Kokusai Motorcars

What Kokusai Motorcars does

Kokusai Motorcars (国際自動車株式会社), founded in 1920 and headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, operates one of Japan's largest private hire-taxi groups under the km brand, alongside premium chauffeur (Kokusai Hire), bus (km Mobility Service), and vehicle maintenance (kmG Auto Assist) businesses. The group runs a fleet of 3,303+ taxis across Tokyo 23 wards, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, and Saitama, supplemented by an affiliate network of km Partners and acquisitions of smaller operators (Yume Kotsu 2017, Tokyo Yasaka 2025, Shinwa/Hayakawa 2026). The service portfolio spans metered standard taxis, fixed-fare airport transfers, tourism routes (Tokyo Drive), corporate account and ticket-based travel, a 24/7 dispatch center, and specialized services including Maternity My Taxi, Support Cab (non-emergency medical transport certified by Tokyo Fire Department), driver dispatch to hotels and corporate clients, and the luxury YuGa bus. Revenue is generated primarily through usage-based metered fares under local transportation authority regulation, fixed-fare airport pricing, transaction-fee bus and parking operations, and managed-services contracts for driver dispatch and fleet maintenance.

The company's technology stack centers on a proprietary taxi-dispatch and passenger-matching platform built on Google Cloud Spanner for real-time high-volume transaction processing, supporting the Fulcul app — the world's first shake-to-hail taxi-matching smartphone application, patented, transmitting location to drivers within 500 meters at no pickup fee. Additional proprietary technology includes a world-first taxi lost-item prevention system co-developed with Ideaclos (2013), a multilingual voice translation system for inbound tourists, the Brain Health Monitoring Service (launched April 2026) that infers cognitive health from driving data, and certified management systems under ISO/IEC 27001 (since 2009), ISO 39001:2012 (RTSMS), and the Green Management program.

Go-to-market is hybrid: product-led growth through self-serve consumer apps (Fulcul, S.RIDE, km Taxi) and web reservation portals (Limo hire booking, km Taxi web reservation) drives B2C acquisition, while sales-led direct relationships handle corporate accounts, government/healthcare partnerships (Tokyo Fire Department, Tokyo Metropolitan Midwives Association, Tokyo Disney Resort, ISETAN Mitsukoshi, JR East, B.LEAGUE Albirex Tokyo), and event transportation. Pricing is regulated meter-based for standard taxis, fixed-fare for airport routes, usage-based with membership for premium hire, and transaction-based for buses and parking. Distribution combines owned digital platforms, physical taxi stands, a centralized telephone dispatch center, and B2B corporate account/ticket programs.

Name

Kokusai Motorcars

Legal name

国際自動車株式会社 (kokusai motorcars Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://km-group.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kokusai Motorcars is a Tokyo-headquartered, privately held Japanese passenger transportation group founded in 1920, operating one of the country's largest hire-taxi fleets (3,303+ vehicles) under the km brand across taxi, premium chauffeur, bus, and fleet maintenance services in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and Kyoto.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger ground transportation services

NAICS

Taxi and Limousine Service (4853), Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Limousine Service (48532), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Licensed Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) / Minicab Operators (TLAFAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pre-Booked Private Hire / Chauffeur (PHV/Limo) (THAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Taxi services
• Hire car services
• Passenger transportation
• Bus charter services
• Driver dispatch

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Taxi Services (km Taxi): Metered fare-based passenger transportation in Tokyo 23 wards, Yokohama, and surrounding areas. Primary revenue driver through tens of thousands of daily trips.
2. Hire/Limousine Services: Premium chauffeur-driven transportation services, including corporate accounts, airport transfers, and executive transport. Revenue from metered and fixed fares, contract arrangements.
3. Bus Services (km Mobility Service): Route buses (Rainbow Bus, Flower Bus), chartered buses, shuttle buses, and premium luxury bus 'YuGa'. Revenue from ticket fares, charter fees, and contracted shuttle services.
4. Driver Dispatch Services: Provision of professional drivers to corporate clients, hotels, and event organizers in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka.
5. Vehicle Maintenance Services (kmG Auto Assist): Vehicle maintenance, interior, insurance, and related business services operated through subsidiary kmG Auto Assist.
6. Parking Services: Akasaka Parking Center operates 24-hour indoor parking facility. Revenue from hourly and maximum rate parking fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Kokusai Motorcars is a passenger transportation group operating km Taxi (standard and specialty metered taxis), Kokusai Hire (premium chauffeur-driven hire cars), km Mobility Service (route, chartered, shuttle and luxury buses), and kmG Auto Assist (vehicle maintenance and related services) across the Tokyo metropolitan area, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, and Saitama. The company supplements its transportation services with proprietary digital booking platforms (Fulcul shake-to-hail app, S.RIDE dispatch, Limo hire web reservation) and specialized offerings including Maternity My Taxi and Tokyo Fire Department-certified Support Cab non-emergency medical transport.

