What KAKUICHI CO.,LTD. does

KAKUICHI CO.,LTD. is a privately held, 140-year-old Japanese diversified manufacturer (founded 1886 in Nagano; 501-1000 employees) operating nine business segments unified around sustainability, agriculture, water, mobility, and regional revitalization. Its traditional core is the manufacture, sale, and installation of garages and agricultural storage warehouses, sold through a nationwide network of 73+ A-SITE showrooms that provide in-house manufacturing-to-installation control and face-to-face after-sales service. The company also manufactures resin hoses (with ~40 years of US export history), produces silica lime (the only domestically produced 100% natural inorganic wall material), and operates the Ancient Hotel Asama Karuizawa (a 13-room boutique hotel recognized in TripAdvisor Best of the Best 2021).

KAKUICHI's innovation engine is its Aqua Solution platform, which uses proprietary micro nano-bubble (NB) technology to dissolve high concentrations of oxygen into irrigation water — with documented outcomes of 12% tomato yield increases and a reduction in piglet mortality from 3.0% to 0.5%. Agricultural data accumulated across deployments feeds AI models that recommend optimal irrigation timing to farmers. The company has paired this with the CANVAS MaaS platform (LINE-integrated, AI-augmented) and a solar power partner business (17,300+ customers, ~136 MW as of April 2023) to create an integrated sustainability stack for rural Japanese municipalities.

The go-to-market is hybrid: 73+ A-SITE showrooms for B2C residential and agricultural customers, direct municipal contracting for MaaS and zero-carbon city partnerships (Komoro City, Tomi City, Oyama Town, Kashima City), and partnership-based channels for international expansion (UN FAO, Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture, Japan-Ukraine Business Support Program, BYD Japan). Revenue is a mix of one-time product sales (garages, hoses, silica lime, water), subscription/aggregation (solar partner, MaaS), and service fees (hotel, demonstration projects). The company is led by President and Representative Director Tanaka Dōyū and is preparing to celebrate its 140th anniversary in 2026.

Name

KAKUICHI CO.,LTD.

Legal name

株式会社カクイチ

Website

https://kaku-ichi.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

KAKUICHI CO.,LTD. is a 140-year-old Japanese diversified manufacturer (founded 1886, 501-1000 employees, Nagano) producing garages, resin hoses, nano-bubble agricultural technology, solar power systems, premium water, and operating a MaaS mobility platform, distributed through 73+ A-SITE showrooms to B2C, municipal, and agricultural customers across Japan and selectively in Ukraine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversified industrial manufacturing and regional services

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Mobile Homes (2451), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & HOA Irrigation Services (Large-Scale Systems) (HSAIAEAJ)

Keywords

• Garage warehouse manufacturing
• Resin hose production
• Agricultural nano-bubble technology
• Mobility-as-a-service platform
• Solar energy solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Garage and Warehouse Sales (ガレージ・倉庫事業): KAKUICHI manufactures, sells, and installs garages and agricultural storage buildings directly to customers through a network of over 73 A-SITE showrooms nationwide. The company handles manufacturing, sales, and construction in-house, providing a one-stop solution for residential and agricultural customers seeking durable, earthquake- and storm-resistant structures.
2. Solar Power Partner Business (太陽光パートナー事業): KAKUICHI installs solar panels on customer garage roofs and aggregates generated electricity. Starting from 2013, this subscription-like partner model has grown to approximately 17,300 customers generating ~136 megawatts of renewable energy capacity as of April 2023.
3. Resin Hose Manufacturing and Sales (樹脂ホース事業): Manufacture and sale of residential, civil engineering, agricultural, and industrial hoses, with exports to the US for approximately 40 years. Serves as a comprehensive hose manufacturer contributing to irrigation and disaster relief water transport.
4. Aqua Solution / Nano Bubble (アクアソリューション事業): Sale of nano-bubble generators and oxygen nano-bubble water products for agriculture and livestock. High-density oxygen nano-bubble water sold via makuake crowdfunding (3 billion bubbles, 20 bottles at ¥6,240). Also pursues B2B contracts with agricultural cooperatives and international development projects.
5. MaaS Mobility Services (MaaS地方創生事業): Provides EV buses, three-wheel electric carts, and the CANVAS MaaS platform as a service to local governments and communities. Revenue derives from government contracts, service fees, and transportation usage fees for demonstration experiments and formal mobility services.
6. Hotel Operations (ホテル事業): Operation of the Ancient Hotel Asama Karuizawa (アンシェントホテル浅間軽井沢), a boutique 13-room hotel within a national park, generating revenue through accommodation, dining, and wellness services. Recognized globally on TripAdvisor.
7. Health Development (健康開発事業): Sale of silica lime interior wall materials (シリカライム) for residential and commercial interiors. The 100% natural inorganic material is marketed for health-conscious consumers seeking chemical-free, humidity-controlling wall finishes.
8. Water and Beverages (ウォーターライフクリエーション事業): Production and sale of premium bottled water 'Iwashimizu' (岩深水) sourced from deep springs in Shiga Prefecture, ultra fine bubble water, and carbonated water products marketed for daily hydration and health benefits.
9. Environment / Steel Products (環境事業): Flexible lightweight panels for sustainable factory construction and distribution of renewable energy products, building on the company's origins as a copper/iron hardware and wholesale business.
10. Investment in Agritech: KAKUICHI has made strategic investments in companies such as Dezamis Co., Ltd. (牛の行動モニタリングシステム U-motion) and Eco Pork, developing a circular agricultural model as part of its diversification into agritech.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KAKUICHI CO.,LTD. is a 140-year-old Japanese diversified manufacturer that produces and sells garages, agricultural warehouses, resin hoses, premium bottled water (Iwashimizu), silica lime interior wall materials, and solar energy systems. The company also operates a proprietary micro nano-bubble agricultural technology platform (Aqua Solution), a CANVAS MaaS mobility platform, and a boutique hotel (Ancient Hotel Asama Karuizawa), serving both individual consumers and municipal/enterprise clients across Japan and internationally.

