Hinode
Hinode Co., Ltd. is a family-owned Tokyo firm that, after exiting precision plastic optics manufacturing in 2023, now operates a small Nerima real estate leasing portfolio and the Salon de Sunrise Express hobby retail showroom selling rare and discontinued HO-gauge railway models, principally Musashino Model products, to individual collectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersNerima, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hinode does
Hinode Co., Ltd. (株式会社日出, HINODE CO.,LTD.) is a privately held Japanese corporation founded in March 1957 by Tatsuo Inagawa, headquartered in Nerima-ku, Tokyo, with ¥74 million in registered capital and 100% family ownership (currently led by President Yoshiya Inagawa, the founder's son, since April 2013). Historically the company was a precision optics manufacturer specializing in aspheric plastic lenses, lens arrays, flash panels, and precision resin components, with sub-micron 5-axis machining capability, ISO 9001/14001-certified production at its former Dongguan (China) factory, and a 2018 patent on micro-needle technology developed jointly with Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Following the closure of its Ibaraki, Mizuno, Miyagi, Hong Kong and Dongguan factories between 2011 and 2020, Hinode discontinued its plastic lens and contract manufacturing operations entirely in February/March 2023. The remaining business comprises two small lines: (1) real estate leasing of Tokyo properties owned by the corporation, and (2) hobby retail operated under the Salon de Sunrise Express (SALON DE SUNRISE EXPRESS) brand from the 3rd floor of the Nerima headquarters, selling HO-gauge (16番) railway models — primarily rare and discontinued Musashino Model products, an "Owner Collection" of new-old-stock items priced from ¥196,000 to ¥308,500 (tax excluded), plus third-party brands (Kato, Tomix, Micro Ace, Endou, U-Trains, Eco Model, Happinet) and Chinese locomotive models. Sales are conducted in person at the showroom (open mainly Wednesday–Friday afternoons, ~5–8 days per month), via mail/phone/fax order, and promoted through RM MODELS hobby magazine listings, the corporate website, Instagram (sseorder), and YouTube. The Hinode Shōji subsidiary ceased operations in December 2025, further narrowing the corporate perimeter.
Hinode firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hinode
- Legal name
- 株式会社日出 / HINODE CO.,LTD.
- Website
- https://hinode-japan.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hinode Co., Ltd. is a family-owned Tokyo firm that, after exiting precision plastic optics manufacturing in 2023, now operates a small Nerima real estate leasing portfolio and the Salon de Sunrise Express hobby retail showroom selling rare and discontinued HO-gauge railway models, principally Musashino Model products, to individual collectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Hinode is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nerima
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Hinode business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Railway Model Sales (Retail): Direct sales of railway model products (HO gauge / 16番) through the company's physical showroom (Salon de Sunrise Express) and mail-order channels. Products include Musashino Model brand items, other manufacturers' products (Kato, Tomix, Micro Ace, Endou, etc.), original/custom products, and rare/collectible items (Owner Collection).
- Real Estate Rental: Property rental income from owned real estate assets in Tokyo.
- Former Manufacturing Contract Business (Discontinued 2023): Contract manufacturing of optical plastic lenses and precision resin components. Manufacturing production contracted business was abolished in February 2023.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for railway model products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Owner Collection (rare/discontinued Musashino Model items) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hinode product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hinode operates Salon de Sunrise Express, a specialty retail showroom in Nerima-ku, Tokyo that sells HO gauge (16番) Japanese railway models and accessories from manufacturers including Musashino Model, KATO, and TOMIX, including rare and discontinued units. Alongside the hobby retail business, the company earns rental income from real estate leasing of company-owned properties. The company's historical aspherical plastic lens manufacturing line was discontinued in 2023.
Product overview
Hinode (株式会社日出) operated two main business divisions: (1) Precision optics manufacturing, primarily aspheric plastic optical lenses and lens arrays with ultra-precision machining capabilities (sub-micron V-grooves, 5-axis simultaneous control), and (2) Railway model retail through its SALON DE SUNRISE EXPRESS shop specializing in 16-gauge Musashino Model products, original products, and limited-edition Owner Collection items. The manufacturing business was discontinued in February 2023, with the company maintaining real estate leasing operations. Core products include non-spherical plastic lenses, lens arrays, flash panels, and precision resin components, complemented by consumer products like sheet-type magnifiers. Railway model offerings span multiple locomotive series (DD51, EF65, EF64, EF81, EF62, EF60, EF15, ED12) and freight cars, along with products from KATO, TOMIX, MICRO ACE, and other manufacturers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Salon de Sunrise Express Physical specialty retail showroom selling HO gauge (16番) Japanese railway models and accessories for individual hobbyists and collectors, including the Owner Collection of rare and discontinued Musashino Model items, with mail-order support by telephone, email, and fax.
