KOKUYO

What KOKUYO does

KOKUYO K Heart Co., Ltd. (コクヨKハート株式会社) is a wholly-owned (or majority-owned) Japanese subsidiary of Kokuyo Group, headquartered in Osaka and founded in 2003 with 51-100 employees. Its explicit mandate is the employment of people with disabilities (障がい者雇用) as part of the parent group's corporate social responsibility framework, functioning as a special-purpose subsidiary under Japan's disability employment quota regime. The company combines a labor-intensive BPO operating model (printing, office layout management, cleaning management, data processing, POP creation, mail center operations, DTP design, packaging and shipping, key copying, and bookbinding) with a comprehensive inclusive workplace program. The latter comprises hardware-side accommodations such as Patlite visual alert systems, high-partition desks for mental-health accommodations, sight-blocking desks for hearing-impaired employees, wheelchair-accessible restrooms with emergency alert systems, and slope modifications; and software-side accommodations including psychiatric social worker interviews, health nurse consultations, regular support meetings, and on-staff sign language interpreters with company-wide sign language classes and a public YouTube education channel.

The business model is that of an internal service provider: BPO and printing services are delivered primarily to Kokuyo Group companies on a captive, single-country (Japan) basis, with no external distribution channels, no disclosed pricing, and no external investor base. Customer acquisition relies entirely on parent-group allocation rather than market-driven sales. The company has public-facing brand assets (YouTube channel, downloadable finger alphabet chart, workplace-voice testimonials, internal circle events such as 'K Revo' and 'Snack Shuwashuwa') that double as recruitment marketing and as content supporting the Kokuyo Group's wider 'HOWS DESIGN' inclusive-design initiative.

From a technology standpoint, the company does not operate a software platform, SaaS product, or proprietary AI system; its 'technology' is the codified set of physical workplace modifications, soft-care routines, and accessibility practices that constitute its inclusive workplace design methodology. The company claims continuous accident-free and disaster-free operations since founding. No revenue, funding, M&A, partnership, patent, award, or third-party certification data is disclosed in the available source material.

Name

KOKUYO

Legal name

KOKUYO K Heart Co.,Ltd.

Website

https://kokuyo-k-heart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KOKUYO K Heart Co., Ltd. is a Kokuyo Group subsidiary in Osaka, Japan, that employs people with disabilities and provides printing and BPO services (data processing, mail center, DTP, packaging) primarily to internal Kokuyo Group companies. It operates an inclusive workplace program combining physical accessibility features, mental-health support, and sign language services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

KOKUYO K Heart is a Kokuyo Group special-purpose subsidiary that provides printing services and business process outsourcing (BPO) — including data processing, POP creation, mail center operations, DTP design, packaging/shipping, key duplication, cleaning management, and assembly — primarily to other Kokuyo Group companies, while also operating a fully inclusive workplace for employees with disabilities through hardware accommodations (visual alert systems, wheelchair-accessible facilities, sight-line partitions) and soft accommodations (care meetings, psychiatric and health consultations, sign language interpretation).

Product overview

KOKUYO K Heart Co., Ltd. is a specialized subsidiary of the Kokuyo Group focused on disability employment and workplace inclusion. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offerings include printing-related services (印刷関連業務), business process outsourcing services (業務委託関連業務), and comprehensive workplace accommodation services for employees with disabilities. The company provides both hardware-side accommodations (such as assistive devices, wheelchair-accessible facilities, and visual alert systems) and software-side accommodations (including care support systems with regular counseling and health consultations). Additionally, the company offers sign language interpretation services and educational resources on finger alphabet and workplace sign language to support hearing-impaired employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Printing Services (印刷関連業務) Printing-related business operations providing printing services to Kokuyo Group companies and internal business units.
• Business Process Outsourcing (業務委託関連業務) Outsourcing services including office layout management, cleaning management, key duplication, data processing, POP creation, mail center operations, inspection work, DTP design, and packaging/shipping of promotional materials, delivered to Kokuyo Group companies.
• Hardware-Side Workplace Accommodations (ハード面合理的配慮) Physical workplace accommodations including Patlite visual alert systems, high-partition and sight-blocking desk arrangements, wheelchair-accessible restrooms with emergency buttons, electric seat shutters with transparent panels, curved mirrors, gentle slope entrances, and calm-down spaces for employees with disabilities.
• Software-Side Workplace Accommodations (ソフト面合理的配慮) Care support services including regular support meetings, psychiatric social worker interviews, and health nurse consultations to assist employees with mental health disabilities.
• Sign Language Services (手話サービス) Sign language interpretation, finger alphabet (指文字) 50-syllable learning resources, and workplace sign language training videos to support hearing-impaired employees and promote inclusive communication, including downloadable finger-alphabet reference materials and a dedicated YouTube channel.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sony Sun Atlas (ソニー・サンアトラス): Sony Group's special subsidiary (特例子会社) established for the employment of people with disabilities. Operates an analogous model of internal BPO services for the parent group, with comparable accommodation and inclusive workplace practices — making it the closest functional peer.
• DNP Welfare Operations (DNP福祉オペレーションズ): Dai Nippon Printing Group's special subsidiary focused on disability employment. Closely comparable business model: wholly-owned subsidiary of a major Japanese printing group, providing BPO and printing-adjacent services to the parent — overlapping directly with K Heart's printing and BPO offerings.
• Panasonic Shikoku Electronics (パナソニック四国エレクトロニクス): Panasonic Group's special subsidiary for disability employment, providing manufacturing, assembly, and BPO services to the parent. Shares the same captive-customer, mission-driven subsidiary structure and Japanese special-subsidiary regulatory framework.
• Mitsubishi Shoji Taiyo (三菱商事太陽): Mitsubishi Corporation's special subsidiary for disability employment. Operates within the same Japanese 特例子会社 framework and provides internal services to its parent conglomerate, with a comparable scale and operational profile.

Broad incumbents

• Toppan Forms (凸版フォームズ): Publicly traded Japanese printing and forms-management services company, part of the broader Toppan Group. Operates at much larger scale and serves external customers across business forms, printing, and information management — overlapping with K Heart's printing and data-processing BPO offerings but without the disability-employment specialization.
• Dai Nippon Printing (大日本印刷, DNP): One of the largest printing conglomerates globally and the parent of DNP Welfare Operations. Provides printing, information communication, and lifestyle/industrial materials across Japan and internationally — overlapping with K Heart's printing services but operating at vastly greater scale across many external customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAfDvvWBCGqKfr_yuPcwRQQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 KOKUYO