Suginami

What Suginami does

Suginami Koutsu Co., Ltd. (杉並交通株式会社) is a Tokyo-based, privately held passenger transportation group founded in 1961, operating under the 杉交グループ (Sugi-ko Group) brand. Its core business is hire (chauffeur) and taxi services in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, with a fleet of 102 premium hire vehicles (sedan and jumbo classes including Toyota Crown, Lexus, Alphard, and HiAce) and 80 taxis operated through subsidiary Suginami Koutsu Second Co., the latter dispatched via membership in the 5,000-vehicle Tokyo Wireless Taxi Cooperative. Beyond standard passenger transport, the company operates specialized welfare transport with lift-equipped vehicles (wheelchair, stretcher, reclining wheelchair) carrying medical equipment including AEDs, oxygen inhalers, and pulse oximeters, plus a Tokyo Fire Department-certified private ambulance service handling approximately 100 psychiatric patient transports annually under a no-restraint, human-rights-respecting protocol.

Revenue is generated across nine streams: per-trip taxi fares (government-regulated, distance/time-based); pre-booked hire services (quote-based time-and-distance pricing); welfare and psychiatric transport (approved fares plus per-staff fees of ¥27,500–¥33,000); driver aptitude diagnostics (¥2,400–¥9,300 per session); operational manager training courses; insurance agency commissions (representing Tokyo Marine, Aflac, Mitsui Sumitomo); vehicle inspection and maintenance; fleet management outsourcing (second-class licensed driver dispatch); and ancillary retail including a TSUTAYA Hamadayama store with a Starbucks cafe and trading card tournament space. Sugiko Co., a 208-employee welfare subsidiary, adds 13 service stations for home care, day care, visiting nursing, welfare equipment lending, and nursery operations under Japan's long-term care insurance framework. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct — phone reservations, web booking forms, and fax — supplemented by institutional referrals from municipalities, health centers, and police for psychiatric and welfare transport. Total group headcount stands at 730 as of April 1, 2022.

Name

Suginami

Legal name

杉並交通株式会社

Website

https://sugikho.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Suginami Koutsu is a privately held Tokyo transportation group (founded 1961, 730 employees) operating premium hire cars, taxi services via Tokyo Wireless Cooperative, specialized welfare and psychiatric patient transport, driver aptitude diagnostics, and a 13-station welfare services subsidiary (Sugiko).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ground Passenger Transportation

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Support Activities for Road Transportation (4884), Ambulance Services (621910)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) (HSABAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation & Errands (Non-Emergency) (HLADAGAF), Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK), Chronic Care & Complex Care Management (HSABAIAD), Full-Service Fleet Management (Outsourced Fleet Programs) (THADAKAA)

Keywords

• Passenger transport services
• Welfare transport
• Hire chauffeur services
• Taxi dispatch services
• Driver aptitude diagnosis

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taxi Services: Meter-based taxi fares within Tokyo, operated through the Tokyo Wireless Taxi Cooperative (5,000-vehicle network). Revenue from individual passenger trips with distance- and time-based pricing.
2. Hire / Chauffeur Services: Pre-booked premium transport service with sedan and jumbo vehicles (Crown, Lexus, Alphard, HiAce). Charged by time and distance with quoted pricing, available 24/7.
3. Welfare Transport: Lift-equipped vehicle transport for elderly and disabled individuals, including wheelchair and stretcher-bound patients. Revenue from fare plus attendant fees, government-approved tariffs.
4. Psychiatric Patient Transport: Specialized transport for mentally ill patients resistant to hospital visits. Fares from ¥5,500 in Tokyo plus ¥27,500 per staff member for minimum 3 staff, with additional charges for out-of-city transfers.
5. Insurance Agency: Agency commissions from representing Tokyo Marine, Aflac, and Mitsui Sumitomo insurance products including auto, fire, travel, cancer, life, and nursing care insurance.
6. Vehicle Maintenance Services: Inspection, repair, painting, and general vehicle maintenance services for company fleet and external customers.
7. Aptitude Diagnosis and Driver Training Management Services: Mandatory legal diagnostics (¥4,800–¥9,300) and optional general diagnostics (¥2,400–¥4,700) for commercial drivers. Also offers operational manager training courses.
8. TSUTAYA Retail and Rental: Book, DVD rental, stationery, trading cards, and original merchandise sales at TSUTAYA Hamadayama store.
9. Running Management Outsourcing: Dispatch of second-class license-holding drivers to handle driving, maintenance, management, and accident repair for external clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Suginami Koutsu is a Tokyo-based passenger transportation company operating since 1961, providing taxi services via the Tokyo Wireless cooperative, premium hire/chauffeur services with sedan and jumbo vehicles, and specialized welfare transport including lift-equipped vehicles for the elderly/disabled and Tokyo Fire Department-certified psychiatric patient transport. The group also offers supporting services such as driver aptitude diagnosis, operational manager training, vehicle maintenance, insurance agency (Tokyo Marine, Aflac, Mitsui Sumitomo), fleet management outsourcing, and welfare/nursing care through subsidiary Sugiko Co.