Product overview

Kokusai Motorcars operates as a diversified passenger transportation conglomerate offering taxi, hire car, and bus services under a unified km Group brand. The core portfolio consists of km Taxi (standard taxi service), Kokusai Hire (premium chauffeur service), km Mobility Service (bus operations), and kmG Auto Assist (maintenance/auto services). Key digital products include the Furcul app (shake-to-hail taxi), S.RIDE dispatch app, and Limo web reservation platform for hire cars. Specialized services include Maternity My Taxi, Support Cab medical transport, and premium YuGa luxury bus. The company also operates km Individual Taxi franchise system and manages the Tokyo Drive tourism portal. The portfolio spans consumer-facing apps, web reservations, route/chartered buses, and B2B fleet services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• kmウーマンプロジェクト1000 (km Woman Project 1000): Women's empowerment initiative aiming to hire 1,000 female employees by 2020.
• kmバス (km Bus)
• お台場レインボーバス (Odaiba Rainbow Bus)
• kmフラワーバス (km Flower Bus)
• YuGa (ユーガ)
• 東京観光タクシー (Tokyo Drive / Tokyo Tourism Taxi)
• マタニティ・マイタクシー (Maternity My Taxi)
• km 赤坂ビル (km Akasaka Building)
• km パートナーズ (km Partners)
• km ホスピタリティカレッジ (km Hospitality College)
• km Voice
• Drivers

Products and services

• km Taxi (ｋｍタクシー) Core metered taxi service operating in Tokyo 23 wards, Musashino, Yokohama, and surrounding areas with on-demand dispatch, app/web/phone booking, fixed airport fares, and specialty services (maternity, medical, tourism). Targeted at individual consumers, corporate accounts, and tourists in metropolitan Japan.
• Kokusai Hire (国際ハイヤー) Premium chauffeur-driven hire car service in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka offering luxury sedans, minivans, and dedicated Alphard vehicles for executives, corporate clients, airport transfers, business aviation, and TRAIN SUITE 四季島 exclusive transport. Bookable via Limo web reservation or direct corporate accounts.
• km Mobility Service (kmモビリティサービス) Bus transportation services in Tokyo and Osaka including route buses (Odaiba Rainbow Bus, km Flower Bus), chartered buses, facility/event shuttle services, and the premium luxury bus YuGa. Serves commuters, tourists, corporate groups, and contracted shuttle clients.
• kmG Auto Assist (kmGオートアシスト)

