BEAR HUG

What BEAR HUG does

BEAR HUG (ベアハグ) is a privately held Japanese relaxation-salon chain operated by 株式会社SHINKS, founded in 1999 in Akasaka, Tokyo. The company delivers manual therapy services — seitai (osteopathic body adjustment), body therapy (full-body massage), foot therapy/reflexology, and aroma-based oil and lymph treatments — through five physical locations across Tokyo (Akasaka flagship, Akasaka-Mitsuke, Shibuya Dougenzaka), Kyoto (APA Hotel Gion), and Chiba (THERAPIS at Lalaport Kashiwanoha). Services are sold as 30-, 60-, or 90-minute sessions priced from 3,300 yen to 14,300 yen, with private rooms and 5–10 treatment beds per store.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, transactional, and walk-in/pre-booked: customers reserve through a third-party salonpos-net.com booking engine or LINE and pay on-site via cash, card, or electronic money. Marketing is executed through location-specific Instagram accounts and listings on the HotPepper beauty/lifestyle platform, with no disclosed subscription or membership layer. The Akasaka flagship has operated continuously for 25 years and the Kyoto Gion location for 12 years, providing a durable brand anchor in station-adjacent micro-markets.

The chain employs 251–500 staff (predominantly therapists) under representative director Iwabuki Yasuo. There are no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, no proprietary technology or AI capabilities, and no published revenue or financial filings — indicating a closely held, founder-led lifestyle-services operator rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

BEAR HUG

Legal name

株式会社 SHINKS

Website

https://bearhug.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BEAR HUG is a privately held Japanese relaxation-salon chain operating five physical locations across Tokyo, Kyoto, and Chiba under parent 株式会社SHINKS, offering seitai, body therapy, foot therapy, and aroma oil treatments to individual walk-in and pre-booked consumers since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Relaxation and Massage Therapy Services

NAICS

Personal Care Services (8121)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Deep Tissue Massage (HSALAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aromatherapy Massage (HSALAEAM), Medical/Therapeutic Massage (Rehab/Pain Management) (HSALAEAO), Swedish Massage (HSADAHAA)

Keywords

• Relaxation salon services
• Body care massage
• Osteopathic therapy
• Aroma oil treatment
• Foot therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. On-site Service Revenue: One-time service transactions at physical salon locations. Customers pay per session at point of service. Services range from 30-minute to 90-minute sessions with varying price points. Accepts cash, credit cards, and electronic money at stores.
2. Optional Add-on Services: Additional charges may apply for optional services and therapist request (指名料) at select locations, contributing incremental revenue per visit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BEAR HUG (ベアハグ) operates a chain of physical relaxation salons across Japan offering a portfolio of body care services. Core treatments include Seitai (body adjustment/osteopathic manipulation), Body Therapy (full-body massage), Foot Therapy, Aroma Body Osteopathy Oil Treatment, Full Body Aroma Oil Treatment, and Lymph Drainage. Sessions range from 30 to 90 minutes and are delivered by professional therapists in private treatment rooms at five locations in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Chiba.

Product overview

BEAR HUG (ベアハグ) operates a chain of relaxation salons across Japan, offering a portfolio of body care services under the main BEAR HUG brand and the THERAPIS sub-brand. The core service portfolio consists of six main treatment types: Seitai (body adjustment/osteopathic care), Body Therapy (full-body massage), Foot Therapy, and three Aromatherapy Body treatments (oil-based oil massage, lymph treatment). Services range from 30-minute quick sessions to 90-minute comprehensive courses, with pricing between 3,300 yen and 14,300 yen. The company operates five physical salon locations in Tokyo (赤坂本店, 赤坂見附店, 渋谷道玄坂店), Kyoto (アパホテル京都祇園店), and Chiba (THERAPIS ららぽーと柏の葉店), with each location offering the full menu of relaxation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• THERAPIS: A sub-brand of the BEAR HUG chain, operated at the Lalaport Kashiwanoha location. Offers relaxation services including body therapy and foot care in a mall-based setting.

Products and services

• Seitai / Body Adjustment (整体)
• Body Therapy (ボディセラピー)
• Foot Therapy (フットセラピー)
• Aroma Body Osteopathy Oil Treatment (アロマボディ 整体オイルトリートメント)
• Full Body Aroma Oil Treatment (アロマボディ 全身オイルトリートメント)
• Lymph Drainage Treatment (リンパトリートメント)

Quantifiable outcome

• Relief from neck, shoulder, back pain and chronic fatigue symptoms
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Mizuha (ミズハ): Kyoto-based relaxation salon operator with strong regional presence in Kansai. Relevant geographic and service overlap with BEAR HUG's Kyoto Gion store.

Direct peers

• Foot Healing: Specialized foot reflexology and body care salon chain in Japan. Direct overlap with BEAR HUG's foot therapy and aromatherapy services.
• Refre (リフレ): Japanese relaxation salon chain operating in airports, hotels, and downtown locations. Comparable in service scope (body, foot, aroma) and station-anchored GTM to BEAR HUG.
• Karada Factory (からだファクトリー): One of Japan's largest relaxation salon chains, offering body care, Seitai/osteopathic adjustment, and foot therapy in stations and commercial areas. Operates a multi-location, multi-brand model very similar to BEAR HUG.
• Sherpa (シェルパ): Japanese bodywork and relaxation service group operating multiple retail salon brands. Comparable in multi-location, multi-service model and urban-station GTM.
• RAKUWA (ラクラクア): Long-established Japanese relaxation salon chain offering body massage, aroma, foot care, and Seitai-style therapy. Competes directly with BEAR HUG in Tokyo and major metro stations.
• Dr. Stretch (ドクターストレッチ): Specialized stretching and bodywork chain with locations across Japan's major cities. Targets urban professionals seeking pain relief and mobility, closely overlapping BEAR HUG's core segments.
• Plus Relax (プラスリラックス): Multi-location Japanese bodywork and aroma salon chain. Direct competitor in the same price range and customer demographic as BEAR HUG.
• Chura-therapy (ちゅらてり): Relaxation salon chain offering body therapy, foot care, and aroma treatments to urban professionals. Comparable service mix and positioning to BEAR HUG.

Emerging players

• National Stores Co. (ほぐし屋 / Bocchidokoro): Mid-sized Japanese relaxation and Seitai salon chain. Comparable in service menu and customer base, but smaller and more regional than BEAR HUG's flagship presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bearhugshibuya89
• Xx.com/bearhug_jp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 BEAR HUG