Product overview

Suginami (杉並交通株式会社) is a traditional transportation and mobility services company operating since 1961, comprising a group of subsidiaries. The core offerings include taxi services affiliated with Tokyo Wireless Taxi Group (5,000 vehicles) and premium hire car services (102 vehicles) with sedan and jumbo vehicle options. The company provides specialized welfare transport including psychiatric patient transport (handling ~100 cases annually) and lift-equipped vehicles for disabled/elderly passengers. Supporting services include driver aptitude testing, fleet management training, vehicle maintenance, and insurance agency services. The Sugiko subsidiary operates 13 welfare facilities including home nursing, day services, dementia care, nursery operations, and fitness centers. Additional businesses include TSUTAYA retail store, mobile phone services (TONE/T-SUGIX), and a call center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Taxi Service (タクシー事業) Meter-based taxi dispatch and passenger transport service across Tokyo, operated through the Tokyo Wireless Taxi Cooperative with 5,000 vehicles. Available to general public passengers for point-to-point transport, airport transfers, and daily commuting. Distance- and time-based pricing with government-regulated fares.
• Hire Service (ハイヤー事業) Premium chauffeur-driven hire car service with 102 vehicles, including sedan types (Toyota Crown, Lexus, Mitsubishi Plaudia) for 1-4 passengers and jumbo types (Toyota Alphard, HiAce Grand Cabin, Nissan Elgrand) for up to 9 passengers. Available 24/7 for business executives, ceremonies, airport transfers, sightseeing, weddings, and funerals. Charged by time and distance with quoted pricing.
• Welfare Transport (福祉輸送) Specialized transport service for elderly and disabled individuals using lift-equipped vehicles that accommodate wheelchairs and stretchers. Vehicles are equipped with AED, oxygen inhalers, pulse oximeters, and first aid kits. Available 24/7 with government-approved tariffs. Serves patients needing transport to medical appointments, hospitals, and facilities who cannot use standard vehicles due to mobility limitations.
• Psychiatric Patient Transport (精神疾患搬送) Tokyo Fire Department-certified specialized transport for psychiatric patients with schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar disorder, addiction, and developmental disorders. Features a no-restraint, human rights-respecting persuasion-based approach with experienced coordinators and minimum 3-staff dispatch. Fares from ¥5,500 within Tokyo plus ¥27,500 per staff member. Handles approximately 100 cases annually with referrals from municipalities, health centers, and police.
• Aptitude Diagnosis Service (適性診断事業) Diagnostic services for drivers of buses, hire cars, taxis, and trucks, measuring driving tendencies and providing tailored advice for traffic accident prevention. Covers mandatory legal diagnostics (New Driver, Age-appropriate, Special Diagnosis at ¥4,800-¥9,300) and optional general diagnostics (General, Counseling-inclusive General at ¥2,400-¥4,700). Conducted at the Safety Training Center.
• Fleet Manager Training (運行管理者指導講習)

