What Shachihata does

Shachihata Inc. (シヤチハタ株式会社) is a Japanese manufacturer and software developer founded in 1925 in Aichi Prefecture as Funabashi Shōkai and renamed Shachihata Kogyo K.K. in 1941. The company serves three principal customer groups: (1) general consumers purchasing self-inking personal name stamps, ink pads, and stationery; (2) Japanese enterprises, municipalities, and government entities purchasing the Shachihata Cloud electronic approval and workflow platform; and (3) manufacturing, construction, and engineering firms using its industrial marking systems. The Shachihata name is functionally synonymous with personal stamps in Japan, and the company's Artline and Xstamper brands are distributed through wholly-owned subsidiaries in the United States, Malaysia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, China, South Africa, Thailand, and India, covering more than 90 countries. President Masataka Funahashi leads the privately held, family-controlled company, which reported ¥18.2 billion in standalone revenue for FY2025 (ending June 2025) on a standalone headcount of 767.

The company's core technology rests on proprietary penetration-ink stamping: the Xstamper self-inking stamp introduced in 1965 delivers approximately 3,000 impressions per charge and forms the foundation of its consumer and B2B product lines, while the TAT industrial ink system offers 30+ chemical variants (for metal, plastic, rubber, leather, wood, glass, and cloth) compliant with RoHS and ELV regulations. The Boltline system extends this into high-strength bolt marking (M16-M24) with magnetic socket exchange for the construction sector. Shachihata Cloud, the digital evolution of its 1995 PC Approval electronic seal system, is a subscription DX platform offering three tiers of electronic approval workflow (Lite ¥1,200, Standard ¥3,200, Advance ¥4,000 per 10 users/month on annual contracts), a separate groupware plan at ¥1,500, plus electronic contract (DocuSign integration), expense reporting, business chat, sales management, and an AI-OCR paid module (WISOR integration, January 2026). A separate Stamp Rally service line delivers regional activation through overlaid-stamp rallies, sound-stamp rallies, and the iStamp digital platform, with disaster-prevention and educational variants co-developed with Tohoku University.

Shachihata operates a hybrid revenue model combining unit hardware sales (consumer stamps and industrial marking systems), recurring SaaS subscriptions (Shachihata Cloud with 1.16+ million installations and 97% retention), per-event project sales (stamp rallies starting at ¥471,500), and consumables (ink refills and custom stamp faces via the Name Navi and Business Seal Navi services). Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales (for Cloud, industrial marking, and stamp rally projects) with a D2C online storefront (shachihata.jp) and global subsidiary channels under the Artline and Xstamper brands. The company markets through owned digital channels (corporate site, official shop, Shachihata Cloud content/whitepaper marketing), major social platforms (X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LINE, Facebook), and annual design competitions.

Name

Shachihata

Legal name

シヤチハタ株式会社 (Shachihata Inc.)

Website

https://shachihata.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Shachihata Inc. is a Japanese 100-year-old manufacturer of self-inking stamps, name seals, and stationery, and operates Shachihata Cloud, a subscription electronic-approval and workflow platform serving enterprises, government, and industrial marking customers across 90+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Office Supplies and Stationery

NAICS

Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepress, Plate-Making & Artwork Services (IMALAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom Printing & Decoration Services (Screen Print, Embroidery, Laser) (BPAFAMAL), Decoration & Branding Services (Printing, Hot Stamping, Metallization, Labeling) (IMALAJAN)

Keywords

• Stationery and stamps
• Electronic approval software
• Industrial marking systems
• Personal seals
• Stamp rally services

