What Hirota does

Hirota Co., Ltd. (ヒロタ株式会社) is a Japanese comprehensive apparel manufacturer founded in 1947 in Gifu, reporting ¥18.483 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 2025 and operating with 357 employees. The company runs two complementary business models: wholesale, OEM, and ODM apparel manufacturing supplying major Japanese retail chains including Aeon, Shimamura, World, Seibu, Itoyokado, Lumine, Parco, and Marui; and owned-brand retail through five consumer brands — KETTA, NOELA, MB, fleur by mint breeze, and leswel — distributed via department stores, directly-managed stores, and e-commerce platforms including Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping. Pricing on the wholesale side follows standard apparel OEM/ODM unit economics, while the owned-brand side captures higher retail margin through direct channels.

Operations are organized into six business divisions — MEO (women 20s-30s), FLEEK (young teens), HUB (men's casual), CASUAL (knit/cut-and-sew), CORE (OEM/ODM plus MB and fleur by mint breeze), and NOELA — and are vertically integrated through a wholly-owned logistics subsidiary O'D Co., Ltd. (2008), a Changzhou-based international trading company (2008), Shanghai and Qingdao processing joint ventures (2006), and holding entity HY HOLDING CO LTD. In March 2021 Hirota acquired Anadis Co., Ltd. (Dunadix brand), expanding the owned-brand portfolio into adjacent fashion/lifestyle categories.

The company is primarily Japan-facing, with international activity confined to China-based manufacturing and sourcing. President Takaaki Hirota (廣田孝昭) has led the company since 1992, providing long-tenured strategic continuity. Recent activity has been characterized by portfolio rationalization — the divestiture of 31 Sons de mode to Double A Co., Ltd. in April 2025 and the announced June 2026 transfer of the NOELA business, following a 2025 NOELA relaunch — rather than new market entry or aggressive expansion.

Name

Hirota

Legal name

ヒロタ株式会社

Website

https://hirota-ap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hirota Co., Ltd. is a Japanese comprehensive apparel manufacturer founded in 1947 in Gifu, operating wholesale/OEM/ODM production for major Japanese retail chains and five owned consumer brands (KETTA, NOELA, MB, fleur by mint breeze, leswel) through department stores and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Apparel Manufacturing

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (42435)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Apparel OEM/ODM & Private Label Manufacturing (CRAAAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Apparel Sourcing, Buying Houses & Trading Companies (CRAAAAAN)

Keywords

• Apparel manufacturing
• OEM ODM clothing
• Women's fashion brands
• Private label apparel
• Japanese clothing retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Gifu

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Wholesale/OEM/ODM Manufacturing: Produces and sells women's wear, menswear, children's clothing, and loungewear to major retail chains and specialty stores through wholesale, OEM, and ODM arrangements. Also manufactures private-label garments for retail partners.
2. Owned Brand Retail: Operates multiple owned brands (KETTA, NOELA, MB, fleur by mint breeze, leswel) through directly managed stores, department store concessions, and e-commerce platforms.
3. E-commerce: Operates branded online stores on Rakuten and Yahoo marketplaces, including Hi! ONLINE STORE and brand-specific e-commerce sites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hirota Co., Ltd. is a Japanese apparel manufacturer and retailer that designs, produces, and sells women's fashion clothing. The company operates two complementary arms: an OEM/ODM contract manufacturing business that produces apparel for major Japanese retail chains, and a portfolio of in-house brands (KETTA, NOELA, MB, fleur by mint breeze, and leswel) sold through the company's own retail stores and online channels.

Product overview

HIROTA Co., Ltd. is a comprehensive apparel manufacturer offering five distinct fashion brands: KETTA, NOELA, MB, fleur by mint breeze, and leswel. The company operates across multiple business divisions including MEO事业部, FLEEK事业部, HUB事业部, CASUAL事业部, CORE部, and NOELA, serving customers through department stores, specialty stores, mass retailers, directly managed stores, and e-commerce malls throughout Japan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KETTA: Fashion brand operated by Hirota
• NOELA
• MB
• fleur by mint breeze
• leswel
• MEO事业部
• FLEEK事业部
• HUB事业部
• CASUAL事业部
• CORE部
• 31 Sons de mode

Products and services

• KETTA An in-house women's fashion apparel brand developed and sold by Hirota, targeting consumers through the company's own retail stores and e-commerce channels.
• NOELA An in-house women's fashion apparel brand developed and sold by Hirota, targeting consumers through the company's own retail stores and e-commerce channels.
• MB An in-house women's fashion apparel brand developed and sold by Hirota, targeting consumers through the company's own retail stores and e-commerce channels.
• fleur by mint breeze An in-house women's fashion apparel brand developed and sold by Hirota, targeting consumers through the company's own retail stores and e-commerce channels.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and subsidiary.

