Higin Lease
Higin Lease Co., Ltd. is a Kumamoto-based, Higo Bank-owned regional leasing company providing equipment leasing, installment sales, general financing, and consumer auto leasing to SMEs and individuals across Kumamoto Prefecture.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersKumamoto, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Higin Lease does
Higin Lease Co., Ltd. (肥銀リース株式会社) is a privately held, Kumamoto-based leasing and general financing company founded on December 2, 1974 as the comprehensive leasing arm of the Higo Bank Group, with Higo Bank Co., Ltd. listed as sole shareholder. The firm operates from its headquarters in Kumamoto City and two branch offices in Yatsushiro and Amakusa, both physically located inside Higo Bank branch premises, and serves Kumamoto Prefecture and surrounding municipalities with a relationship-driven, field-sales GTM. It is not listed on any stock exchange and operates with a headcount of 51-100 employees.
The product portfolio comprises four lines: core Lease (where the company purchases customer-selected equipment and rents it back on installment with bundled fixed-asset tax and insurance), Maintenance Lease (vehicle fleet outsourcing), Installment Sales (割賦販売) for assets customers prefer to own, and My Car Lease (マイカーリース), launched in May 2018 to serve individual consumers. The firm is also a registered money-lending business operator with Kumamoto Prefecture (No. 00397, valid through February 2031), offering general financing with rates up to 20.0% per annum and terms up to 30 years, and operates a non-life insurance agency business generating commission income.
Revenue mechanics are anchored in recurring subscription-style lease fees and installment payments, with transaction-fee income from lending and affiliate commissions from insurance and maintenance bundling. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales for regional SMEs, complemented by direct-to-consumer online and phone channels for My Car Lease. Strategic positioning includes the 2020 Fuyo General Lease and Fuyo Auto Lease partnership for the Zero Carbon City Support Program (EV, renewable, and energy-saving equipment financing across Kumamoto), execution of a Sustainability-Linked Loan with Higo Bank that exceeded FY2022 and FY2023 SPTs, a formal DX Plan and information-security policy adopted in July 2026, and a leadership transition culminating in the April 2025 appointment of a new President and Chairman and additional April 2026 executive refresh. The firm holds Kumamoto Prefecture Bright Company certification (2021, renewed 2024) and SDG Registered Operator status (2022).
Higin Lease firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Higin Lease
- Legal name
- Higin Lease Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://higinlease.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Higin Lease Co., Ltd. is a Kumamoto-based, Higo Bank-owned regional leasing company providing equipment leasing, installment sales, general financing, and consumer auto leasing to SMEs and individuals across Kumamoto Prefecture.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Higin Lease industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Equipment Leasing & Financing Services
- NAICS
- Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321), Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate/Enterprise Car Leasing (Closed-End/Open-End) (TLABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Consumer/Private Lease & Subscription (Personal Contract Hire) (TLABAAAC), Equipment & Tool Leasing (Consumer) (FSAKANAF)
Keywords
Where Higin Lease is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kumamoto
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Higin Lease business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Lease Fees: The company purchases equipment selected by customers and rents it back to them through installment payments. Lease fees include equipment purchase cost, fixed asset tax, and insurance premiums. This is a recurring revenue stream from businesses financing equipment investments.
- Installment Sales (割賦販売): The company purchases equipment selected by customers and sells it to them through installment payments. This is offered for equipment unsuitable for leasing or where customers wish to own the assets. Generates installment payment revenue.
- Maintenance Lease (メンテナンスリース): Vehicle management support services bundled with leasing, providing outsourcing effects for maintenance burden. Revenue from bundled maintenance services with lease contracts.
- Lending/Financing: General financing services including loan disbursement. Interest rates up to 20.0% per annum. Lending periods up to 30 years. Generates interest income and fees.
- Insurance Agency (損害保険代理業): Non-life insurance agency services related to leased equipment and vehicles. Generates commission revenue from insurance product sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Lending rate: Up to 20.0% annual interest rate based on amount, collateral, and loan period |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Repayment term: Up to 30 years |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Higin Lease product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Higin Lease is a comprehensive finance company that purchases equipment selected by customers and leases it back to them with fixed-rate installment payments. Its core offerings include equipment leasing, maintenance lease for vehicle management outsourcing, installment sales for ownership-preferred items, my car leasing for individuals, general lending, and insurance agency services. The company primarily serves regional enterprises and individual consumers in Kumamoto Prefecture as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Higo Bank.
Product overview
肥銀リース株式会社 is a comprehensive finance company offering three core product lines: (1) Lease (リース) for equipment leasing with fixed interest rates and included insurance/tax services, (2) Maintenance Lease (メンテナンスリース) for total vehicle management outsourcing, and (3) Installment Sales (割賦販売) for customers who prefer ownership. The company also launched My Car Lease (マイカーリース) in 2018 to serve individual customers directly, offering personal automobile leasing with no guarantor requirements and inclusive automobile tax.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lease (リース) Equipment leasing service where the company purchases equipment selected by the customer and leases it back with fixed-rate installment payments. Lease fees include equipment purchase cost, fixed asset tax, and insurance premiums, enabling customers to acquire equipment without large upfront capital and avoid interest rate risk.
- Maintenance Lease (メンテナンスリース) Comprehensive vehicle management support service that handles maintenance outsourcing, reducing the operational burden on customers by bundling vehicle maintenance with the lease contract.
- Installment Sales (割賦販売) Installment sales service for equipment that customers wish to own for tax purposes or personal ownership preference. The company purchases equipment and sells it to customers in installments.
