SHOWA

Name

SHOWA

Legal name

昭和電機産業株式会社

Website

https://showadenkikk.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SHOWA is a Japanese regional trading company distributing electrical construction materials, industrial machinery, HVAC systems, and ICT equipment across Nagano, Niigata, Yamanashi, Gifu, and Tokyo, serving electrical contractors, industrial facilities, and residential homeowners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagano

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices29 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrical Equipment Materials Trading: Trading and distribution of electrical equipment materials including wiring, lighting fixtures, distribution equipment, and building electrical components. Revenue generated through product margins and volume-based pricing.
2. Industrial Machinery Sales: Sale of industrial machinery and equipment including snowfall sensors, CAD software, air conditioning systems, and related components. Sales through branch network with technical support.
3. ZEH (Net Zero Energy House) Products: Sales of ZEH-related products including solar power generation systems, storage batteries, HEMS devices, eco-cute systems, and energy-efficient air conditioners and lighting.
4. CADEWA Smart CAD Software: Distribution of CADEWA Smart building equipment CAD software as authorized reseller. Annual licensing fee of ¥60,000 per license for maintenance and support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SHOWA (Shōwa Denki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) is a comprehensive Japanese trading company (founded 1948, Nagano) that distributes electrical construction materials (wiring, lighting, distribution equipment), industrial machinery, air conditioning systems, and information communications equipment. The company serves as authorized distributor for the SnowCon snowfall sensor product line and as Koshinetsu region sales agent for CADEWA Smart building equipment CAD software, while also offering ZEH (Net Zero Energy House) solutions bundling solar, storage, HEMS, and energy-efficient appliances. Core customers are electrical contractors, industrial facilities, and construction firms served through 25+ branch offices across the Hokuriku and Koshinetsu regions.

Product overview

SHOWA (昭和電機産業株式会社) is a comprehensive trading company specializing in electrical construction materials and industrial equipment, founded in 1948 and headquartered in Nagano, Japan. The company's product portfolio centers on two core offerings: (1) SNOWCON snow sensors and snow melting system controllers, including optical sensors (SHK series), temperature-precipitation sensors (SNK/SN series), and snow depth sensors (SDS-105, SDM-321), and (2) CADEWA Smart building equipment CAD software for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing design. Additionally, SHOWA offers ZEH (Net Zero Energy House) solutions encompassing solar power systems, storage batteries, HEMS, eco-cute units, energy-efficient air conditioners, LED lighting, and IH cooking heaters, alongside general electrical construction materials and industrial equipment. The company operates as a distributor for multiple manufacturer brands and maintains an extensive sales network across Nagano, Niigata, Yamanashi, Gifu prefectures and Tokyo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SNOWCON（スノーコン）: 降雪センサー製品ブランド。降雪を検知して消雪設備や融雪システムを自動制御するセンサー。SHKシリーズ、SNK/SNシリーズ、FSシリーズ、SDS-105、SDM-321などの製品群を含む。
• CADEWA Smart

Products and services

• SnowCon Snowfall Sensors (スノーコン) Snowfall sensors for automatic control of snow melting and removal systems. Product line includes optical snowflake counting sensors (SHK series with infrared detection and ECO energy-saving mode), temperature-precipitation sensors (SNK/SN series for heavy snow conditions), simple snowflake counting sensors (FS series for general household use), snow depth sensors (SDS-105 with optical distance measurement), and laser-based snow depth meters (SDM-321 with 0-5m measurement range and ±1.0cm accuracy). Designed for residential, commercial, and industrial snow melting applications in Japan's heavy snowfall regions.
• CADEWA Smart Building Equipment CAD Software Building equipment CAD software for electrical, air conditioning, and plumbing system design. Features 2D/3D drawing capabilities with automatic generation of elevations and 3D views, construction checks, interference checks, and automated drawing features. Integrates with eco-roshi (Japan Building Equipment Design Association calculation software), Luminous Planner (Panasonic), SPIDERPLUS (construction management), CheX (inspection and verification), and mitsumoriCRAFT DX (estimation software). Distributed under annual license model at ¥60,000 per license excluding tax, including version upgrades, technical support via phone/email/remote, newsletter distribution, and Q&A documentation.
• ZEH (Net Zero Energy House) Solutions Integrated Net Zero Energy House solutions for residential construction and renovation. Product bundle includes solar power generation systems, storage battery systems, HEMS (Home Energy Management System) devices, eco-cute heat pump water heaters, energy-efficient air conditioners, LED lighting, and IH cooking heaters. Targeted at homeowners seeking energy cost reduction, environmental contribution, government subsidy access, and backup power capability.
• Electrical Construction Materials (電設資材) Electrical construction materials for residential and commercial building applications, including wiring, lighting fixtures, distribution equipment, and related supplies. Distributed through SHOWA's network of 25+ branch offices to electrical contractors and construction companies in the Hokuriku and Koshinetsu regions.
• Industrial Machinery (産業機器) Industrial equipment and machinery for manufacturing and industrial applications. Distributed through dedicated industrial machinery sales offices at Nagano, Matsumoto, Niigata, Nagaoka, Joetsu, Ina, and other branch locations, with technical consultation and maintenance support for manufacturing plants and industrial facilities.
• Residential Electrical Equipment (住宅関連設備) Residential electrical equipment category including lighting fixtures, wiring materials, solar power generation systems, storage battery systems, and HEMS devices for residential applications. Sold through the Nagano Housing Equipment Sales Office and other regional branches.
• Building Electrical Equipment (ビル関連設備) Commercial building electrical equipment for creating comfortable and efficient business environments, including power distribution and lighting systems for office buildings and commercial facilities.
• SDM-321 Snow Depth Meter (積雪深計) Laser-based snow depth measurement instrument using optical phase difference detection. Measures snow depth from 0-5m range with ±1.0cm accuracy. Suitable for snow and ice disaster prevention systems and meteorological observation applications. Uses laser diode technology at 650nm (red wavelength).

