As Corporation
As Corporation is a Japanese functional innerwear manufacturer founded in 1938, producing bodywear, innerwear, and relaxation wear for men, women, and children under owned and licensed brands, distributed through Japanese retailers and its own D2C e-commerce site.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersMinoh, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What As Corporation does
As Corporation (株式会社アズ) is a privately-held Japanese functional innerwear manufacturer founded in 1938, headquartered in Minoh City, Osaka, with a secondary office in Tokyo. The company designs, produces, and sells bodywear, innerwear, and relaxation wear for men, women, and children through a portfolio of owned brands (hadagokoro, iki-hadagi, BREEZE/TEX, WOOL LAYER, TAKEMURA, bluff, Makiing, Onkatsu Joshi, 24-Hour Bra, Dr. Pants, De/Ou, hitoeni) and licensed brands (EDWIN, DAKS, TEMPUR, TANITA FITS ME). Distribution spans Japanese department stores, mass merchants, wholesalers, specialty retailers, and a proprietary D2C e-commerce site (as-ya.jp), serving general comfort-oriented consumers as well as targeted health, wellness, sports, and outdoor segments.
The company operates a vertically integrated manufacturing model spanning yarn R&D, knitting, weaving, dyeing, and sewing across four domestic sewing factories (two in Kunisaki/Kunimi in Oita Prefecture, two in Sumiomoto/Kura-take in Kumamoto Prefecture), supplemented by one overseas cooperation factory in the Qingdao area of China. It holds proprietary patents on BREEZE/TEX windproof breathable film technology (16,000 g/m²·24h moisture permeability), Deolite Ag deodorant material, and Spiral Cut joint-aligned pattern technology. It retains operational access to one of only three remaining SODES double-pile knitting machines in the world, enabling rare heritage-fabric production for the TAKEMURA line. Annual output from domestic facilities is approximately 2.2–2.5 million garments, and material partnerships with Teijin (Solist Heat), EKS (EKS HYPER®), and Mitsubishi Rayon Textile (meet A) supply specialized fibers for functional product lines.
Revenue is generated through wholesale B2B distribution to Japanese retailers and D2C e-commerce under a unit-pricing model, with prices ranging from ¥1,620 entry-level items (24-Hour Bra) to ¥16,000–17,000 premium WOOL LAYER merino pieces. The firm is family-controlled under Representative Director Takemura Takashi with no external institutional investors, and operates two wholly-owned production and services subsidiaries (Sunclover Corporation and Az Services Ltd.) plus the Qingdao Achaguo International Logistics Co., Ltd. established in 2011 to support overseas operations.
As Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- As Corporation
- Legal name
- 株式会社アズ
- Website
- https://ascorp.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- As Corporation is a Japanese functional innerwear manufacturer founded in 1938, producing bodywear, innerwear, and relaxation wear for men, women, and children under owned and licensed brands, distributed through Japanese retailers and its own D2C e-commerce site.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
As Corporation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Functional Innerwear Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Apparel Manufacturing (315), Apparel Knitting Mills (3151), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)
- SIC
- Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments (2320), Knitting Mills (2250)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sleepwear & Loungewear Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAI)
Keywords
Where As Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minoh
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
As Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale B2B Sales: Sales of functional innerwear and underwear products to department stores, mass merchants, wholesalers, and specialty retailers across Japan. Products sold as finished garments under owned brands (肌ごころ, 粋肌着, BREEZE/TEX) and licensed brands (EDWIN, DAKS, TEMPUR, etc.).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | 24-Hour Bra - 1,620 JPY (tax included) |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | WOOL LAYER Tops and Bottoms - 16,000-17,000 JPY (tax excluded) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
As Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
As Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells functional innerwear, bodywear, and relaxation wear for men, women, and children under multiple owned sub-brands and licensed brands. The company operates with vertical integration from yarn R&D, knitting, weaving, dyeing, and sewing through finished product assembly across four domestic factories in Japan and one overseas facility in China. Proprietary fabric technologies (BREEZE/TEX windproof film, Deolite Ag deodorant, Spiral Cut construction) and licensed brand production (TEMPUR, TANITA FITS ME, EDWIN, DAKS) anchor the portfolio.
