What Yagi Tsusho does

Yagi Tsusho Limited (八木通商株式会社) is a privately held Japanese trading company founded in December 1946 in Osaka, specializing in cross-border fashion and textile intermediation. The company operates four core revenue streams: (1) export of original yarn and fabric collections to European and American fashion markets; (2) brand licensing for luxury fashion houses, both inbound (foreign brands into Japan) and outbound; (3) import and wholesale distribution of fashion goods (apparel, accessories, leather goods) from Europe, the USA, and China, sold to major Japanese department stores and specialty retailers; and (4) foodstuff and raw material imports (honey, peanuts, chili pepper, frozen vegetables, down, silk) from China and other Asian countries. The company also operates an apparel manufacturing function through joint-venture factories in China.

The business is built on a global office network — Osaka and Tokyo as dual domestic hubs, plus wholly-owned subsidiaries in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Kuala Lumpur (ASEAN regional office). This network supports the company's stated positioning as a "Global Marketing & Merchandising Company" that identifies, acquires (or licenses), and grows international fashion brands in the Japanese market. Notable wholly-owned brand assets include worldwide trademark rights to the Paris haute couture house GRES (acquired 1988), Mackintosh Ltd. in Scotland (acquired 2007), and J&M Davidson; the portfolio also encompasses licensed or distributed brands such as C.P. Company, Alexandre de Paris, Belvest, Traditional Weatherwear, Helen Kaminski, three dots, ECOPEL, and Gianni Chiarini.

The company is family-controlled, with Yuzo Yagi serving as Chairman and CEO (since 1986) and Yozo Yagi as President and COO. It is privately held with no parent company, no institutional or PE backing, and ¥61.6 billion in Group Gross Sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, generated by ~190 non-consolidated employees. Distribution is primarily B2B through direct sales to enterprise retail accounts — the top five Japanese department store groups and a defined set of fashion specialty retailers — supplemented by company-operated retail shops for selected owned brands. Yagi Tsusho does not develop proprietary technology; its competitive position rests on brand IP, licensing relationships, distribution access, and 78 years of accumulated cross-border fashion market knowledge.

Name

Yagi Tsusho

Legal name

八木通商株式会社

Website

https://yagitsu.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Yagi Tsusho is a privately held, 78-year-old Japanese trading company that curates, licenses, and distributes European and American fashion brands in Japan, exporting Japanese-origin fabrics and yarn abroad. It serves major Japanese department stores, specialty retailers, and apparel manufacturers through a global network spanning the USA, Europe, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Textile and Fashion Trading

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (3152), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Apparel Sourcing, Buying Houses & Trading Companies (CRAAAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Textiles, Fabrics, Trims & Components Suppliers (CRAAAAAL), Wallets, Small Leather Goods & Accessories Manufacturing (IMAOAHAB)

Keywords

• Fashion brand licensing
• Textile trading
• Fashion import distribution
• Luxury brand management
• Global merchandising services

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Export Business: Export of fabric and yarn to European and American fashion markets. The export department creates original collections of yarns and fabrics based on global fashion market trends, presenting them to important clients. Staff work with designers to develop new yarns and fabrics exclusively for clients.
2. Brand Licensing: Licensing business for luxury fashion brands. The company concludes licensing agreements with domestic and overseas manufacturers to produce products while maintaining the images of original brands. The license marketing team creates market opportunities in various product lines.
3. Import and Distribution of Fashion Goods: Import and distribution of fashion goods including apparel and accessories from Europe, USA, and China. The company strategically manages business in partnership with overseas fashion companies, selling to department stores and specialty retailers while maintaining brand image and concept.
4. Fabric Import: Import of fabric including cashmere, fleece, woolen, and suiting fabric from overseas, distributed to fashion apparel manufacturers and wholesalers in Japan. Backed by a network of marketing systems, staff present selected imported merchandise to Japanese clients.
5. Foodstuff Import: Import and distribution of food products including honey, peanuts, chili pepper, frozen vegetables from China and other Asian countries. Raw materials such as down and silk are also imported and distributed to manufacturers.
6. Apparel Manufacturing: Production of children's and women's apparel at company-established joint venture factories in China based on client design plans, specifications, and patterns, then imported and delivered to Japan.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Yagi Tsusho is a Japanese trading and merchandising company that exports fabrics and yarns to European and American fashion markets while importing and distributing fashion apparel, accessories, foodstuffs, fabrics, and yarns from overseas into Japan. The company concludes licensing agreements with domestic and overseas manufacturers for luxury fashion brands and operates a portfolio of wholly owned or licensed fashion brands distributed through major Japanese department stores, specialty retailers, and own retail shops.

