Horikoshi
Horikoshi (HRKS) is a Tokyo-based private Japanese advertising agency that places ads in 966 specialist magazine titles across 12+ genres and provides integrated internet advertising and creative production services to corporate advertisers and municipalities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Horikoshi does
Horikoshi (株式会社HRKS, operating brand "HRKS") is a Tokyo-based private Japanese advertising agency founded on January 20, 2020 (per the company-history record firmographics metadata separately lists 1977 as year_founded, a conflict noted but not resolved) under Representative Director Horikoshi Michiko. The company specializes in placing advertisements in specialist/niche magazines rather than mass-market media, claiming representation across 966 magazine titles spanning 12+ genres including women's, business, senior, music, motorcycle, automobile, hobby, sports/outdoor, and fishing publications. Established distribution partnerships with seven major Japanese publishers — Akita Shoten, Ascii, Impress Communications, Ei Publishing, Overture, Ongaku-no-Tomosha, and Gakken — underpin the placement offering.
The firm's product portfolio covers three integrated service lines: (i) magazine advertising agency services including media planning and placement, with published per-page rates ranging from ¥500,000 to ¥3,200,000 for a standard 4C1P placement; (ii) internet advertising services including listing ads, opt-in email, banner ads, keyword advertising strategy, responsive web design, landing page production, and e-catalogs; and (iii) creative production including advertising copy creation, website production, novelty goods, large-format printing, and professional photography. No proprietary technology stack, AI/ML capability, software product, mobile app, or API is described; the offering is service-based and project-based.
HRKS operates a direct sales motion: phone (03-5577-4831), email ([email protected]), and web inquiry forms with a stated 6-hour response SLA. Pricing is project- and insertion-based (no subscription or recurring contracts described), and the company publishes rate cards across its magazine and production services. Customer segments span corporate advertisers seeking niche-magazine reach, businesses wanting cross-media print-plus-digital campaigns, and municipalities requiring PR/advertising support. Registered capital is ¥1,000,000 (~USD 7,000), headcount is 11-50, and there is no disclosed revenue, no institutional funding, and no M&A activity.
Horikoshi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Horikoshi
- Legal name
- 株式会社 HRKS
- Website
- https://hrks.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Horikoshi (HRKS) is a Tokyo-based private Japanese advertising agency that places ads in 966 specialist magazine titles across 12+ genres and provides integrated internet advertising and creative production services to corporate advertisers and municipalities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Horikoshi industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supply-Side Platforms (SSP) & Publisher Monetization (BPAMALAC)
Keywords
Where Horikoshi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Horikoshi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Magazine advertising agency commissions: HRKS earns commissions as an intermediary between advertisers (corporate clients) and magazine publishers, placing advertisements in specialist publications across 966 registered magazine titles. Fees are structured per insertion, with base pricing set per page (1P) or spread, varying by publication and placement position (cover pages command premium rates).
- Internet/digital advertising services: Provides online advertising services including listing ads, opt-in email advertising, banner ads, keyword advertising strategy, responsive web design, landing page production, e-catalog production, and consulting services. Revenue generated through service fees for digital campaign planning and execution.
- Creative production services: Offers advertising copy production, website production, original novelty goods, large-format printing, and photography services. Fees are charged per production project, with published rate cards for ad copy production, website production, photography, and printing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Magazine advertising insertion fees |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Internet advertising services |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Creative/production services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Horikoshi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Horikoshi (HRKS) is a Japanese advertising agency that places advertisements in 966 specialist magazine titles across women, business, senior, music, motorcycle, automobile, hobby, sports/outdoor, and fishing categories. The agency also delivers internet advertising (listing ads, banner ads, opt-in email, keyword strategy, landing pages) and in-house creative production including ad copy, website design, printed materials, photography, and large-format printing. All services are delivered by genre-specialized print and digital creative teams for unified cross-media campaigns.
Product overview
Horikoshi (HRKS) is a traditional magazine advertising agency offering a unified service portfolio centered on magazine and internet advertising representation combined with in-house creative production. The core offering is magazine advertising agency services for 966 specialized publications across diverse genres including women's magazines, business publications, senior-targeted magazines, music, motorcycles, automobiles, hobbies, sports/outdoor, and fishing. This is complemented by internet advertising services (listing ads, email ads, banner ads, landing pages) and comprehensive production/design services (advertising copy creation, website production, printed materials, photography). All services are delivered through specialized staff who understand target audiences for each publication genre, with magazine and web creative teams working in coordination to ensure unified brand messaging.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Magazine Advertising Agency Services (雑誌広告代理業務) Media planning, placement, and strategy for specialized magazine advertising across 966 titles spanning 12+ genres, delivered to corporate clients seeking niche rather than mass-market audiences.
- Internet Advertising (インターネット広告) Online advertising services including listing ads (PPC), opt-in email advertising, banner ads, keyword advertising strategy, responsive web design, landing page production, and e-catalog production services for corporate clients.