- My Car Lease (マイカーリース) Personal automobile leasing service for individual customers. No guarantor or guarantee fees required, and automobile tax (重量税等) is included in lease payments.
- General Lending (一般融資) General financing/loan services operated under registration as a money lending business with Kumamoto Prefecture (Registration No. 397). Interest rates up to 20.0% per annum, repayment terms up to 30 years, with flexible repayment methods (lump sum, equal principal and interest, or equal principal).
- Insurance Agency (損害保険代理業) Non-life insurance agency services related to leased equipment and vehicles, generating commission revenue from insurance product sales.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sustainability-Linked Loan: ¥696M in renewable energy and energy-saving equipment financing (FY2022, exceeding target of ¥544M)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Higin Lease
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Higin Lease technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Higin Lease partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- 芙蓉総合リース株式会社 (Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd.)coreBusiness partnership for the '芙蓉ゼロカーボンシティ・サポートプログラム' (Fuyo Zero Carbon City Support Program). The program provides lease and installment financing for electric vehicles, renewable energy, and energy-saving equipment in zero-carbon declared municipalities, with a portion of contract amounts donated to environmental causes. Kumamoto Prefecture has declared zero-carbon city status, making the entire prefecture a program target area.
- 芙蓉オートリース株式会社 (Fuyo Auto Lease Co., Ltd.)coreBusiness partnership for the '芙蓉ゼロカーボンシティ・サポートプログラム'. Jointly provides auto leasing and financing for electric/hybrid vehicles with donation component for zero-carbon initiatives in Kumamoto. Higin Lease serves as the local delivery partner while Fuyo Auto Lease provides the program structure and brand.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Higin Lease competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ORIX Corporation: One of Japan's largest diversified leasing and financial-services groups, providing equipment leasing, auto leasing, and finance across corporate and consumer segments. Comparable in core leasing activities, with much broader geographic and product coverage.
- Tokyo Century Corporation: Large Japanese leasing company providing equipment leasing, auto leasing, and specialty finance. Comparable in offering corporate equipment leasing and auto leasing solutions, with substantially larger scale and balance-sheet capacity.
- Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc. Major Japanese leasing and finance company (formerly Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance) offering corporate equipment leasing, auto leasing, and environmental energy financing. Directly overlaps with Higin's lease and SLL/green-equipment financing lines.
- Mizuho Leasing Co., Ltd. Japan-based leasing company affiliated with Mizuho Financial Group, offering corporate equipment leasing and finance solutions. Comparable in customer base (regional SMEs and mid-market) and product structure to Higin, but at national scale.
- NEC Capital Solutions Ltd. Japan-based leasing and finance company serving corporate customers with equipment leasing, installment sales, and lending. Comparable product mix (lease, installment, financing) to Higin, though with stronger corporate/IT focus.
- Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing Co., Ltd. Top-tier Japanese leasing company affiliated with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, providing corporate equipment leasing, aviation, and environmental energy finance. Overlaps with Higin on equipment leasing and emerging green-finance offerings.
Direct peers
- Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd. Higin's explicit strategic partner on the Fuyo Zero Carbon City Support Program. Fuyo is a major Japanese leasing company offering corporate equipment and auto leasing across Japan, making it the closest comparable in product mix and customer type, though at far larger scale.
- Fuyo Auto Lease Co., Ltd. Strategic partner of Higin on the Fuyo Zero Carbon City Support Program, jointly providing auto leasing and EV/hybrid financing in Kumamoto. Directly comparable in auto leasing focus and consumer/corporate auto lease products.
Regional players
- JR Kyushu FG Lease Co., Ltd. Kyushu-based leasing subsidiary within the JR Kyushu Financial Group, mentioned alongside Higin within regional Kyushu financial affiliations. Comparable as a regional Japanese bank-affiliated lessor serving local SMEs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Higin Lease social profiles
Digital presenceHigin Lease compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Higin Lease financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Higin Lease leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Higin Lease funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Higin Lease 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 Higin Lease
What does Higin Lease do?
Higin Lease is a comprehensive finance company that purchases equipment selected by customers and leases it back to them with fixed-rate installment payments. Its core offerings include equipment leasing, maintenance lease for vehicle management outsourcing, installment sales for ownership-preferred items, my car leasing for individuals, general lending, and insurance agency services. The company primarily serves regional enterprises and individual consumers in Kumamoto Prefecture as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Higo Bank.
Is Higin Lease a public or private company?
Higin Lease is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Higin Lease founded?
Higin Lease was founded in 1974. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Higin Lease based?
Higin Lease is headquartered in Kumamoto, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Higin Lease make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Lease Fees are the primary driver. The others are installment Sales (割賦販売), maintenance Lease (メンテナンスリース), lending/Financing and insurance Agency (損害保険代理業).
Who are Higin Lease's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ORIX Corporation, Tokyo Century Corporation, Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., Mizuho Leasing Co., Ltd., NEC Capital Solutions Ltd. and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing Co., Ltd.. Direct peers are Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd. and Fuyo Auto Lease Co., Ltd.. JR Kyushu FG Lease Co., Ltd. is listed as a regional player.
Does Higin Lease have an API?
No public API is recorded for Higin Lease.
What industry is Higin Lease in?
Higin Lease's product category is Equipment Leasing & Financing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAAAA, Corporate/Enterprise Car Leasing (Closed-End/Open-End), with a secondary code of TLABAAAC, Consumer/Private Lease & Subscription (Personal Contract Hire). Its NAICS code is 5321 and its SIC code is 7510.