- Real estate leasing Leasing of real estate owned by Hinode to commercial tenants, producing rental income as a secondary business line.
Companies that use Hinode
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hinode technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Hinode partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Tokyo Medical and Dental University (東京医科歯科大学) – Prof. Fukami LaboratoryminorJoint research collaboration on micro-needle shape research and device systems. This partnership led to the filing and registration of a patent for micro-needle technology in 2018. The manufacturing business was subsequently discontinued, and the patent may no longer be active in the company's portfolio.
- Tokyo Institute of Technology (東京工業大学) – Prof. Tanaka / Prof. Ikoma LaboratoryminorJoint research collaboration with Prof. Tanaka and Prof. Ikoma's laboratories on micro-needle technology, resulting in a joint patent application accepted by the Japan Patent Office in April 2018.
- Kato (株式会社加藤 модели)minorListed as a major client. Kato is a major Japanese railway model manufacturer whose products are sold at the Salon de Sunrise Express retail location.
- Endou (株式会社エンドウ)minorListed as a major client. Endou is a specialty Japanese railway model manufacturer whose products are sold at the Salon de Sunrise Express.
- Musashino Model ((有)ムサシノモデル)minorListed as a major client. Musashino Model is the specialty manufacturer whose rare and discontinued products form a core part of the Salon de Sunrise Express's unique inventory and competitive differentiation.
- U-Trains (ユーオーディオ株式会社)minorListed as a major client. U-Trains railway model products are among those sold at the Salon de Sunrise Express.
- Happinet Hobby Marketing ((株)ハピネットホビーマーケティング)minorListed as a major client. Happinet is a major hobby product distributor in Japan.
- Eco Model (エコーモデル)minorListed as a major client. Eco Model railway model products are sold at the Salon de Sunrise Express.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Hinode competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Yodobashi Camera (ヨドバシカメラ): Japan's largest electronics and hobby retailer, with extensive model train and hobby sections. Comparable as a mass-market distribution channel for railway models that competes with specialty retailers like Hinode on convenience and price.
- Joshin (上新電機): Large Japanese electronics and hobby retailer with strong model rail and hobby offerings. Comparable as a broad-line retailer that absorbs hobbyist spend that might otherwise go to specialty stores like Hinode.
- KATO (加藤模型): Major Japanese manufacturer of N gauge and HO gauge railway models. Comparable as a counterpart in the Japanese railway model ecosystem — both as a supplier of products carried by Hinode and as a direct-to-consumer seller competing for hobbyist mindshare.
Direct peers
- Tenshodo (天賞堂): Historic Tokyo-based specialty retailer of precision scale models and brass model trains, founded in 1927. Comparable to Hinode as a long-tenured, high-end specialty model shop serving dedicated collectors, with similar niche positioning and heritage brand equity.
- Imon (イモン): Specialty retailer of scale models, model trains, and figure kits with multiple Tokyo-area stores. Comparable to Hinode as a Tokyo-based specialty hobby retailer serving dedicated model collectors.
- POPPO (ポポ): Multi-store chain specializing in model trains and railway hobby products. Comparable as a specialty model train retailer targeting Japanese hobbyists and collectors, with broader geographic reach than Hinode.
- Hobby Center Kato (ホビーセンター加藤): Largest specialty retail chain for Japanese railway models, carrying KATO and other major brands. Closely comparable to Hinode's Salon de Sunrise Express as a specialty model retailer targeting the same hobbyist customer base, but operating at much larger scale across multiple physical locations.
- TamTam (タム・タム): Specialty model train retail chain in Japan, focused on HO and N gauge railway models. Directly comparable to Hinode as a specialty hobby retailer serving the same Japanese model railway collector community.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hinode social profiles
Digital presenceHinode compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Hinode financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hinode leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hinode subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Hinode funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hinode 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 Hinode
What does Hinode do?
Hinode operates Salon de Sunrise Express, a specialty retail showroom in Nerima-ku, Tokyo that sells HO gauge (16番) Japanese railway models and accessories from manufacturers including Musashino Model, KATO, and TOMIX, including rare and discontinued units. Alongside the hobby retail business, the company earns rental income from real estate leasing of company-owned properties. The company's historical aspherical plastic lens manufacturing line was discontinued in 2023.
Is Hinode a public or private company?
Hinode is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Hinode founded?
Hinode was founded in 1957. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hinode based?
Hinode is headquartered in Nerima, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Hinode make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Railway Model Sales (Retail) is the primary driver. The others are real Estate Rental and former Manufacturing Contract Business (Discontinued 2023).
Who are Hinode's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Yodobashi Camera (ヨドバシカメラ), Joshin (上新電機) and KATO (加藤模型). Direct peers are Tenshodo (天賞堂), Imon (イモン), POPPO (ポポ), Hobby Center Kato (ホビーセンター加藤) and TamTam (タム・タム).
Does Hinode have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hinode.