Quantifiable outcome

• SHK series optical snowfall sensors achieve 10-40% water and electricity savings compared to conventional SNK-435 sensors
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Niigata Electric Co., Ltd. (新潟電機株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner for SnowCon snowfall sensor products. SHOWA serves as authorized sales agent and distributor for the SnowCon product line including SHK, SNK, SN, FS, SDS, and SDM series snowfall sensors. Products are designed for snow melting equipment control in Japan's heavy snowfall regions.
• Snowtech Niigata Co., Ltd. (株式会社スノーテック新潟)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner for SnowCon snowfall sensor products. Joint product development and distribution partnership for snowfall detection and control systems used in snow melting applications.
• Fujitsu General Limited (富士通ゼネラル)majorTechnology or IntegrationCADEWA Smart building equipment CAD software developed by Fujitsu General. SHOWA serves as authorized sales agent for the Koshinetsu region, providing licensing, maintenance services, and technical support to customers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sanki Engineering Co., Ltd. Japanese building services engineering company specializing in HVAC, electrical, and plumbing system design and installation. Adjacent to SHOWA's customer base of electrical contractors and operates in similar building equipment end markets.
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation: Major Japanese manufacturer of electrical equipment, factory automation systems, and HVAC products. SHOWA distributes Mitsubishi products as part of its electrical installation materials offering, making it both a customer and an adjacent player in the same ecosystem.
• Nagase & Co., Ltd. Larger Japanese trading company with diversified portfolio including electronics, chemicals, plastics, and industrial materials. Operates as a broad incumbent in similar product categories to SHOWA but at significantly larger scale and with international reach.
• Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd. Major Japanese HVAC and building services engineering company. Operates in overlapping building equipment and HVAC segments as SHOWA's distribution business, serving similar downstream customers including contractors and building owners.
• Fujitsu General Limited: Major Japanese manufacturer of HVAC systems and developer of CADEWA Smart building equipment CAD software—the very product SHOWA distributes as authorized Koshinetsu region agent. Relevant as SHOWA's strategic partner and as a broad incumbent in the same product ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Ryoden Corporation: Japanese trading company specializing in electrical and industrial equipment distribution, with overlapping product categories including factory automation, HVAC, and building equipment. Directly comparable in business model and customer base to SHOWA's industrial machinery and electrical materials segments.
• Marubun Corporation: Japanese electronics trading company distributing semiconductors and industrial electronic products. Similar trading company profile to SHOWA in serving industrial customers with technical products requiring distribution expertise and technical support.
• Inaba Denki Sangyo Co., Ltd. Japanese electrical equipment and construction materials trading company with a similar regional trading company business model. SHOWA and Inaba Denki Sangyo both distribute electrical installation materials, HVAC, and building equipment to contractors and industrial customers across Japan.
• Kaga Electronics Co., Ltd. Japanese electronics trading company distributing semiconductors, electronic components, and equipment. Comparable to SHOWA in its role as a B2B trading intermediary for industrial and electrical products, though more focused on electronic components versus installation materials.

Others

• Uchida Yoko Co., Ltd. Japanese office equipment, IT solutions, and information communications equipment distributor. Thematically related to SHOWA's information communications business pillar, though focused on office environments versus SHOWA's industrial and construction orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 SHOWA