Aoi

What Aoi does

Aoi Co., Ltd. (aoi株式会社) is a privately held Japanese pharmacy operator headquartered in Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture, that runs a five-branch dispensing pharmacy group serving patients across Kagoshima Prefecture (four locations) and Kyoto City (one location). The group operates under the "Aoi Pharmacy" (あおい薬局) brand in Kagoshima and the "Suhama Pharmacy" (すはま薬局) brand in Kyoto, employing approximately 30 people across all sites. Its core offering combines three integrated service channels: (1) in-person prescription dispensing at physical pharmacy locations, (2) home-visit medication guidance (在宅訪問) for homebound and post-hospitalization patients with 24/7 emergency contact availability, and (3) online medication guidance (オンライン服薬指導) delivered via LINE video calls with home delivery through Yamato Transport.

The underlying technology stack is conventional and non-differentiating. The company leverages LINE's consumer-grade video calling functionality for remote pharmacist consultations, standard SSL encryption for its website, Google Analytics for traffic analysis, and Yamato Transport's parcel and mailbox-drop delivery services for medication fulfillment. Credit card is the accepted payment method for online orders. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML components, and no disclosed data infrastructure beyond standard cookie-based analytics. The official LINE account (@545uuoiu) functions as the primary patient engagement and appointment-booking channel, supported by a toll-free phone line (0120-587-208) for inbound inquiries.

Revenue derives from three streams: regulated prescription dispensing fees and medication costs reimbursed under Japan's national health insurance system, over-the-counter pharmaceutical sales (pain relievers, moisturizers, allergy medications, vitamins, gastrointestinal drugs, cold remedies, herbal medicines), and home-visit medication management fees (居宅療養管理指導) covered by insurance for homebound patients. The go-to-market targets four overlapping patient segments — homebound and mobility-limited patients, time-constrained working professionals and caregivers, general community pharmacy customers, and patients unable to obtain physician prescriptions — all served through direct-to-consumer channels with no disclosed enterprise contracts, insurance partnerships, or B2B distribution arrangements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; prescription fees are government-regulated and OTC pricing is managed in-store or via inquiry.

Name

Aoi

Legal name

aoi株式会社

Website

https://suhama-pharmacy.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

aoi株式会社 operates a five-branch pharmacy group across Kagoshima and Kyoto prefectures in Japan, providing prescription dispensing, OTC pharmaceutical sales, home-visit medication guidance, and LINE-based online medication guidance with home delivery to individual patients including homebound and time-constrained consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Pharmacy Services

NAICS

Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (456110)

SIC

Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLALAIAB

Provider/Health-System Telehealth + In-House/Owned Pharmacy Integration

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Telehealth Platforms/Pharmacy-Integrated Telehealth & ePrescribing Platforms

SECONDARYHLAFALAD

Mail-Order & Home Delivery Pharmacies

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Pharmacy & Medication Management Services

Keywords

• Dispensing pharmacy services
• Online medication guidance
• Home visit pharmacy
• OTC pharmaceutical sales
• Pharmacy delivery services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kagoshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Prescription dispensing (调剂調剂): The primary revenue stream for a dispensing pharmacy (调剂薬局). Patients present prescriptions issued by physicians, and pharmacists prepare and dispense medications, collecting dispensing fees and medication costs. This is a recurring revenue model tied to patient medical needs and physician prescribing patterns.
2. OTC pharmaceutical sales (医薬品販売): Sale of non-prescription pharmaceuticals including pain relievers (oral and topical), moisturizers, steroid topicals, eye drops, vitamins, gastrointestinal medications, anti-allergy agents, cold remedies, and herbal medicines. Customers can purchase these without a prescription for walk-in pharmacy customers.
3. Home-visit medication guidance (在宅訪問指導): Pharmacist visits to homebound patients' residences to provide medication guidance and management under a physician's指示. This generates revenue through 居宅療管理指導 fees, a standard reimbursement-covered service under Japan's national health insurance system for homebound patients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

aoi株式会社 operates a multi-location dispensing pharmacy group (5 branches across Kagoshima Prefecture and Kyoto City) that provides prescription dispensing, OTC pharmaceutical sales, home-visit medication guidance, and remote medication counseling via LINE video calls with home delivery. The group serves individual patients directly, combining physical storefront visits, in-home pharmacist visits, and online consultations to extend pharmacy access to patients facing geographic, physical, or time constraints.