Product overview

Yagi Tsusho Limited is a Japanese trading company (Global Marketing & Merchandising Company) established in 1946, operating primarily in the textile and fashion industry. The company's product portfolio consists of a diversified collection of licensed and owned international fashion brands including UK outerwear brand MACKINTOSH, luxury bag brands J&M DAVIDSON and Daniel & Bob, Italian brands GIANNI CHIARINI and C.P. Company, French heritage brand ALEXANDRE DE PARIS and haute couture house GRÈS, Australian hat brand HELEN KAMINSKI, premium cuttee brand three dots from LA, and sustainability-focused brand ECOPEL. Beyond branded products, Yagi Tsusho operates core business services including textile/fabric export to European and American markets, brand licensing for luxury fashion, fashion goods import and distribution through department stores and specialty retailers, and foodstuff imports from Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mackintosh: British outerwear brand known for rubberized coats with classic yet contemporary collections
• J&M Davidson
• Traditional Weatherwear
• Gianni Chiarini
• Freemans Sporting Club
• Alexandre de Paris
• Belvest
• three dots
• Daniel & Bob
• CHAMBORD SELLIER
• GRES
• C.P. Company
• Helen Kaminski
• BUNNEY
• ECOPEL
• Faliero Sarti

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KhaitecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2025Khaite has formed a joint venture with Yagi Tsusho Ltd. to expand into the Japanese market, with plans to launch in Japan next fall. Yagi Tsusho will leverage its local expertise and relationships to introduce Khaite's brand in Japan. The joint venture entity is Khaite Japan Corporation.
• Moonbat Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Yagi Tsusho entered into a business alliance with Moonbat Co., Ltd., a company based in Kyoto, Japan. Moonbat is listed as a subsidiary/related company in the corporate structure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Authentic Brands Group: Large US brand-licensing platform that operates globally owned fashion and lifestyle brands through licensing partners. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same brand-acquisition-and-licensing model Yagi Tsusho applies to GRÈS, Alexandre de Paris, and Mackintosh.
• Sojitz Corporation: Japanese trading company with a long-established apparel and textile division handling fabric sourcing, apparel manufacturing coordination, and fashion brand distribution — directly comparable to Yagi Tsusho's Japan-rooted textile export and import/distribution operations.
• Mitsui & Co., Ltd. A Japanese general trading company operating a sizable textile and fashion business that imports and distributes fashion brands. Overlaps with Yagi Tsusho on B2B fashion distribution into Japan and on raw-material/apparel sourcing internationally.
• Itochu Corporation: One of Japan's largest sogo shosha, with a significant Textile and Apparel division that sources fabric, distributes fashion brands, and operates licensing arrangements. Itochu is a broader incumbent but shares Yagi Tsusho's textile trading, brand incubation, and Japan-centric apparel distribution model.
• Marubeni Corporation: Japanese sogo shosha with a Lifestyle Division that includes textiles, apparel, and fashion-brand licensing, broadly comparable to Yagi Tsusho's blended trading + brand-management model.
• PVH Corp. Global apparel company owning/operating Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, with deep wholesale relationships into department stores worldwide. Comparable to Yagi Tsusho on premium fashion brand ownership and multi-channel distribution into major department-store and specialty retail accounts.

Direct peers

• Li & Fung: Hong Kong-based global apparel, textile, and consumer-goods sourcing giant. Li & Fung operates the same end-to-end model — fabric/yarn sourcing, apparel manufacturing coordination across Asia, brand licensing, and global distribution — and is the closest direct functional analogue to Yagi Tsusho's apparel trading and brand-management business.
• Pentland Group: UK-based family-controlled brand-management and licensing group holding fashion, sportswear, and outdoor labels (Speedo, Berghaus, Ted Baker, etc.). Pentland's focus on acquiring and operating multiple mid-to-premium fashion and lifestyle brands internationally is highly comparable to Yagi Tsusho's Mackintosh/J&M Davidson/C.P. Company portfolio strategy.

Regional players

• Seiren Co., Ltd. Japanese textile and apparel manufacturer producing fabric and finished garments for global fashion brands. Comparable to Yagi Tsusho on the textile-manufacturing and supply-chain side, though more focused on fabric production than trading or brand licensing.
• Onward Holdings Co., Ltd. Japanese apparel company managing multiple domestic fashion brands and wholesale distribution to Japanese department stores. Overlaps with Yagi Tsusho on Japan-based fashion-brand ownership and department-store channel relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yagi-tsusho-america-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Yagi Tsusho