What Kishiro Co. does

Kishiro Co., Ltd. (株式会社きしろ) is a privately-held Japanese precision machining conglomerate founded in 1915 in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, and led by the Matsumoto family across the second generation. The company operates four major production facilities in Hyogo Prefecture — Harima Factory (ultra-large-scale machining, 200-ton crane capacity, dedicated quayside for sea transport), Harima Precision Machining Shop (JIS Q 9100 aerospace components), Tsuchiyama Factory (general industrial parts), and Takasago Factory (world's largest-scale ship crankshaft manufacturing, co-located within Kobe Steel's Takasago Works) — supported by four wholly-owned subsidiaries (Kishiro Shoji for sales/trading, Akashi Kasei Kogyo for plastic injection molding, Kishiro Technology for maintenance/installation services, and Nice Green for horticulture).

Kishiro's core business is large-scale precision NC machining for safety-critical industrial components, combining 70+ years of inherited craftsmanship with modern CNC equipment from Toshiba, Mazak, DMG Mori Seiki, and Okuma, alongside historic German Wagner lathes dating to 1938. The company commands 45% global market share in ship crankshaft manufacturing and serves seven primary segments: marine/shipbuilding (core), aerospace/aviation, energy power generation (hydro, thermal, nuclear), industrial machinery, steel manufacturing equipment, infrastructure, and logistics. Its customer base is concentrated among Japan's heaviest industrial OEMs — Kobe Steel Group, IHI, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nippon Steel, Hitachi, Komatsu, and others.

The company generates revenue through project-based B2B contract manufacturing (custom fabrication and processing fees), electricity sales from 10,000kW of solar generation across 8 sites, plastic injection molding (Akashi Kasei Kogyo), and machinery installation/maintenance services (Kishiro Technology). Go-to-market is enterprise field sales conducted through Kishiro Shoji, covering all of Japan from Hokkaido to Kyushu and extending internationally to China and South Korea. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; salary benchmarks (technical sales at 200,000 yen+/month, machine operators at 4-6 million yen annually) indicate a labor-intensive cost structure. The 2019 METI Regional Future-leading Company designation and ongoing equipment investments (latest horizontal boring 2019, ultra-large turning upgrades) signal continued institutional and capability investment despite a private, family-controlled ownership structure with no external funding rounds.

Name

Kishiro Co.

Legal name

株式会社きしろ (Kishiro Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://kishiro-g.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kishiro Co. is a Japanese precision machining conglomerate founded in 1915, commanding 45% global market share in ship crankshaft manufacturing and serving major heavy-industry OEMs across marine, aerospace, energy, steel, and infrastructure sectors via ultra-large-scale CNC machining facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Industrial Machining Services

NAICS

Machine Shops (332710)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Airframe Structures & Machined Parts (IMABAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Steelwork & Fabrication Facilities (Plate/Section Processing, Welding Lines) (IMAJALAH)

Keywords

• Precision machining services
• Ship crankshaft manufacturing
• Heavy industrial fabrication
• Aerospace component machining
• Large-scale turning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Akashi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Large-scale Precision Machining Services: Custom precision machining of large-scale industrial components for marine, aerospace, energy, industrial machinery, steel manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors. Revenue is project-based, derived from fabrication and processing fees for manufactured parts to customer specifications. The company operates as a B2B contract manufacturer serving major heavy industry customers.
2. Solar Power Generation: Operation of solar power generation facilities across 8 locations in Japan with combined output of 10,000kW. Revenue derived from electricity sales.
3. Plastic Molding (Akashi Kasei Kogyo subsidiary): Injection molding and plastic product manufacturing through subsidiary Akashi Kasei Kogyo for household, automotive, and precision industrial applications.
4. Mechanical Installation and Maintenance (Kishiro Technology): Sales and maintenance of machinery, installation engineering, event planning, and consulting services through Kishiro Technology subsidiary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kishiro Co. operates large-scale precision NC machining services for heavy industrial components, combining 70+ years of ship machinery processing expertise with state-of-the-art CNC equipment. The company manufactures ultra-large workpieces including ship crankshafts (45% global market share), aircraft engine components (JIS Q 9100 certified), turbine casings for power generation, steel mill components, and infrastructure parts, with capacity up to 7,000mm diameter and 200-ton workpieces at facilities in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