Product overview

KAKUICHI CO.,LTD. is a 140-year-old Japanese diversified manufacturer and service provider operating multiple business segments. Its portfolio includes (1) Garage/Warehouse Manufacturing (ガレージ・倉庫事業) as its traditional core business, (2) the Aqua Solution / Nano-bubble Agricultural Technology platform — its primary innovation engine — which uses AI-optimized micro nano-bubble water for irrigation to increase crop yields and enable regenerative agriculture, (3) the CANVAS MaaS mobility platform integrating LINE, EV three-wheel carts ('egg'), and BYD EV buses ('J6') for municipal transportation, (4) Resin Hose Manufacturing, (5) Environmental Business for decarbonization, (6) Silica Lime natural wall materials, (7) Iwashimizu premium water products including ultra-fine bubble water and carbonated water, (8) Ancient Hotel Asama Karuizawa boutique hospitality, and (9) Solar Power Partnership rooftop solar. These segments share a unified SDG-oriented strategy rooted in agriculture, energy, mobility, and health, and are connected through KAKUICHI's digital platforms (CANVAS MaaS, LINE integration) and physical distribution (73+ A-SITE showrooms, nationwide).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A-SITE: KAKUICHI's showroom network brand, present at over 73 locations nationwide (A-SITE), serving as information hubs for Agriculture (A), Aqua (A), and Architecture (A).
• シリカライム (Silica Lime)
• アンシェントホテル浅間軽井沢 (Ancient Hotel Asama Karuizawa)
• 岩深水 (Iwashimizu)
• RIDE'N
• EGG (EV三輪カート)
• 信州こもろ・こま〜す (Shinshu Komoro Koma-su)
• オキシヴァイタル (Oxyvital)

