? →
Creator / Ownerkian-sha: The person or team running a campaign — who defines the goal, rewards and deadline and delivers afterward.
Backer / Supportershien-sha: Someone who pledges money to a campaign, usually for a reward or to support a cause.
Project / Campaignproject: A single funding effort with a goal, a deadline and a story page on a platform.
Pledgepledge: The act of committing money to a project. A pledge is support for an attempt — not a guaranteed pre-order.How to back safely →

Reward typekounyuu-gata: Back a project and receive a product or experience in return. Japan's most common type (CAMPFIRE, Makuake…).The six types →
Donation typekifu-gata: Give to a cause with no material reward — social, medical, disaster relief (READYFOR, For Good).
Equity typekabushiki-toushi-gata: Invest in an unlisted startup for shares. Regulated, with annual caps; high risk (FUNDINNO).
Lending typeyuushi-gata: Lend to companies through an operator and earn fixed interest. A financial product (Funds).
Fund typefund-gata: Invest in a specific business and share revenue-linked distributions, often with local-product perks (セキュリテ).
Government Crowdfunding (GCF)GCF: Direct your hometown-tax (furusato nozei) to a specific municipal project, keeping the tax deduction. Coined by Furusato Choice in 2013.
All-or-Nothingall-or-nothing: If the goal isn't reached by the deadline, no money changes hands and backers are refunded. Protects makers with stock risk.
All-in (Keep-it-All)all-in: The creator keeps whatever is raised even below goal — and commits to running the project regardless. Suits causes and community.

Goalmokuhyou-kingaku: The amount a campaign aims to raise. Determines success under All-or-Nothing.Choosing a platform →
Amount raisedshien-sougaku: The running total pledged so far. A measure of momentum and trust.
% funded (progress)tassei-ritsu: Raised divided by goal. Can exceed 100% — many hot campaigns finish at several hundred percent.
Platform feetesuuryou: The cut the platform takes from funds raised, roughly 9–20% plus payment fees. Build it into your goal.
Stretch / Next goalstretch goal: A higher target set after the original goal is met, often unlocking extra features or rewards to keep momentum.
GMV (total raised)GMV: Cumulative funds a platform has processed across all projects — e.g. CAMPFIRE passed ¥100B in 2025.CAMPFIRE →

Reward (return)return: What a backer receives for a pledge tier — the product, an experience, a thank-you. Its cost and shipping must fit the budget.
Early-birdhayawari: Limited discounted tiers for the first backers — used to spark the crucial opening-day surge.Spotting a hot campaign →
Activity updatekatsudou-houkoku: Posts a creator publishes during and after a campaign. Frequency and honesty (including about delays) signal trustworthiness.
Curatorcurator: A platform staffer who helps a creator plan and run a campaign (notably on READYFOR's curator plan).
Screening / reviewshinsa: A platform's vetting before a project goes live. Stricter on curated platforms (Makuake, GREEN FUNDING) than open ones.

Fulfillment / deliveryrita-n rikou: Delivering the promised rewards. Delays are common for physical products — read the schedule and double it in your head.
Shipping & customssouryou: Extra costs to deliver a reward, especially abroad. Check voltage, language and support for overseas backing.
Tax deductionkifukin-koujo: Donation-type and GCF campaigns may let backers deduct contributions from tax where eligible.
Gifting / tippingnagesen: Giving money directly to a creator with no reward and no deadline — a tip jar, a membership. Sustains creators between projects.Gifting explained →