Toko

What Toko does

Toko (株式会社トコウ) is a Japanese industrial painting and coating services company headquartered in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture, operating approximately 28 employees across a Technical Center, two production factories, and an embedded facility within Tsubakimoto Chain's Saitama plant. The company provides a broad portfolio of coating services spanning bake finishing, powder coating, wood coating, patented wood-grain coating on metal, and specialty finishes (picture painting, aging, Japanese paper texture, gold, urethane, fluorescence, phosphorescence), plus functional coatings (antibacterial, heat-shielding, AIRPLOT virus-countermeasure, GAINA thermal insulation developed from JAXA technology). Its proprietary non-peeling coating enables adhesion to traditionally uncoatable materials such as silicone rubber, plastic, tile, and aluminum. Quality control is supported by Gema electrostatic powder coating guns, non-contact film thickness gauges, and spectrophotometers achieving ΔE1.0 color accuracy, with ISO9001:2015 certification underpinning operations.

Toko's business model is project-based and quote-driven, serving approximately 150 client companies primarily in the Kanto region of Japan. Revenue is generated through one-time painting service contracts with mid-to-large manufacturing customers across precision instruments (Citizen TIC), stationery (Sailor Pen), industrial chain (Tsubakimoto Chain), exhibition/display (industria, Hakuten), and lighting (Kanto Shomei) segments. The company also operates a building painting division, a repaint/refinish service for individuals and businesses, and a manufacturing division offering material procurement through assembly. Go-to-market is direct sales via website inquiry, on-site consultations, and the "Painting Concierge" service window, supported by digital marketing (corporate website, blog, email newsletter, and since August 2025 Instagram, X, and TikTok), and select industry trade shows.

The company was founded in 2008, holds a joint patent on wood-grain coating technology with Taisei Toryo Denki Seisakusho, and has received the METI Regional Future Driving Enterprise designation (2020) and the Saitama Business Innovation Model Enterprise award (2016). In 2024 Toko established the Digi-Paint division, combining UV printing with coating to enable full-color texture printing on mirror-finished surfaces, signaling a deliberate expansion of its service surface into adjacent decorative and digital-printing capabilities.

Name

Toko

Legal name

株式会社トコウ

Website

https://toko-toso.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Toko is a Japanese industrial painting and coating services company in Saitama Prefecture that serves approximately 150 manufacturing clients in the Kanto region with bake, powder, wood, specialty, and functional coatings including its patented wood-grain and non-peeling coating technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Coating Services

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Application Equipment & Coating Services (Contract Coating, Surface Prep) (IMAEAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB), Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM), Architectural & Decorative Painting (Interior/Exterior) (IMAIAKAA)

Keywords

• Industrial painting services
• Powder coating services
• Wood-grain coating
• Functional coating solutions
• Industrial finishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Iruma

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Painting Services: Toko generates revenue through one-time project-based painting services. Customers submit inquiries for specific painting needs (bake coating, powder coating, wood coating, special coatings, re-painting) and receive quotes based on material, surface area, coating type, and complexity. The company handles everything from small prototype runs to mass production, with pricing varying by coating type and project specifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Toko (株式会社トコウ) is a Japanese industrial painting services company providing a full portfolio of coating technologies including baked painting, powder coating, wood coating, wood-grain (patented) coating, special/picture painting, and a growing set of functional coatings (antibacterial, antiviral AIRPLOT, heat-shielding, GAINA thermal insulation). The company delivers both industrial B2B services to manufacturers and consumer repainting services via its Painting Concierge, with its new Digi-Paint (UV print + coating fusion) division launched in 2024.

Product overview

株式会社トコウ is a comprehensive painting company operating as a coating services provider. The company offers a portfolio of painting services organized into core services (焼付絵画/baked painting, 粉体絵画/powder coating, 木工絵画/wood coating), specialty services (木目絵画/wood grain, 特殊絵画/special design, ピクチャー絵画/picture, コラークリヤー/color-clear, エイジンク/aging), functional coatings (抗菌/antibacterial, 遮熱/heat-shielding, ウイルス対策/virus countermeasures, ガイナ/GAINA insulation), and manufacturing divisions (製作事業/production, 建築絵画/building painting, リンペイント/repaint). In 2024, the company launched デジンペイント (Digital Paint), a new technology combining UV printing with coating, enabling mirror-surface printing and full-color texture expression. The company also offers dedicated facilities including clean rooms and large baking furnaces up to 4,000mm x 3,000mm x 3,000mm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digi-Paint (デジペット): New service combining UV printing technology with coating, launched in 2024, enabling full-color printing with texture and coating on various surfaces including mirror-finish stainless steel.
• リペア인트
• GAINA
• Keeper (okeeeper)

