Kakuhiro

What Kakuhiro does

Kakuhiro (株式会社角弘) is a privately held diversified trading company (sogo shosha) headquartered in Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Founded on August 16, 1883 as Hirosaki Agricultural Tools Company with capital of 3,000 yen raised from 15 private investors, the company has operated continuously for 143 years and is currently organized into five core business lines: construction materials and reform/remodeling services (建設資材・リフォーム事業), insurance and car leasing (保険・カーリース事業), proteoglycan-based health, beauty, and agricultural products (プロテオグリカン事業), fuel oil wholesale (燃料事業), and service station retail (サービスステーション事業) under the EneJet brand and self-service stations. The company operates through 11 branches across 4 Tohoku prefectures (Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi), 17+ service stations, and 11 group companies covering steel processing, aluminum sash, concrete products, IT/data processing, and community services.

The company's distinctive technical asset is its proprietary proteoglycan extraction and formulation technology, which underpins a product line that includes PG-in apple-vinegar beverages (the world's first proteoglycan food product, launched 2010), the PG-Labo MKC skincare series (serum and facial wash), regional-themed face packs, and Karin agricultural inputs derived from proteoglycan manufacturing waste. Revenue is generated via direct sales through the branch and service-station network, retail through PG specialty stores (Allela PG), wholesale fuel distribution, insurance agency commissions, and IT/data processing services via subsidiaries; pricing is not publicly disclosed for core B2B/B2C products. Customers are split between individual Tohoku-region consumers and local enterprises (contractors, construction firms) requiring bulk construction materials, fuel supply contracts, and corporate insurance, with no single customer concentration disclosed.

The company is led by President and Representative Director 渋谷秀理 (Shibuya Hideri/Hidehiko) and continues to expand its proteoglycan franchise while consolidating the broader service-station and fuel footprint — evidenced by 2025–2026 branch and station closures alongside a February 2026 cooperation agreement with Aomori University and product launches in the PG-Labo MKC line.

Name

Kakuhiro

Legal name

株式会社角弘

Website

https://kakuhiro.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kakuhiro (株式会社角弘) is a 143-year-old, Aomori-headquartered diversified trading company (sogo shosha) that supplies Tohoku-region consumers and businesses with construction materials, fuel, service-station retail, insurance, IT services, and proprietary proteoglycan health and beauty products through 11 branches and 17+ service stations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversified Trading Services

NAICS

Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro primary industry

Daiso-Style Japanese/Asian Variety Stores (CRAEAGAE)

Keywords

• Construction materials trading
• Civil engineering supplies
• Fuel distribution services
• Proteoglycan health products
• Service station operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Aomori-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Diversified Trading Company Revenue Streams: Operates multiple revenue streams including: (1) sale of construction materials, residential building supplies, civil engineering materials; (2) retail and wholesale of fuel oil and gasoline through service stations; (3) proteoglycan-based consumer product sales (beauty supplements, cosmetics, agricultural materials); (4) insurance agency and car leasing services; (5) IT/data processing services through group companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kakuhiro is a diversified general trading company (総合商社) supplying construction materials, residential building supplies, civil engineering materials, fuel oil, and consumer health/beauty products under the slogan "From Construction to Daily Life" (建設から暮らしまで). It operates 11 branches and 17 service stations across the Tohoku region, complemented by proprietary proteoglycan-based supplements, skincare, and agricultural inputs, as well as insurance agency and car leasing services.

Product overview

Kakuhiro is a comprehensive trading company (総合商社) with a diversified business portfolio spanning five core business areas: Construction Materials/Reform, Insurance/Lease, Proteoglycan, Fuel, and Service Station operations. The company operates primarily in Aomori Prefecture and the broader Tohoku region of Japan. Its proteoglycan business represents a unique differentiation, producing health and beauty products including the PG-in supplement line, PG-Labo skincare series, and regional-themed face pack products. The company also operates retail fuel stations under the EneJet brand and provides construction/lifestyle materials, positioning it as a regional conglomerate serving both B2B and B2C markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PG-Labo: Proteoグリカン配合基礎化妆品シリーズ
• アレッラPG
• PG-in
• カルリン

