Hikidashi
Hikidashi is a privately held Japanese creative design agency in Kanazawa (with a Tokyo office) that delivers branding, CI/VI, web, editorial, graphics, illustration, package, and character design services to municipalities, SMBs, and select enterprises across Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hikidashi does
Hikidashi is a privately held Japanese creative design agency headquartered in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, with a secondary Tokyo office that is scheduled to be consolidated into the Kanazawa headquarters in April 2026. Founded on October 2, 2014, the firm delivers a full suite of design services — Branding, CI/VI, Web, Editorial, Graphics, Illustration, Package, and Character design — through a small team of approximately nine named specialists including the president/creative director, art directors, graphic designers, and illustrators. Its stated methodology, framed as 'Hikidasu' (pull out / reveal), uses subtraction and addition to distill the essential identity of a client's brand, product, or service. Underlying technology consists of standard creative tooling; there is no proprietary platform, software product, or technology stack disclosed in the source material. The firm's revenue model is project-based professional services with pricing disclosed only on inquiry, sold via direct client engagement through the company website and supplemented by referrals, Instagram/Facebook presence, and public speaking engagements. Customer segments are horizontal and include regional municipal governments (Kanazawa, Kaga, Komatsu), small and mid-sized businesses across food and beverage, retail, hospitality, real estate, and a handful of larger enterprises (Sodick, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Diamond Brewing). Beyond pure services, Hikidashi operates PLAY JAPAN -GIFT SHOP-, a self-run retail concept in Kanazawa, signaling modest product-side vertical extension. The firm is founder/management-controlled with no external investors or disclosed funding.
Hikidashi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hikidashi
- Legal name
- 株式会社Hikidashi
- Website
- https://hiki-dashi.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hikidashi is a privately held Japanese creative design agency in Kanazawa (with a Tokyo office) that delivers branding, CI/VI, web, editorial, graphics, illustration, package, and character design services to municipalities, SMBs, and select enterprises across Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hikidashi industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Graphic Design Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Graphic Design & Visual Content Production (BPAFAIAC), Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where Hikidashi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hikidashi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Creative Design Services: Hikidashi provides a comprehensive range of design services including Branding, CI/VI, Web, Editorial, Graphics, Illustration, Package, and Character design. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services contracted by businesses, municipalities, and organizations seeking creative direction, brand identity development, visual design, and advertising materials.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hikidashi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hikidashi is a creative design agency that delivers project-based professional design services across Branding and CI/VI, Graphics, Editorial design, Web design, Package design, Illustration, and Character design. The firm conceptualizes and produces corporate identities, logos, websites, publications, packaging, and visual communications for businesses, municipalities, and cultural organizations. It also operates PLAY JAPAN -GIFT SHOP-, a Kanazawa-based souvenir retail concept operated under the company's creative direction.
Product overview
Hikidashi is a creative design agency headquartered in Kanazawa with offices in Tokyo, offering a comprehensive suite of design services. Their core offerings include Branding/CI.VI (corporate identity and visual identity design), Graphics (poster and promotional design), Editorial (concept books, catalogs, publications), Web Design (websites and digital presence), Package design, Illustration, and Character design. The company also operates PLAY JAPAN -GIFT SHOP-, a retail concept in Kanazawa. The various services are delivered through a team of specialized designers and can be engaged individually or as integrated creative solutions for clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Branding / CI.VI Services
Companies that use Hikidashi
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hikidashi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hikidashi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- 株式会社ストアインク (Storeink)coreStoreink is the parent/affiliated company group of Hikidashi. Multiple Hikidashi team members transitioned from Storeink when Hikidashi was established in 2014. Storeink serves as an agency/creative partner on various Hikidashi projects. Related companies under the Favo Group umbrella.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hikidashi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NOSIGNER: Tokyo design firm delivering branding, product, space, and experience design with a strong emphasis on integrated creative direction. Comparable to Hikidashi in offering branding/identity and cross-discipline (graphics, product/industrial, character) design services to Japanese enterprise.
- Drill Design: Tokyo-based design studio known for branding, graphics, editorial, and product/packaging work across Japanese lifestyle and consumer clients. Directly comparable to Hikidashi in service breadth (branding, editorial, graphics, packaging) and Japanese mid-market client base.
- Nendo: Founded by Oki Sato, Nendo is one of Japan's most internationally recognized design studios, offering branding, product, packaging, and visual identity across industries. It is comparable to Hikidashi as a Japanese creative firm delivering integrated design services spanning CI/VI, packaging, editorial, and character/illustration work.
- HAKUTEN Inc. Tokyo-based creative agency providing branding, graphic design, web, and communication design services for Japanese enterprise and government clients. Directly comparable to Hikidashi in service mix (branding/CI, editorial, web, graphics) and Japanese enterprise/government client focus.
- WOW inc. Tokyo-based design and creative firm specializing in visual identity, branding, graphics, and motion design for Japanese brands. Comparable to Hikidashi as a multi-disciplinary Japanese design studio with overlapping service categories (CI/VI, graphics, motion/video, branding).
- KIGI: Kyoto-based branding and design studio with a strong focus on graphic design, packaging, and editorial work for Japanese lifestyle and craft brands. Highly comparable to Hikidashi in editorial, package, and branding discipline mix and in regional-Japan creative positioning.
- Good Design Company: Kyoto-based branding and graphic design firm with a strong regional-Japanese identity serving enterprise clients across multiple categories. Comparable to Hikidashi in operating model (regional Japanese design firm, multi-disciplinary service offering, strong visual identity focus).
Others
- TAKEO Co., Ltd. Major Japanese paper and printing materials company operating the TAKEO STOCK MEMBERS program, of which Hikidashi's president is an alumnus. Related ecosystem participant providing substrate, print, and creative knowledge infrastructure to design firms like Hikidashi.
Broad incumbents
- DENTSU Inc. Japan's largest advertising agency holding company, offering brand strategy, creative, media, and integrated communications at massive scale. Comparable to Hikidashi only at the level of creative/advertising service provision, but Dentsu operates with vastly larger resources and competes for the same enterprise branding budgets.
- Hakuhodo Inc. Major Japanese advertising and creative agency offering integrated branding, design, and communications services. Overlaps with Hikidashi in branding/CI and creative design categories but competes from a much larger, full-service agency position.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hikidashi social profiles
Digital presenceHikidashi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hikidashi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Hikidashi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hikidashi 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 Hikidashi
What does Hikidashi do?
Hikidashi is a creative design agency that delivers project-based professional design services across Branding and CI/VI, Graphics, Editorial design, Web design, Package design, Illustration, and Character design. The firm conceptualizes and produces corporate identities, logos, websites, publications, packaging, and visual communications for businesses, municipalities, and cultural organizations. It also operates PLAY JAPAN -GIFT SHOP-, a Kanazawa-based souvenir retail concept operated under the company's creative direction.
Is Hikidashi a public or private company?
Hikidashi is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hikidashi founded?
Hikidashi was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hikidashi based?
Hikidashi is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Hikidashi make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Design Services.
Who are Hikidashi's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NOSIGNER, Drill Design, Nendo, HAKUTEN Inc., WOW inc., KIGI and Good Design Company. TAKEO Co., Ltd. is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are DENTSU Inc. and Hakuhodo Inc..
Does Hikidashi have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hikidashi.
What industry is Hikidashi in?
Hikidashi's product category is Graphic Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAEAC, Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAC, Graphic Design & Visual Content Production. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.