• 株式会社ダブルエー (Double A Co., Ltd.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Business transfer of the '31 Sons de mode' (トランテアンソンドゥモード) brand to Double A Co., Ltd. Basic agreement was signed in February 2025, with the transfer scheduled for April 1, 2025.
• アナディス株式会社 (Anadis Co., Ltd.)subsidiaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Anadis Co., Ltd. became a consolidated subsidiary of Hirota in March 2021 through a share acquisition. Anadis operates Dunadix (デュナディックス), expanding Hirota's business portfolio into new fashion/lifestyle categories.
• 株式会社オーディーシー (O'D Co., Ltd.)subsidiaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics subsidiary established in 2008 (平成20年) through spinoff of the logistics division. Operates the Ono Logistics Center in Gifu Prefecture.
• 常州廣栄国際貿易有限公司 (Changzhou Guangrong International Trade Co., Ltd.)subsidiaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational trading company established in China (常州) in 2008, serving as Hirota's Asian trade and sourcing hub.
• HY HOLDING CO LTDsubsidiaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas holding company incorporated as a related company of Hirota.
• 上海広孝服飾整理有限公司 (Shanghai Guangxiao Fashion Processing Co., Ltd.)subsidiaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture company established in Shanghai, China in 2006 (平成18年) for apparel production and processing operations.
• 青島広億泓服装整理有限公司 (Qingdao Guangyihong Garment Processing Co., Ltd.)subsidiaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company in Qingdao, China involved in apparel manufacturing and processing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Largest Japanese apparel group (UNIQLO, GU) and a broad incumbent across the same domestic apparel ecosystem, with manufacturing in China/Vietnam similar to Hirota's Asian sourcing model.

Direct peers

• Baroque Japan Limited: Multi-brand Japanese apparel company (MOUSSY, SLY, etc.) operating owned retail and wholesale to Japanese department stores; comparable mid-cap multi-brand apparel operator.
• Adastria Co., Ltd. Japanese apparel company operating brands such as LOFT, GLOBAL WORK, and JEANASIS through wholesale and directly managed retail, comparable in scale and channel mix to Hirota.
• Sanyo Shokai Ltd. Long-established Japanese apparel company (Burberry licensee historically) supplying department stores and running owned brands; comparable long-history, multi-channel Japanese apparel operator.
• Sanei International Co., Ltd. Japanese apparel OEM/ODM and brand operator with manufacturing operations in Asia, highly comparable to Hirota's OEM/ODM-plus-owned-brand structure with China-based production.
• Onward Holdings Co., Ltd. Mid-to-large Japanese apparel conglomerate with owned brands (Jil Sander, ANY, Kashwere) plus OEM/wholesale operations, structurally similar to Hirota's multi-brand wholesale/retail approach.
• World Co., Ltd. Japanese comprehensive apparel company operating multiple owned brands (UNTITLED, COOMB, etc.) and OEM/wholesale channels serving major Japanese retailers, directly comparable to Hirota's owned-brand-plus-wholesale model.
• TSI Holdings Co., Ltd. Holding company for multiple Japanese apparel brands (Nanette Lepore, Mila Owen, etc.) with both wholesale and retail channels; directly comparable multi-brand apparel operator serving Japanese mass and department-store channels.

Others

• Aeon Co., Ltd. Largest Japanese retail group and a key Hirota wholesale customer; relevant as a downstream distribution partner shaping Hirota's OEM/wholesale demand.
• Shimamura Co., Ltd. Major Japanese mass-market apparel retailer (and Hirota customer) with its own private-label sourcing, illustrating the buyer side of the OEM/wholesale relationship Hirota depends on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mb_mintbreeze

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 Hirota