Kyokuto

What Kyokuto does

Kyokuto Co., Ltd. (株式会社きょくとう) is a privately-held Japanese specialty cleaner founded June 1, 1964 and headquartered in Fukuoka (Hakata-ku). The company operates a retail dry cleaning network of 478 stores across 11 prefectures (Fukuoka, Saga, Yamaguchi, Shimane, Tottori, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Osaka, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama), with the majority of locations embedded inside major supermarket chains such as AEON, MaxValu, SUNNY, and Hello Daily, supplemented by shopping mall and standalone sites. Kyokuto employs 879 people including part-timers and supports its retail network with 28 factories and 14 plant facilities, generating FY2026 sales revenue of ¥5.38 billion.

The core technical offering is the proprietary 'Ozone & Aqua/Drý' (オゾン&アクアドライ) cleaning system, a registered trademark combining ozone oxidation, aqua water treatment, and petroleum-based dry cleaning solvents, with claimed 99.9% germ sterilization via ozone. Around this anchor service, Kyokuto markets a portfolio of specialty garment treatments: super water-repellent Haneko Mamoru coating, Setup Line crease finishing, Wool Mark-certified insect-repellent processing for wool/cashmere/angora/silk, special stain removal, and dedicated sneaker cleaning. A proprietary consumer detergent, EM Wash NEO7, is sold in-store and online.

The business model rests on a quasi-direct franchise system (準直営店制度) under which approximately 260 shop owners nationwide operate stores for a 300,000-yen deposit with no inventory purchase required, receiving roughly 30% of store sales. Direct consumer pricing combines per-garment transactional fees with a 550-yen annual membership yielding points (100 yen = 1 point) and discounts. Cashless integrations span PayPay, electronic money, credit card, and T-Points. A 24-hour robot locker at Takanomiya station extends unmanned access. Strategic shareholders include Nishi-Nihon City Bank, Juhanshinwa Bank, Saga Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance.

Name

Kyokuto

Legal name

株式会社きょくとう

Website

https://k-cleaning.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kyokuto is a Japanese dry cleaning service company operating 478 retail stores across 11 prefectures, primarily inside supermarkets and shopping malls, serving individual consumers with proprietary Ozone & Aqua cleaning technology and specialty garment treatments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dry Cleaning Services

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Eco Allergy-Safe Cleaning (HEPA, low-VOC, fragrance-free) (HSAEAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

General All-Purpose Cleaners (CRAJAMAA)

Keywords

• Dry cleaning services
• Garment care
• Ozone cleaning
• Fabric treatment
• Specialty stain removal

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices42 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cleaning Services (Retail): Primary revenue from providing dry cleaning, wet cleaning, ozone cleaning, and specialty treatment services at 478 retail stores across Japan. Revenue is generated per transaction (per garment/service), with a membership program offering discounted rates to drive repeat business. Stores are located inside supermarkets and shopping centers.
2. Franchise/Owner-Operated Store Model: The company operates a quasi-direct store system (準直営店) where franchise owners manage stores. Owners receive approximately 30% of store sales as income. Initial investment is low (deposit of 300,000 yen only, no inventory purchase required). This model enables rapid store expansion with minimal capital outlay.
3. Product Sales (EM Wash NEO7): Sale of EM Wash NEO7 household cleaning product at stores and online, with pricing campaigns. Gift sets also available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kyokuto operates a network of 478 retail cleaning stores across 11 Japanese prefectures providing dry cleaning and specialty fabric care services, supported by 28 factories and 14 plant facilities. Its flagship offering is the proprietary Ozone & Aqua/Drý cleaning system (registered trademark) that combines ozone oxidation, aqua water treatment, and petroleum-based dry cleaning. The company also offers specialized treatments including super water-repellent coating (Haneko Mamoru), crease finishing (Setup Line), insect-repellent processing, special stain removal, sneaker cleaning, and its proprietary EM Wash NEO7 household cleaning product.