Quantifiable outcome

• Maternity taxi service handled 10,000+ births within 1.5 years of launch (by March 2015)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Shinwa Motorcars / Hayakawa Vehicle Maintenance Factory (新和自動車・株式会社早川自動車整備工場)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 May 2026km Group acquired full equity of Shinwa Motorcars and Hayakawa Vehicle Maintenance Factory, announced May 11, 2026. Expands km's service network and vehicle maintenance capabilities.
• Albirex Tokyo (B.LEAGUE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Kokusai Motorcars entered into a official partnership with Albirex Tokyo, a professional basketball team in the B.LEAGUE. The partnership was announced March 24, 2026. The collaboration involves supporting team transportation and joint promotional activities linking km's hospitality transport services with the sports team's visibility.
• Toyota (Alphaard Dedicated Branch)coreTechnology or Integration · 4 March 2026International Hire opened Japan's first 'Alphaard' (Toyota Alphard) dedicated branch in Nihonbashi in April 2026. This dedicated premium vehicle branch provides specialized high-end chauffeur services using Toyota Alphard vehicles, representing a service differentiation and product strategy partnership with Toyota.
• Tokyo Yasaka Motorcars (東京ヤサカ自動車株式会社)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 October 2025Full equity acquisition of Tokyo Yasaka Motorcars by km Group, announced October 31, 2025. Company to be renamed おおもりタクシー株式会社 (Omori Taxi Co., Ltd.). Adds Omori area taxi operations to km network.
• Daiwa Motor Transportation (大和自動車交通)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025Business partnership for taxi DX and autonomous driving. S.RIDE platform involvement. Collaboration on premium customer service and safe driving initiatives. Partnership announced October 2025. km Group fleet combined with Daiwa fleet for enhanced service coverage in Tokyo area.
• JR East (JR東日本) — Ringo PassminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2018Ringo Pass integration — JR East's fruit-themed station stamp rally combined with フルクル taxi app for convenient transportation to/from stations. Joint promotion started November 2018.
• TBM ( LIMEX material supplier)minorOthers · 1 July 2018km Group adopted LIMEX, a limestone-based sustainable material, for leaflets for the フルクル taxi app and Maternity My Taxi. LIMEX replaces traditional paper, using almost no water or wood. TBM is the material developer, partnered with CDP for environmental data.
• Google Cloud Platform JapancoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2018km Group adopted Google Cloud Platform including Cloud Spanner for its taxi dispatch and passenger matching system. Cloud Spanner enables real-time high-volume transaction processing for the フルクル (Fulcul) app and associated taxi operations. Google published an official case study on km Group's implementation.
• Social Media Platforms (X/Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/TikTok)minorOthers · 19 September 2017km Group maintains official accounts across major social media platforms: X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Threads, and TikTok. Accounts cover brand promotion, recruitment, tourism, and customer service across different audience segments.
• Yume Kotsu (株式会社夢交通)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2017km Group acquired all shares of Yume Kotsu (55 taxi fleet) on July 1, 2017. The acquisition brought km Group total fleet to 3,303 taxis. Yume Kotsu was founded on the philosophy of 'people are our treasure' (人こそ財).
• Kanto Motor Transportation (関東自動車交通株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 December 2016Business partnership with Kanto Motor Transportation (88 taxi fleet). Joined km brand as the 20th member of the km taxi network in April 2017. Partnership extends km's Tokyo coverage to the Edogawa-ku area.
• Ideaclos Co., Ltd. (イデアクロス株式会社)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2013Joint development of the world's first 'Taxi Lost Item Prevention System.' km Group and Ideaclos Co. conducted joint research and development and started demonstration experiments in September 2013. This proprietary system was a world-first innovation in the taxi industry.
• MCAS (Mitsubishi Corp. Aviation Services) / 成田国際空港 (Narita International Airport)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2013km, MCAS, and Narita International Airport collaborated on the 'Business Aviation Terminal — Premier Gate' 1st anniversary campaign in May 2013. km provided premium hire car services for business aviation passengers arriving/departing Narita Airport.
• Aoshima Bunka Kyozaisha (青島文化教材社)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 April 2013Aoshima Bunka Kyozaisha, a model kit manufacturer in Shizuoka, created a detailed 1/24 scale model of the km taxi (JPN TAXI/km仕様). Licensed use of km logos, branding, full-kuru wrapping design, non-smoking marks, and universal vehicle markings for the official model product released December 2019.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Midwives Association (東京都助産師会)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership for childbirth emergency response training. Tokyo Metropolitan Midwives Association conducted 'Childbirth Emergency Response Training' (陣通時対応講習) at km Akasaka headquarters on February 20, 2013. This training was part of the maternity taxi service preparation.
• Fuji Motorcars (冨士自動車株式会社)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2013Business partnership agreement signed with Fuji Motorcars for taxi business cooperation, October 2013. Part of km's strategy to expand the km brand network across Tokyo taxi operators.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nihon Kotsu (日本交通): Largest licensed taxi and hire operator in Tokyo with 5,000+ vehicles and a comparable premium service portfolio. Most direct comparable for km Group given overlapping Tokyo 23-ward operations, corporate hire business, and focus on premium chauffeur service.
• Green Cab (グリーンキャブ): Tokyo taxi operator serving central business districts with overlapping geographic coverage and similar corporate account model to km Taxi.
• Hinomaru Jidosha (日の丸自動車): Established Tokyo taxi operator offering premium service lines (Hinomaru Sightseeing, business hire) comparable to km's Tokyo Drive and Kokusai Hire. Direct overlap in Tokyo 23 wards.
• Daiwa Motor Transportation (大和自動車交通): Tokyo taxi and hire operator that is both a peer and a business partner (October 2025 DX/autonomous driving alliance). Operates the S.RIDE app that competes directly with km's Fulcul app in the Tokyo dispatch market.
• Checker Cab (チェッカーキャブ): Tokyo taxi and corporate hire company with comparable premium sedan service for business clients. Operates in overlapping Tokyo wards as a licensed PHV/hire competitor.

Regional players

• MK Taxi (エムケイ): Kansai-region taxi leader headquartered in Kyoto, the largest hire-taxi brand in Osaka/Kyoto. Comparable in scope (premium service, tourism positioning, airport runs) but does not directly compete in km's Tokyo heartland.

Others

• JR East (East Japan Railway): Existing partner (Ringo Pass integration, TRAIN SUITE Shikishima exclusive hire service). Listed because it controls significant adjacent mobility demand (rail arrivals feeding taxi/hire trips) and is an ecosystem participant that shapes km's distribution.
• Kanto Motor Transportation (関東自動車交通): Joined the km Partners network as the 20th member in 2017; while now affiliated with km Group via the brand network, it remains a comparable Tokyo PHV/taxi operator and historically a competitor of similar size.

Broad incumbents

• GO Inc. (Mobility Technologies): Japan's leading ride-hailing app, backed by Toyota and KDDI, that aggregates taxi dispatch across thousands of vehicles in Tokyo. Competes for dispatch relationship with km's Fulcul and S.RIDE offerings.
• Uber Japan: Global ride-hailing platform operating in Japan, including partnerships with Japanese taxi fleets. Represents a broad incumbent competing for Tokyo taxi trip demand and shaping customer booking expectations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/km_callcenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuWwXOQxMbR5dA68qZi3aXg
• Facebookfacebook.com/kokusaimotorcars
• Instagraminstagram.com/km.taxi192003

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Kokusai Motorcars