Products and services

• Garage and Warehouse Business (ガレージ・倉庫事業) Manufacture, sale, and installation of garages and agricultural storage warehouses with nationwide direct sales and after-sales service through 73+ A-SITE showrooms. Products are designed for multi-generational durability (3 generations) against earthquakes, storms, and heavy snow.
• Aqua Solution / Nano-bubble Agricultural Technology (アクアソリューション事業) An agricultural technology platform that uses micro and nano-bubble water generators to optimize dissolved oxygen levels in irrigation, increasing crop yields, reducing pesticide use, and improving product quality rates. AI analyzes accumulated agricultural data to recommend optimal irrigation timing.
• CANVAS MaaS Platform (MaaS地方創生事業) A next-generation mobility platform that aggregates transportation data and uses AI to provide route search, real-time vehicle location tracking, on-demand cart/bus dispatch, electronic ticketing, and tourist information. Delivered as a LINE-integrated application for residents and tourists in regional municipalities.
• Resin Hose Business (樹脂ホース事業) Manufacture and supply of resin hoses for household watering, civil engineering, agriculture, and industrial use, with approximately 40 years of export history to the US and global production capacity.
• Environmental Business (環境事業) Sustainable factory solutions including flexible lightweight panels (1/3 the weight of conventional materials) and renewable energy expansion via the KAKUICHI network, supporting decarbonization for local governments.
• Silica Lime Interior Wall Material (シリカライム) 100% natural inorganic interior wall coating material made from lime and purifying natural stone used in 2000-year-old structures. Provides humidity control, deodorization, antibacterial properties, and chemical-free healthy air environment. The only domestically produced 100% natural inorganic wall material without resin.
• Iwashimizu Premium Water and Ultra Fine Bubble Water (岩深水) Rare ultra-soft water sourced from deep springs at Mt. Iwami in Shiga Prefecture, marketed as premium drinking water. The product line also includes carbonated water and ultra-fine bubble water variants.
• Ancient Hotel Asama Karuizawa (アンシェントホテル浅間軽井沢) A 13-room boutique hotel located within a national park in Karuizawa, offering multi-course cuisine, natural hot springs, and nature-focused wellness experiences. Awarded TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Best of the Best 2021 (Asia #2, World #9).
• Solar Power Partnership Business (太陽光パートナー事業) A renewable energy business that installs solar panels on customers' garage/agricultural warehouse rooftops, creating distributed megawatt-scale solar power generation. Started in 2013, with 17,300 installations generating approximately 136 MW as of April 2023.
• Oxyvital High-Density Oxygen Nano-bubble Water (オキシバイタル) High-density oxygen nano-bubble water product for agricultural and lifestyle use. Contains 300 million bubbles per bottle. Launched via Makuake crowdfunding at ¥6,240 per box of 20 bottles (300ml each).
• EV Bus 'J6' (BYD) - MaaS Fleet Service Japan-manufactured BYD J6 EV bus with 200km range per charge, lithium-ion battery, non-step universal design, and zero emissions. Operated in KAKUICHI's municipal MaaS programs for Komoro City and Tomi City.
• EV Three-Wheel Cart 'egg' (三輪EVカート egg) A compact lithium-ion battery-powered electric three-wheel cart with a range of 100km per charge, operating at a maximum speed of 20 km/h, designed for city center mobility, resort transportation, and community transit. Used in Komoro City and Karuizawa under MaaS programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Piglet mortality reduced from 3.0% to 0.5% when oxygen micro bubbles were added to livestock drinking water
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• 小山町 (Oyama Town)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Partnership for local energy production and consumption ('小山町産エネルギーの地産地消') to realize zero-carbon city objectives. KAKUICHI contributes its expertise in solar energy, water management, garage/housing infrastructure, and energy-efficient building solutions to create a replicable sustainable regional model.
• 静銀リース株式会社 (Shizugin Lease Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Three-way partnership with Oyama Town and KAKUICHI to finance and implement the zero-carbon city initiative. Shizugin Lease provides financial leasing expertise for renewable energy equipment deployment, while KAKUICHI contributes technology and implementation capabilities.
• 鹿嶋市 (Kashima City)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2026Kashik City kitchen car startup support initiative 'Chance Kukan' — KAKUICHI donates garage units via corporate hometown tax donation (national first use of physical goods donation mechanism) to support entrepreneurs launching kitchen car businesses near Kashima Jingumae.
• United Nations FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025KAKUICHI partners with the UN FAO and Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture to deploy micro nano bubble technology for regenerative agriculture in war-affected Ukraine. The partnership addresses soil restoration, heavy metal remediation, and food security as part of Ukraine's reconstruction and EU accession preparations. KAKUICHI provides its proprietary nano-bubble technology, operational expertise, and documented agricultural outcomes data.
• Ukrainian Ministry of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Bilateral government partnership supporting agricultural reconstruction in Ukraine using Japanese nano-bubble technology. The ministry collaborates with KAKUICHI to implement soil remediation and agricultural productivity improvement programs across war-affected farming regions.
• 日产危机恢复支援 (Japan-Ukraine Reconstruction Support Programs)coreOthers · 1 December 2025KAKUICHI was selected for Ukraine Business Support Programs by the Japanese government and participated in the Japan-Ukraine Economic Reconstruction Conference. This government-backed support facilitates KAKUICHI's international expansion of nano-bubble agricultural technology to Ukraine.