Product overview

Kyokuto operates a dry cleaning service business with its core offering being the registered trademark 'Ozone & Aqua Dry' cleaning service, which combines ozone, aqua, and dry cleaning technologies for superior cleaning results. The company provides this core service along with several specialized add-on treatments including super water repellent (Haneko Mamoru), crease processing (Setup Line), insect repellent treatment, special stain removal, and sneaker cleaning services. Additionally, the company sells a proprietary household cleaning product called EM Wash NEO7. The business operates multiple store brands under its network including コインズ (Coins), ペリカン俱楽部 (Pelican Club), 青い鳥クリーニング (Aoi Tori Cleaning), and others, with a total of 478 shops nationwide as of February 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ozone & Aqua/Drý (オゾン&アクアドライ)

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% of germs eliminated through ozone sterilization in the Ozone & Aqua/Drý cleaning process.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• 福岡SoftBank Hawk公式赞助商 (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 February 2026Kyokuto is an official sponsor of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks baseball team. The company displays this sponsorship on its company profile page and homepage, using sports marketing to build brand awareness.
• SECOM (セコーム)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECOM security branding appears on the homepage alongside Kyokuto's logo, suggesting a security partnership or alliance. A PDF document from SECOM is also linked on the homepage.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• リネット (Lenet): Internet-first pickup-and-delivery dry cleaning service that bypasses physical retail stores. Represents a digital-native alternative to Kyokuto's supermarket-anchored store model and signals a structural shift in customer acquisition.
• Rinse, Inc. US-based tech-enabled dry cleaning and laundry pickup/delivery service. Represents the digital consumer model that could eventually enter or pressure the Japanese market via app-driven convenience, parallel to Kyokuto's robot locker innovation.

Others

• CWS-boco International GmbH: European workwear and industrial laundry rental company. Not a direct retail competitor to Kyokuto but operates in adjacent textile care and laundry infrastructure, useful for benchmarking industrial cleaning operations.

Direct peers

• ホワイト急便 (White Express Kyubin): Large franchise dry cleaning network under the Hakuyosha parent, using a quasi-franchise model closely comparable to Kyokuto's 260-owner shop-owner system. Both pursue low-deposit franchise economics to expand store footprints.
• 美服クリーニング (Bifuku Cleaning): Franchise dry cleaning operator with multi-region store coverage and standard garment care plus specialty treatments. Comparable retail franchise model and service menu for everyday Japanese consumers.
• 白洋舎 (Hakuyosha Co., Ltd.): Japan's largest and oldest dry cleaning company, operating both company-owned stores and a White Express franchise network. Competes with Kyokuto head-to-head on dry cleaning services, specialty fabric treatment, and franchise expansion across Japan.
• ポニークリーニング (Pony Cleaning Co., Ltd.): Major dry cleaning chain concentrated in the Kanto region, offering general and specialty garment cleaning services with proprietary finishing options. Directly comparable as a multi-store retail dry cleaning operator targeting Japanese consumers.

Regional players

• Zip Dry Cleaners: US-based multi-store dry cleaning chain with neighborhood-store positioning similar to Kyokuto's supermarket-anchored format. Useful comparison for store-level unit economics in a different regulatory and labor market.

Broad incumbents

• ダスキン (Duskin Co., Ltd.): Japan's largest diversified cleaning products and services company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, offering professional cleaning products (EM technology), mat/mop rental, and home cleaning services. Broader portfolio than Kyokuto's dry cleaning focus but overlapping in household cleaning products.
• Tide Dry Cleaners (Procter & Gamble): US-based franchise dry cleaning chain backed by Procter & Gamble's laundry brand equity. Comparable store-count franchise model with consumer brand-building expertise, though operating in a different geographic and competitive market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCquCTk4R2kIGlOWQUqHnlUQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/kyokuto.cleaning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kyokuto