- Production and Design Services (制作・デザイン) End-to-end creative production services for advertising and marketing, including ad copy creation, website design and development, printed materials (posters, catalogs, brochures, flyers), original novelty goods, large-format printing, and professional photography.
- Specialized Magazine Media Database (専門誌ジャンル別媒体一覧) Searchable database of 966 specialized Japanese magazines organized by genre, providing detailed media information, publication schedules, and advertising rates for clients to select optimal media placements.
Quantifiable outcome
- Better ROI compared to national mass-media campaigns for niche/specialist product categories
Companies that use Horikoshi
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Horikoshi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Horikoshi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Akita Shoten (株)秋田書店coreHRKS serves as an advertising agency intermediary placing advertisements in Akita Shoten publications. Akita Shoten is a major Japanese publisher of manga, magazines, and books.
- Ascii (株)アスキーcoreHRKS places advertisements in Ascii publications, a major Japanese publisher specializing in computer and technology magazines.
- Impress Communications (株)インプレスコミュニケーションズcoreHRKS places advertisements in Impress Communications publications, a major publisher of IT, internet, and technology magazines.
- Ei Publishing (株)エイ出版社coreHRKS places advertisements in Ei Publishing magazines. Ei Publishing covers lifestyle and hobby magazines.
- Overture (オーバーチュア)coreHRKS works with Overture for search advertising services, a major search engine marketing company in Japan.
- Ongaku-no-Tomosha (株)音楽之友社coreHRKS places advertisements in Ongaku-no-Tomosha music publications, a publisher specializing in classical music and music education magazines.
- Gakken (株)学習研究社coreHRKS places advertisements in Gakken publications, a major educational and hobby publisher.
- Senmongai.com (専門街.com)minorOperated by HRKS as a free advertising listing platform showcasing the company's latest production work and serving as an additional client acquisition channel for advertising services.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Horikoshi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dentsu: Japan's largest advertising agency and global ad holding company, offering full-service advertising across all media including print, digital, TV, and OOH. Comparable to HRKS as a Japanese advertising services provider, but at vastly larger scale and broader scope; HRKS is a niche specialist whereas Dentsu is a full-service incumbent.
- ADK Holdings: Major Japanese advertising agency group providing integrated advertising solutions across traditional and digital media. Comparable as a Japan-based advertising services provider with cross-media capabilities, though ADK is publicly listed and significantly larger.
- Hakuhodo: Japan's second-largest advertising agency with full-service offerings across print, digital, and emerging media. Direct competitor in the Japanese advertising services market, though far larger and more diversified; serves many of the same corporate advertisers HRKS targets.
Emerging players
- Septeni Holdings: Japanese digital advertising agency with strong focus on programmatic, performance marketing, and ad tech. Comparable to HRKS's internet advertising services line but operating at larger scale and specialized in digital-only execution.
Others
- Impress Holdings: Japanese publisher of IT, internet, and technology-related magazines including Impress Communications. Listed as a publisher partner of HRKS, so it is an ecosystem participant — also a media owner in the same magazine-advertising value chain rather than a direct competitor.
- Akita Shoten: Major Japanese publisher of manga, magazines, and books. A publisher partner of HRKS, representing the supply side of the magazine advertising value chain — a publisher rather than an agency peer.
Direct peers
- Tokyu Agency: Japanese advertising agency specializing in magazine and newspaper advertising along with digital media. Highly comparable to HRKS as a domestic Japanese agency with similar print-heavy media mix and provision of creative production services.
- Daiko Advertising: Tokyo-based advertising agency providing advertising and marketing services with expertise in both traditional and digital media. Operates in the same Japanese advertising services market with similar mid-sized agency profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Horikoshi social profiles
Digital presenceHorikoshi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Horikoshi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Horikoshi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Horikoshi M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Horikoshi
What does Horikoshi do?
Horikoshi (HRKS) is a Japanese advertising agency that places advertisements in 966 specialist magazine titles across women, business, senior, music, motorcycle, automobile, hobby, sports/outdoor, and fishing categories. The agency also delivers internet advertising (listing ads, banner ads, opt-in email, keyword strategy, landing pages) and in-house creative production including ad copy, website design, printed materials, photography, and large-format printing. All services are delivered by genre-specialized print and digital creative teams for unified cross-media campaigns.
Is Horikoshi a public or private company?
Horikoshi is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Horikoshi founded?
Horikoshi was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Horikoshi based?
Horikoshi is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Horikoshi make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Magazine advertising agency commissions are the primary driver. The others are internet/digital advertising services and creative production services.
Who are Horikoshi's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dentsu, ADK Holdings and Hakuhodo. Septeni Holdings is listed as an emerging player. Others are Impress Holdings and Akita Shoten. Direct peers are Tokyu Agency and Daiko Advertising.
Does Horikoshi have an API?
No public API is recorded for Horikoshi.
What industry is Horikoshi in?
Horikoshi's product category is Advertising Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMALAC, Supply-Side Platforms (SSP) & Publisher Monetization. Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.