• Eco PorkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024KAKUICHI has invested in Eco Pork as part of its strategy to build a circular agricultural model in Japan before extending the model to Ukraine. Eco Pork represents KAKUICHI's entry into integrated livestock management combining nano-bubble water technology with pork production.
• おやつカンパニー株式会社 (Oyatsu Company)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2023Collaborative event at KAKUICHI's A-SITE Yamanashi showroom featuring Baby Star noodle art and creative workshops. Joint community engagement event strengthening ties with regional consumers through experiential marketing.
• 株式会社鹿島アントラーズ・エフ・シー (Kashima Antlers FC)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2022Club partner sponsorship connecting KAKUICHI's regional revitalization activities in Kashima City (Ibaraki) and Komoro City (Nagano). Both companies share the goal of community engagement, open innovation, and creating vibrant local economies. Antlers leverages KAKUICHI's MaaS and community-building expertise while KAKUICHI benefits from the club's brand visibility.
• 事業構想大学院大学 (Graduate School of Project Design)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2022Three-way partnership (小諸市, KAKUICHI, 事業構想大学院大学) for comprehensive regional revitalization combining industry-government-academia expertise. The university provides academic research and educational frameworks while KAKUICHI contributes practical implementation of MaaS and agricultural innovation.
• 小諸市 (Komoro City)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2022Long-standing partnership with Komoro City for MaaS demonstration experiments (EV bus 'Komorome,' electric cart 'EGG'), DX social experiments, and a comprehensive town revitalization agreement signed in May 2021. KAKUICHI provides mobility vehicles, the CANVAS MaaS platform, and operational support.
• UR都市機構 (Urban Renaissance Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2022Six-party DX social experiment partnership in Komoro City including UR, KAKUICHI, Komoro City, Machizukuri Komoro, Neural Pocket, and Komoro Tourism Bureau. UR provides urban development expertise and project funding support for compact city and public mobility experiments.
• 東御市 (Tomi City)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2020Partnership through the '東御市先端MaaS協議会' for public transportation demonstration experiments. KAKUICHI and group company KAKUICHI Kenzai Kogyo provide BYD electric buses, operating systems, CANVAS app, and on-board support staff. Multiple experimental phases conducted from 2020 to 2021.
• BYD Japan (比亚迪日本)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020BYD supplies electric buses (J6 model, 29-passenger, 200km range per charge) used in KAKUICHI's MaaS demonstration experiments in Tomi City and Komoro City. BYD's Japan-manufactured EV buses serve as the core mobility vehicles in KAKUICHI's mobility-as-a-service deployments.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LIXIL Corporation: Major Japanese building materials manufacturer (housing, kitchens, bathrooms, windows) with an extensive showroom footprint (LIXIL Showrooms). Overlaps with KAKUICHI in factory-built home/structure products and showroom-led distribution.
• Sharp Corporation: Japanese electronics and appliances company that has commercialized nanobubble technology in washing machines, shower heads, and humidifiers. Closely comparable to KAKUICHI's nano-bubble R&D and consumer/water applications in the Japanese market.
• Willer, Inc. Japanese MaaS and long-distance bus operator that builds digital mobility platforms, payment, and route-search infrastructure. Direct peer to KAKUICHI's CANVAS MaaS business, with similar focus on regional Japanese routes and government partnerships.
• Takara Standard: Japanese kitchen and bath manufacturer that sells exclusively through a nationwide showroom network. Highly comparable to KAKUICHI in showroom-driven, factory-direct distribution of durable home products, including similar mid-sized rural and suburban customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Sekisui House: Japan's leading homebuilder with a multi-decade focus on sustainable, durable housing. Overlaps with KAKUICHI in earthquake/storm-resistant factory-built structures and ESG-oriented branding, but operates at a much larger national scale.
• Toyota Housing Corporation: Japanese modular/unit home manufacturer backed by Toyota, emphasizing factory-built durable housing with strong earthquake and energy performance. Comparable to KAKUICHI's garage/warehouse factory-built structures and its growing renewable-energy-bundled housing thesis.
• Daiwa House Industry: Japan's largest diversified housing and construction conglomerate with logistics, commercial, and increasingly agritech operations. Comparable to KAKUICHI in the breadth of construction/real-estate-adjacent businesses and scale, but far larger and publicly listed.
• Yanmar Holdings: Japanese diesel engine and agricultural machinery group with growing presence in smart farming, water, and energy solutions. Overlaps with KAKUICHI's agritech, water, and renewable energy directions and is a natural benchmark for an established Japanese agritech conglomerate.
• Kubota Corporation: Global Japanese manufacturer of agricultural machinery, irrigation systems, and water-related equipment. Highly comparable to KAKUICHI's agritech and water-oxygen (nano-bubble) irrigation ambitions, though at vastly greater scale and with a global dealer network.

Emerging players

• Moleaer: US-based emerging leader in industrial-scale nanobubble technology for agriculture, aquaculture, and water treatment. The closest international direct peer to KAKUICHI's oxygen nano-bubble agritech product, though focused on B2B industrial deployments rather than smallholder Japan agriculture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqC5aH0yKv3c6uPgFBB6u7g
• Instagraminstagram.com/kakuichi_maas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KAKUICHI CO.,LTD.