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 文具印章関連事業 (Stationery and Seal Products): Manufacturing and sales of stamps, stamp pads, name seals, writing instruments, and related stationery. Includes consumer products (Xstamper, Name 9, stamp pads, art supplies) and industrial marking products. Standalone revenue of 182 billion JPY (FY2025 June).
2. IT関連事業 (IT and Digital Services): Electronic approval systems (パソコン決裁/ Shachihata Cloud), cloud-based workflow, groupware, AI-OCR, and electronic contract services for enterprises and government.
3. 新規関連事業 (New Business): Environmentally responsive materials and individual authentication systems development.
4. スタンプラリーサービス (Stamp Rally Services): Total production services for stamp rally events including custom stamps, printed materials, displays, staffing, and event management for local governments and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Shachihata manufactures and sells self-inking stamps (Xstamper), personal name seals (Name 9), industrial marking products (TAT inks, Boltline), and cloud-based electronic approval/workflow software (Shachihata Cloud). The company also operates a stamp rally services business producing custom stamp events for local governments, tourism bureaus, and commercial facilities, and runs a developer-facing System Integration SDK. Its products span consumer stationery (Artline/Xstamper brands), enterprise digital transformation platforms, and B2B industrial marking solutions.

Product overview

Shachihata is a comprehensive manufacturer of seals, stamps, and stationery founded in 1925. The company operates three core business segments: (1) Consumer/B2C stationery products centered on the X Stamper and Name 9 stamp lines, (2) Enterprise DX solutions through Shachihata Cloud platform providing electronic approval, workflow, electronic contracts, groupware, and expense management modules, and (3) B2B industrial marking solutions including TAT industrial ink systems, Boltline high-strength bolt marking products, and Liquid Stamper HD for identification marking. Additionally, Shachihata operates a full-service Stamp Rally business supporting regional activation and tourism promotion through overlaid stamp rallies, sound stamp rallies, and the iStamp digital rally platform. The company also maintains a Disaster Prevention Stamp Rally product line developed with Tohoku University for educational purposes. The product portfolio spans from traditional physical stamps to cloud-based digital document workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shachihata Cloud: Cloud-based electronic approval (電子決裁), electronic contract, and workflow management platform for business document digitization and DX support.
• Shachihata Stamprally (シヤチハタスタンプラリー)
• Shachihata Mark (シヤチハタマーキング)
• Artline
• Xstamper