Product overview
As Corporation (株式会社アズ) is an approximately 80-year-old Japanese innerwear manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of men's, women's, and unisex innerwear and loungewear products. The company's product ecosystem centers on several key sub-brands and functional technologies: 肌ごころ (Hada Kokoro) for women's comfort-focused innerwear; 粋肌着 (Ikihadagi) for men's traditional-style innerwear with Air3 triple air-layer technology; BREEZE/TEX and BREEZE/TEX HYPER for windproof/moisture-permeable functional materials; WOOL LAYER for premium merino wool 100% innerwear with proprietary Spiral Cut technology; and 温活女子 (Onkatsu Joshi) for women's warming/health innerwear. Additional products include bluff for men's urine leak protection, 24時間ブラ for all-day wireless bras, 巻ing for sports stomach bands, Dr.パンツ for men's intimate health, and TAKEMURA for heritage crafts using Sea Island cotton and SODES double-pile fabrics. The company also holds licenses for TEMPUR (memory foam sleepwear) and TANITA FITS ME (body composition monitoring innerwear), alongside licensed production for DAKS London, TAKEFU KIKUCHI, EPOCA, Aramis, EDWIN, and other brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EDWIN: License brand for innerwear products
- 肌ごころ
- 粋肌着
- BREEZE/TEX
- 温活女子
- 巻ing
- bluff
- Dr.パンツ
- WOOL LAYER
- TAKEMURA
- 24時間ブラ
- ラジパン
- BREEZE DRY
Products and services
- 肌ごころ (Hada Kokoro)
Quantifiable outcome
- BREEZE/TEX achieves +5°C warmth compared to non-film products in harsh cold conditions
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use As Corporation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
As Corporation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
As Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- PEAKS Magazine (エイ出版社)minorWOOL LAYER product line featured in PEAKS, a monthly outdoor comprehensive magazine. Featured in a special feature on high-quality merino wool products.
- YouTuber 'Igucchan' (スノーボーダー)minorSnowboarder YouTuber featured WOOL LAYER products on their YouTube channel, providing product endorsement and outdoor lifestyle content.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
As Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Fast Retailing (UNIQLO): Global apparel retailer whose HEATTECH line competes directly with As Corporation's functional warming innerwear (BREEZE/TEX, iki-hadagi). Targets the same Japanese consumer at significantly lower price points with mass-market scale.
- Triumph International: Global lingerie and innerwear manufacturer with established Japanese market presence. Comparable in women's innerwear product category and goes-to-market through specialty and department store channels.
- Wacoal Holdings Corp. Major Japanese innerwear and lingerie manufacturer with significantly larger scale. Competes in women's innerwear (bras, undergarments) and shares the same Japanese specialty retail channels and fabric technology focus.
- Hanesbrands Inc. Global innerwear manufacturer (Hanes, Champion) with similar functional apparel DNA at much larger scale. Comparable in basic and thermal innerwear category with multi-brand portfolio strategy.
Direct peers
- Atsugi Co., Ltd. Japanese innerwear and legwear specialist with similar manufacturing heritage and focus on women's foundation garments. Direct competitor in Japanese specialty and department store channels.
- Gunze Limited: Japanese innerwear, legwear, and functional apparel manufacturer with similar domestic manufacturing footprint and functional fabric technology focus. Comparable in product category (innerwear/tights) and Japanese market orientation.
- Trusst Inc. Japanese innerwear brand focused on functional and comfort-oriented undergarments for women. Direct comparable in domestic D2C plus specialty retail positioning and premium Japanese innerwear segment.
Others
- Toray Industries, Inc. Japan-based textile and material science company developing functional fibers (moisture-absorbing heating, breathable membranes). Comparable as upstream technology/material supplier partner for technical innerwear innovation.
- Teijin Limited: Japanese materials company supplying Solist®Heat functional fiber used by As Corporation in iki-hadagi 'On-fuwari' products. Comparable as adjacent material technology provider in the functional innerwear ecosystem.
Regional players
- Nishikawa Co., Ltd. Japanese bedding and sleep products manufacturer operating in domestic markets. Shares heritage Japanese craft orientation and consumer base interested in sleep/comfort wellness products.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
As Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceAs Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
As Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
As Corporation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
As Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
As Corporation 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 As Corporation
What does As Corporation do?
As Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells functional innerwear, bodywear, and relaxation wear for men, women, and children under multiple owned sub-brands and licensed brands. The company operates with vertical integration from yarn R&D, knitting, weaving, dyeing, and sewing through finished product assembly across four domestic factories in Japan and one overseas facility in China. Proprietary fabric technologies (BREEZE/TEX windproof film, Deolite Ag deodorant, Spiral Cut construction) and licensed brand production (TEMPUR, TANITA FITS ME, EDWIN, DAKS) anchor the portfolio.
Is As Corporation a public or private company?
As Corporation is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was As Corporation founded?
As Corporation was founded in 1938. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is As Corporation based?
As Corporation is headquartered in Minoh, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does As Corporation make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale B2B Sales.
Who are As Corporation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Fast Retailing (UNIQLO), Triumph International, Wacoal Holdings Corp. and Hanesbrands Inc.. Direct peers are Atsugi Co., Ltd., Gunze Limited and Trusst Inc.. Others are Toray Industries, Inc. and Teijin Limited. Nishikawa Co., Ltd. is listed as a regional player.
Does As Corporation have an API?
No public API is recorded for As Corporation.
What industry is As Corporation in?
As Corporation's product category is Functional Innerwear Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAEAI, Sleepwear & Loungewear Cut & Sew. Its NAICS code is 315 and its SIC code is 2300.