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 100 psychiatric patient transports handled annually with zero failures to transport
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tokyo Wireless Taxi Cooperative (東京無線タクシー共同組合)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSuginami Koutsu Second Co. is a member of the Tokyo Wireless Taxi Cooperative, the largest taxi group in Tokyo with approximately 5,000 vehicles. All taxis are equipped with digital wireless systems for real-time dispatch.
• Seibu Shinkin Bank Hamadayama Branch (西武信用金庫浜田山支店)minorOthersPrimary banking partner for Suginami Koutsu and its group companies. Also listed as partner for Sugiko Co., Suginami Koutsu Second Co., and Sugix Co.
• Tokyo Marine and Fire Insurance (東京海上日動火災保険)minorOthersSuginami Koutsu operates as an insurance agency handling automobile, fire, savings, golfer, and domestic/overseas travel insurance products.
• Aflac (アフラック)minorOthersSuginami Koutsu operates as an insurance agency handling cancer, nursing care, medical, and life insurance products.
• Mitsui Sumitomo Marine and Fire Insurance (三井住友海上火災保険)minorOthersSuginami Koutsu operates as an insurance agency handling automobile, fire, savings, golfer, and domestic/overseas travel insurance products.
• Shoko Chukin Bank (商工中金)池袋支店minorOthersListed as a trading bank for Suginami Koutsu Co., Ltd.
• Iyo Bank (伊予銀行)新宿支店minorOthersListed as a trading bank for Suginami Koutsu Co., Ltd.
• Tokyo Fire Department (東京消防庁)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuginami Koutsu is a Tokyo Fire Department-certified private ambulance service provider (民間救急), allowing them to conduct psychiatric patient transport under official recognition standards.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nihon Kotsu (日本交通): Largest Japanese taxi and hire company, headquartered in Tokyo. Operates premium hire services, taxi, and welfare transport — directly comparable business mix to Suginami's core hire + taxi + welfare operations.
• Hinomaru Limousine (日の丸リムジン): Tokyo-based premium hire and chauffeur company serving corporate, executive, and VIP segments. Comparable to Suginami's premium hire service (Crown, Lexus, Alphard fleet) targeting the same Tokyo corporate customer base.
• Kokusai Motorcars (国際自動車): Major Tokyo hire/taxi operator with km Group, including premium chauffeur services (Lexus, Century), taxi, and welfare transport. Closely comparable scale and service mix to Suginami's group.
• MK Taxi (エムケイ): Kyoto-headquartered premium taxi and hire company that expanded into Tokyo, known for fixed-fare airport services and high-end fleet. Comparable in its premium hire and airport-transfer positioning to Suginami's jumbo/sedan hire offering.
• Daiwa Motor Transportation (大和自動車交通): Long-established Tokyo taxi, hire, and welfare transport company with similar business mix to Suginami — general taxi fleet, premium hire (incl. Lexus), and welfare/NEMT services. Closely aligned in customer base and operational footprint.
• Checker Cab (横浜 Checker): Tokyo-area taxi and welfare transport company known for its distinctive yellow cabs and accessible/wheelchair-lift fleet. Comparable to Suginami in combining standard taxi service with welfare/accessible transport.
• Tokyo Toshi Kotsu (東京都市交通): Mid-sized Tokyo taxi and welfare transport company operating in western Tokyo wards. Comparable regional operator with similar taxi + welfare transport mix to Suginami's group companies.

Emerging players

• GO (formerly JapanTaxi / MOVO): Japan's leading taxi-hailing app backed by Sony, with aggressive digital dispatch and corporate accounts. Represents the technology-forward direction of the Tokyo taxi market and an emerging competitive threat to Suginami's traditional dispatch model.

Regional players

• Tokyu Taxi (東急タクシー): Tokyo-based taxi operator affiliated with Tokyu Group, providing standard and welfare transport within central Tokyo. Comparable in service mix and metropolitan focus, though part of a larger corporate group.

Broad incumbents

• Nichii Gakkan / Care Service Inc. Major Japanese welfare and nursing care services provider with national long-term care insurance contracts. Comparable to Sugiko Co.'s welfare subsidiary and represents the larger incumbent players Suginami competes with in the welfare services space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tsutayahamadayama

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Suginami