Product overview

Kishiro Co. operates as a precision machining conglomerate offering a unified portfolio of heavy industrial manufacturing services. The core offerings center on large-scale mechanical processing for marine (45% global crankshaft share), aircraft (JIS Q 9100 certified), energy, industrial machinery, steel manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors. Subsidiaries include Akashi Kasei Industrial (plastic injection molding), Kishiro Shoji (sales/trading), Kishiro Technology (maintenance/services), and Nice Green (horticulture), all under the Kishiro Group umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marine Products Marine engine and propulsion system components including crankshafts (45% world market share), propeller shafts, intermediate shafts, connecting rods, piston rods, and cylinder frames for shipbuilding and maritime vessel operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% global market share in ship crankshaft manufacturing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 神鋼高砂製作所 (Kobe Steel Takasago Works)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKishiro operates the Takasago Factory within Kobe Steel's Takasago Works compound. This close co-location enables the world's largest-scale ship crankshaft manufacturing capability and close collaboration on heavy industry manufacturing.
• ドイツ・ドルトムントの機械メーカー ワグナー社 (Wagner Company, Dortmund Germany)coreTechnology or IntegrationHistoric German machinery manufacturer. Kishiro operates a 1938 Wagner lathe that machined the Yamato battleship's main gun, still actively in use today at Harima Factory. Represents the company's heritage and long-term equipment quality.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Okuma Corporation: Japanese machine tool builder producing CNC lathes, machining centers, and grinders. Adjacent to Kishiro through equipment supply (Okuma machines are operated at Kishiro factories) rather than direct precision-machining services competition.
• DMG MORI: Global machine tool manufacturer (Japanese-German) producing CNC machining centers, lathes, and advanced manufacturing equipment. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — supplies the type of CNC equipment Kishiro operates at its Harima and Tsuchiyama factories.
• Yamazaki Mazak: Japanese machine tool manufacturer producing CNC lathes, machining centers, and multi-tasking machines for precision component production. Comparable to Kishiro only insofar as it supplies the equipment class (Mazak CNC machines) that Kishiro's precision machining operations rely on.

Broad incumbents

• Kobe Steel: Japanese steel manufacturer and supplier of shipbuilding, energy, and industrial machinery components. Functions as Kishiro's largest customer (especially for ship crankshafts) while operating overlapping heavy-industry component manufacturing; co-located with Kishiro's Takasago Factory at the Takasago Works compound.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Japanese heavy industrial conglomerate operating across aerospace, marine propulsion, energy, and industrial machinery. Overlaps with Kishiro in large-scale precision machining for jet engines, ship engines, and turbine components; serves the same Tier 1 heavy-industry customers (often as a peer supplier on shared programs) but at vastly greater scale and with broader product portfolios.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Japanese manufacturer of aerospace, marine, motorcycle, and industrial machinery products. Comparable to Kishiro in precision machining of large-scale components for ship engines and aircraft; serves overlapping Tier 1 customers and competes for similar heavy-industry contracts.
• IHI Corporation: Japanese aerospace and heavy industrial manufacturer of jet engines, airframes, and industrial systems. Overlaps with Kishiro in aerospace component machining and large industrial equipment; is simultaneously a named customer and a peer in the precision-machined aerospace/industrial component space.
• Nippon Steel: Japan's largest steelmaker, supplying specialty steel and machined components to heavy-industry customers including shipbuilding and energy. Overlaps with Kishiro in precision-machined steel manufacturing equipment (backup rolls, couplings) and is a named customer.

Direct peers

• Shibaura Machine (formerly Toshiba Machine): Japanese manufacturer of precision machine tools, injection molding machines, and large-scale machining systems. Most directly comparable as a Japanese precision-machining specialist serving heavy-industry customers with similar large-scale capability profiles; competes for analogous precision-component contracts.

Emerging players

• Hitachi Metals (now Proterial): Japanese specialty metals producer with capabilities in precision components for aerospace, energy, and industrial machinery. Adjacent to Kishiro through specialty materials and certain precision-machined components, particularly for energy and infrastructure applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Kishiro Co.