Products and services

• Baked Painting (焼付塗装) Baked painting service for metal products using thermosetting resin films cured at 110–200°C. Provides rust prevention, weather resistance, and functional enhancement for iron, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and zinc die-cast products. Available with large baking furnaces up to 4,000mm × 3,000mm × 3,000mm.
• Powder Coating (粉体塗装) Powder coating service using electrostatically charged powder paint (resin, pigment, additives) baked at 180–200°C. Offers zero VOC emissions, high durability, and high transfer efficiency. Minimum lot of 60kg with custom colors available in 2 weeks.
• Wood Coating (木工塗装) Wood coating service including urethane coating, water-based coating, and fire-resistant coating. Handles solid wood, MDF, plywood, and wood products with a specialized wood painting factory and skilled craftsmen, leveraging the Yoshiki/Nishikawa wood-producing region.
• Wood-Grain Coating (木目塗装) Wood-grain painting service that realistically reproduces natural wood grain patterns on metal and other materials. Offers superior weather resistance compared to sheet finishes, with customizable colors and materials suited for outdoor applications. Patented manufacturing method held jointly with Taisei Toryo Denki Seisakusho.
• Special/Picture Painting (特殊塗装・ピクチャー塗装) Special/picture painting service that applies images and photographs onto 3D surfaces like spray coating. Supports various materials including metal, plastic, glass, and wood. Can handle large items up to 3m × 2m. Picture painting achieves print-like finish on 3D and uneven surfaces for automobiles, motorcycles, appliances, and building materials.
• Building Painting (建築塗装) Building painting division providing factory, office, warehouse interior/exterior painting services including roofs, ceilings, walls, floors, signage, and exterior facilities. Licensed construction contractor (建設業許可).
• Digi-Paint (デジペイント) Digital paint service combining UV printing with coating technology. Enables full-color printing with raised textures on mirror-finish surfaces. Print size up to 1,600mm × 2,460mm × 200mm height. Solves coating challenges that were previously difficult to address with traditional painting techniques.
• Non-Peeling Coating (はがれない塗装) Proprietary non-peeling coating technology enabling painting on previously uncoatable materials including plastics, aluminum, rubber (silicon rubber), and tiles. Uses specialized primers to deliver adhesion that passes tape peel tests on surfaces where standard coatings fail.
• AIRPLOT Antiviral/Antibacterial Coating (ウイルス対策塗装) Antiviral/antibacterial coating using Platinum Titanium Catalyst (PTC) technology that decomposes allergens, viruses, sick house substances, and pollen. Applied as architectural paint at approximately ¥8,000 per square meter (about ¥20,000 for a 6-mat room).
• GAINA Thermal Insulation Ceramic Coating (ガイナ) Insulation ceramic coating developed from JAXA rocket technology, used on rocket fairings. Provides thermal insulation, heat retention, and air quality improvement while being harmless to humans. Marketed as an energy-saving, environmentally-friendly coating.
• Antibacterial Coating (抗菌塗装) Antibacterial coating service adding antibacterial agents to powder and urethane coatings. Applied to medical, food-related, and other equipment requiring hygiene standards.
• Heat-Shielding Coating (遮熱塗装) Heat-shielding coating that suppresses internal temperature rise when applied. Available as baked coating for industrial and general products, supporting energy efficiency for factories, warehouses, and buildings.
• Repaint/Refinishing Service (リンペイント) Professional repainting/refinishing service for furniture, water fixtures, exteriors, and architectural elements. Includes restoration, color changes, and texture modifications by painting professionals, targeted at individual consumers.
• Keeper Glass Coating (ケーキング) Glass coating service (keeper coating) that keeps surfaces clean and maintains appearance using proprietary glass coating technology.
• Manufacturing Division (製作事業) Manufacturing division offering material procurement, sheet metal processing, machining, painting, assembly, and on-site construction from design drawings, providing integrated production services beyond pure coating.
• Clean Room Coating Facility (クリーンルーム) Dedicated clean room coating facility at Toko's Technical Center for products requiring higher quality standards, equipped with explosion-proof lighting and special exhaust systems to support high-spec industrial coating work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Packaging time reduction of approximately 72 minutes per delivery and packaging material cost reduction of approximately ¥2,000 per shipment through returnable box (通箱) adoption under SDGs packaging improvement initiative
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• シチズンTIC (Citizen TIC)coreOthersMajor client and business partner. Citizen TIC is a precision instrument manufacturer and one of Toko's primary customers, receiving metal painting services for precision instrument components.
• 椿本チエイン (Tsubakimoto Chain)coreOthersMajor client and host partner. Tsubakimoto Chain hosts a dedicated Toko production facility within their Saitama (Hannō) factory, indicating a deep operational partnership. Toko provides industrial chain component painting services.
• 富士科学塗料 (Fuji Kagaku Toryo)majorTechnology or IntegrationPrimary paint/coating materials supplier to Toko. Provides specialized industrial coatings and painting materials.
• 大成電気製作所 (Taisei Toryo Denki Seisakusho)majorTechnology or IntegrationStrategic technology partner holding joint patent for the proprietary wood-grain coating technology (木目調塗装). This patented coating technique is only available through Toko and Taisei Toryo. Located in Tokyo.
• .interpom粉体塗料販売 (Interpom Powder Coatings Sales)majorTechnology or IntegrationPowder coating materials supplier. Provides specialized powder coating materials for Toko's powder coating services.
• 周六 factory (サタデーファクトリー)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner for collaborative projects. Partnered with Toko on the 'Color Tree' project, a decorative color sample display combining Toko's painting expertise with Saturday Factory's design.
• 大川板金 (Ōkawa Bankin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheet metal processing partner for collaborative projects. Partnered with Toko on the 'Color Tree' color sample display project.
• JICA (Cameroon Delegation)minorOthersReceived a delegation from Cameroon government agencies in July 2024 as part of a JICA project to learn about Japanese SME support practices. Toko showcased its baking coating technology and efficient public-private operational model.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nippon Paint Holdings: Asia's largest paint and coatings manufacturer with deep Japanese roots across automotive, industrial, decorative and protective coatings. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose industrial coatings division overlaps with Toko's core metal-coating work, though at vastly greater scale and with a product-led rather than service-led model.
• Kansai Paint: Major Japanese coatings producer serving automotive, industrial, marine, and architectural markets globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent in Toko's industrial coatings space, especially in automotive and protective coatings, but operating as a large-scale product manufacturer rather than a regional contract coating service provider.
• Axalta Coating Systems: Global industrial and automotive coatings major with significant refinish, powder, and liquid coating businesses. Comparable to Toko in powder and industrial coatings, particularly automotive refinish, but at global scale with a product-centric rather than regional service model.
• PPG Industries: Global diversified coatings supplier with strong industrial, automotive, and protective coatings franchises. Comparable as a broad incumbent in industrial metal coatings, including powder coating, where Toko competes, though PPG operates at vastly larger scale and with global reach.