Products and services

• Construction Materials & Reform Business (建設資材・リフォーム事業) Provides construction materials, civil engineering supplies, housing materials, and home reform/remodeling services to residential and commercial construction buyers across the Tohoku region.
• Insurance & Car Lease Business (保険・カーリース事業) Offers insurance products (as insurance agency) and car leasing services to individuals and businesses as part of comprehensive lifestyle support services.
• Proteoglycan Business (プロテオグリカン事業) Manufactures and supplies proteoglycan-based consumer health and beauty products including supplements (PG-in apple vinegar), skincare (PG-Labo MKC series), regional face packs, and the Karin agricultural input.
• Fuel Business (燃料事業) Wholesale distribution of fuel oil products serving industrial and consumer energy needs across the Tohoku region.
• Service Station Business (サービスステーション事業) Operation of gasoline service stations under the EneJet brand and self-service stations across 17 locations in the Tohoku region, including locations such as EneJet問屋町, EneJet板柳, and EneJet広田.
• PG-in Apple Vinegar (PG-inりんご酢) Health beverage product combining proteoglycan and collagen in apple vinegar base; positioned as the world's first proteoglycan-formulated food product; sold through Allela PG specialty stores and direct channels.
• PG-Labo MKC Serum (PG-Labo MKC ESSENCE) Proteoglycan-based skincare serum in the PG-Labo MKC series for beauty/cosmetic applications, sold under the PG-Labo sub-brand.
• PG-Labo MKC Facial Wash (PG-Labo MKC フェイシャルウォッシュ) Proteoglycan-based foaming cleanser (facial wash) in the PG-Labo MKC series for skincare/beauty applications.
• Karin (カルリン) Agricultural Input Agricultural material product upcycled from proteoglycan manufacturing waste liquid; certified in Aomori Prefecture for use as a special cultivation input for crops.
• Aomori Nebuta Face Pack (青森ねぶたフェイスパック) Face mask product themed after the Aomori Nebuta Festival; part of the regional face pack series leveraging local cultural motifs for beauty product marketing.
• Oga Namahage Face Pack (男鹿なまはげフェイスパック) Face mask product themed after the Akita Namahage folklore character; part of the regional face pack series tied to Tohoku cultural traditions.
• Tono Kappa Face Pack (遠野かっぱフェイスパック) Face mask product themed after the Iwate Tono Kappa folklore; part of the regional face pack series tied to Tohoku cultural traditions.
• Kagoshima Satsumaimo Face Pack (鹿児島さつまいもフェイスパック) Face mask product themed after the Kagoshima satsumaimo (sweet potato) regional motif; part of the regional face pack series.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded August 16, 1883 — one of the oldest companies in Aomori Prefecture with 143 years of continuous operation
• +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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Aomori University (青森大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Kakuhiro Group entered into a cooperation agreement with Aomori University. This partnership was announced in February 2026 and involves collaboration between the university and the company group, likely in areas such as research, talent development, and community engagement aligned with Kakuhiro's regional presence and proteoglycan business.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ENEOS Holdings: Japan's largest petroleum company with an extensive nationwide service-station network and downstream fuel operations. Comparable to Kakuhiro's fuel wholesale and service-station segments as a much larger incumbent setting the competitive baseline.
• Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. Major Japanese petroleum company operating refining, wholesale, and retail service stations across Japan. Overlaps with Kakuhiro's fuel and service-station business at a much larger national scale.

Direct peers

• San-Ai Oil Co., Ltd. Japanese petroleum products wholesaler serving industrial and commercial customers. Closely comparable to Kakuhiro's fuel wholesale business in terms of customer mix and product scope.
• Itochu Enex Co., Ltd. Japan-focused petroleum and LPG distributor that also operates service stations and supplies fuel to industrial customers. Directly comparable to Kakuhiro's fuel wholesale and service-station business, with a similar mix of energy distribution plus adjacent lifestyle services.
• Iwatani Corporation: Japanese energy company specializing in LPG and industrial gas distribution with service-station and consumer-energy operations. Comparable diversified energy-plus-lifestyle distribution model to Kakuhiro, though at substantially larger scale.
• Bunsei Corporation: Regional Japanese fuel and oil distributor operating service stations across northern Japan. Closely comparable regional fuel-retail and wholesale peer to Kakuhiro's service-station and fuel business.

Emerging players

• FANCL Corporation: Japanese cosmetics and health-supplement company with a direct-sales model and proprietary ingredient focus. Comparable to Kakuhiro's PG-Labo proteoglycan skincare and PG-in supplement lines as a competing J-Beauty ingredient-led brand.
• Kewpie Corporation: Major Japanese food manufacturer with health-and-nutrition product extensions. Comparable to Kakuhiro's PG-in apple-vinegar functional food business as a larger food company with adjacent health-supplement capabilities.
• DHC Corporation: Japanese cosmetics and supplements manufacturer with strong mail-order and direct-to-consumer distribution. Comparable to Kakuhiro's PG-Labo and PG-in product lines as a competing direct-to-consumer beauty/health supplement brand in Japan.

Regional players

• Appi Corporation: Japanese construction-materials trading and steel-processing company with regional roots. Comparable to Kakuhiro's construction materials distribution and steel-processing subsidiary (Kakuhiro Steel Processing Center), serving overlapping contractor customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kakuhiro.co.jp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3tg2GHpzPxc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries11 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 Kakuhiro