Products and services

• X Stamper (Xstamper) Self-inking permeable stamp that requires no separate stamp pad; delivers approximately 3,000 impressions per ink charge. Flagship consumer and business stamp product line sold in 90+ countries under the Xstamper brand.
• Name 9 Pigment-ink personal name seal stamp refined since 1986 to become Japan's standard personal seal product (認印). Includes commemorative 100th anniversary color editions released in 2025.
• Name Navi (ネームナビ) Online ordering service for custom personal name seals. Enables individual customers to design and order personalized stamps via the web.
• Business Seal Navi (ビジネス印ナビ) Online ordering service for corporate/business seals (角印/実印). Provides business-grade seal customization for corporate customers.
• Shachihata Font (J-Font) Proprietary J-Font typeface products for seals and stamps, designed to deliver authentic seal impression aesthetics.
• Shachihata Cloud Cloud-based DX platform providing electronic seal, electronic approval, electronic contract, and electronic signature services. Includes workflow, groupware, expense reporting, AI-OCR (WISOR integration), and document management modules. Supports department-level to company-wide deployment; compliant with Japanese electronic book-keeping law.
• Shachihata Stamp Rally Service Full-service stamp rally event planning, production, and operations for regional activation, tourism promotion, and commercial facilities. Offers overlaid stamp rallies, sound stamp rallies, commemorative stamp machines, and digital iStamp options.
• TAT Industrial Stamp Unit and Ink System Continuous-marking industrial stamp system with TAT industrial inks (over 30 variants) suitable for metal, plastic, rubber, leather, wood, glass, and cloth. Approximately 100,000 impressions with proper maintenance. RoHS and ELV compliant for European chemical substance regulations.
• Boltline Quick-touch marking stamp for high-strength construction bolts (M16/M20/M22/M24). Interchangeable magnetic sockets for 4 bolt sizes. Approximately 500 continuous markings per cartridge. Environmentally safe ink compliant with European chemical regulations.
• Liquid Stamper HD Industrial identification marking stamp optimized for curved and uneven surfaces; achieves vivid marking on dark-colored workpieces.
• Commemorative Stamp Machine / EX Automatic stamping machines for tourist attractions and event venues. Light handle press operation with built-in impression counter. EX model features automatic ink replenishment.
• iStamp Digital Stamp Rally Platform Digital stamp rally service combining GPS and QR code technology. Free smartphone app allows users to create and manage digital stamp collections. Rental plans from 1-day to 1-month packages.
• Disaster Prevention Stamp Rally Set Educational stamp rally set for disaster preparedness, co-developed with Tohoku University for use in schools and evacuation routes. Three regional versions: coastal, mountainous, and urban disaster scenarios. Includes 30 Xstamper units and answer stamps for 6 checkpoints.
• Shachihata Cloud System Integration SDK Annual license developer SDK for system-to-system integration with Shachihata Cloud, enabling embedding of Shachihata Cloud functionality into external systems and automation of workflows.
• Antibacterial Stamp (Xstamper Antibacterial) Xstamper with antibacterial agent in grip portion that inhibits bacterial growth on stamp surface for improved hygiene.
• Stamp Holder / Stand Dedicated Xstamper holder serving as a cap replacement. Double structure prevents stamp face from touching the bottom; black finish reduces visibility of dirt.
• Oteduke Pon Hand-washing Practice Stamp Educational stamp product for hand-washing practice, developed through industry-academia collaboration for kindergarten and elementary school use to support children's hygiene education.
• Shachihata Cloud AI-OCR (WISOR Integration) AI-powered optical character recognition that extracts text from paper documents and images, integrated with Shachihata Cloud workflows for automated document digitization. Available as a paid option within Shachihata Cloud.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% retention rate for Shachihata Cloud users
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Trodat: Trodat is the world's largest stamp manufacturer (Trotec Group, Austria) and Shachihata's most direct global competitor in self-inking stamps, custom marking devices, and industrial marking — comparable in product breadth, ink technology, and global distribution.
• freee: freee is a leading Japanese cloud accounting and HR/payroll SaaS provider competing directly with Shachihata Cloud's expense reporting and electronic approval modules for Japanese SMB and mid-market customers.
• King Jim: King Jim is a Japanese stationery and office products manufacturer (Tecline files, Pomera portable notebooks) that overlaps with Shachihata in consumer/B2B stationery and document organization categories, particularly among Japanese office workers.
• Colop: Colop is an Austrian manufacturer of self-inking stamps, pre-inked stamps, and custom marking tools, directly competing with Shachihata's Xstamper line and industrial marking products across European and global B2B channels.
• PLUS (Plus Stationery): PLUS is a Japanese stationery manufacturer and one of Shachihata's closest domestic competitors, with overlapping lines in office supplies, craft/stamp products, and chop/seal-related stationery, targeting the same Japanese consumer and B2B channels.
• Sansan: Sansan operates the Japanese business card DX platform Eight and Bill One invoice management, competing with Shachihata Cloud in the broader Japanese document digitization and workflow category, particularly for SMB digital transformation initiatives.

Broad incumbents

• DocuSign: DocuSign is the global leader in electronic signature and contract management and is integrated into Shachihata Cloud for international contracts. It represents the broader SaaS workflow/electronic seal category Shachihata Cloud competes within for enterprise customers.
• Pentel: Pentel is a Japanese global writing instruments and stationery manufacturer comparable to Shachihata's consumer stationery and Artline brand in writing tools, marker pens, and craft supplies across retail and education channels.
• Adobe Sign: Adobe Sign is the electronic signature module of Adobe Document Cloud, competing with Shachihata Cloud in the enterprise e-signature/electronic contract category, particularly for multinational enterprises requiring global workflow standardization.
• Tombow: Tombow is a Japanese stationery manufacturer of writing instruments, correction tape, and adhesives with comparable Japanese retail and office channel presence, overlapping with Shachihata's consumer stationery lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShachihataBS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCINXlH4X6cOqDBf2QMN0DJw
• Facebookfacebook.com/shachihata.jp
• Instagraminstagram.com/shachihata_official
• TikToktiktok.com/@shachihata_1925
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shachihata-cloud

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries13 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 Shachihata