Direct peers

• Dai Nippon Toryo: Long-established Japanese industrial paint manufacturer specializing in heavy-duty protective coatings, automotive finishes, and specialty coatings for infrastructure and marine. Directly comparable to Toko in industrial and protective coatings, though with national scale and a product rather than service orientation.
• Chugoku Marine Paints: Japanese specialty coatings maker focused on marine, container, and industrial protective coatings. Comparable to Toko for industrial and functional coatings, particularly in corrosion-resistance and specialty finishes, though concentrated in marine rather than general industrial.
• SK Kaken: Leading Japanese manufacturer of architectural paints and coatings, including heat-shielding and functional exterior finishes. Comparable to Toko's building painting and functional coating lines (heat-shield, antibacterial), though SK Kaken is a national-scale product company while Toko is a regional service provider.
• Musashi Paint: Japanese specialty coatings manufacturer known for functional coatings including anti-fouling, anti-graffiti, and decorative finishes. Directly comparable to Toko's specialty and functional coating work, especially non-peeling and decorative coatings, at a similar mid-sized industrial scale.
• Taiyo Holdings: Japanese supplier of solder resist and PWB coatings, with growing industrial coatings business. Comparable in functional and specialty coatings manufacturing, though more focused on electronics applications than general industrial metalwork like Toko.
• Fujikura Kasei: Japanese specialty chemicals and coatings company producing functional coatings, paints, and resin materials for industrial use. Comparable to Toko in specialty coating chemistries and industrial paint supply, though Fujikura Kasei focuses on materials rather than applied coating services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tokotoso
• Instagraminstagram.com/toko_toso
• TikToktiktok.com/@toko_toso

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Toko