Product overview

Aoi Co., Ltd. operates a network of pharmacies under the Suhama Pharmacy brand (すはま薬局) and Aoi Pharmacy brand (あおい薬局) across Kagoshima Prefecture and Kyoto. The company provides a unified offering combining physical pharmacy services with digital capabilities. The primary digital product is the Suhama Online Medication Guidance service (すはまオンライン服薬指導), which enables remote consultations via LINE video calls, complemented by home visit services for patients with mobility challenges and OTC medicine sales. All services are supported by medication delivery through Yamato Transport and credit card payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Suhama Online Medication Guidance (すはまオンライン服薬指導) A telemedicine pharmacy service that allows patients to receive pharmacist medication counseling remotely via LINE video call from home or office, with prescribed medications subsequently delivered to the patient's specified address. Targeted at patients who cannot easily visit a pharmacy due to time, mobility, or geographic constraints.
• Suhama Pharmacy (すはま薬局) Physical pharmacy located in Kyoto City (Ukyo Ward, Nishikyogoku Shinden-cho) providing in-person prescription dispensing, OTC pharmaceutical sales, home-visit medication guidance, and online medication counseling to local patients. Business hours: 10:00–17:00, closed Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.
• Home Visit Service (在宅訪問) In-home medication guidance and management service for patients who have difficulty visiting a pharmacy, including those recovering at home after hospital discharge, undergoing home-based medical care, or otherwise mobility-limited. Pharmacists visit patients' homes under a physician's instructions to provide medication guidance and ongoing medication management.
• OTC Pharmaceutical Sales (医薬品販売) Sale of certain medicines without a prescription, including pain relievers (oral and topical), moisturizers, steroid creams, eye drops, vitamins, gastrointestinal medications, antihistamines, cold medicines, and herbal medicines. Available to walk-in pharmacy customers and patients who cannot visit a doctor or obtain a prescription.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces patient travel time, waiting time, and transportation costs through online medication guidance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Medley: Japanese healthtech company operating the "Pharms" online medication guidance platform connecting patients to pharmacies. Directly comparable to Aoi's online medication guidance function, but as a software platform rather than a pharmacy operator.
• MICIN: Japanese telemedicine and digital health platform offering online consultation infrastructure including medication guidance. Comparable to Aoi's online medication guidance service, but as a tech platform enabling multiple pharmacies rather than operating pharmacies itself.

Broad incumbents

• Sugi Holdings: Japanese pharmacy and drugstore chain with dispensing and home medical care services. Comparable to Aoi in combining dispensing pharmacy with broader health services, but operating at national chain scale.
• Welcia Holdings: Japan's largest drugstore chain by revenue with growing dispensing pharmacy and online medication guidance operations. Comparable in offering prescription dispensing, OTC sales, and digital pharmacy services, but at national drugstore scale.
• Cosmos Pharmaceutical: Large Japanese drugstore chain with dispensing pharmacy operations. Comparable in retail pharmacy and OTC sales, particularly serving regional and suburban communities similar to Aoi's Kagoshima base.
• Nihon Chouzai: Major Japanese dispensing pharmacy chain with significant home-visit and home medical care operations. Comparable to Aoi in core dispensing and home-visit service model, but operates at national scale with formal corporate governance.
• QOL Holdings: Japanese pharmacy holding company with a strong focus on home medical care and dispensing pharmacy. Operates a similar dispensing + home-visit service stack to Aoi, with pharmacy-led digital and in-person services across multiple prefectures.
• AIN Holdings: One of Japan's largest dispensing pharmacy chains with home medical care and online medication guidance services. Directly comparable to Aoi's dispensing + home-visit + online guidance model, but at national scale with hundreds of branches and proprietary technology.
• Tsuruha Holdings: Major Japanese drugstore chain offering prescription dispensing alongside OTC retail and home delivery. Provides a comparable mix of in-store dispensing and home delivery pharmacy services, but at far greater scale across Japan.

Direct peers

• Pharma Daiichi (Pharmacy Holdings): Mid-sized Japanese dispensing pharmacy group with home-visit services. Most directly comparable to Aoi in being a multi-branch dispensing-focused pharmacy operator serving patients across multiple prefectures with home-visit capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 Aoi