Toho Chemical Industry

What Toho Chemical Industry does

Toho Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (東邦化学工業株式会社) is a Tokyo-based, publicly listed (TSE Second Section, ticker 4409) specialty chemical manufacturer with roughly 501-1,000 employees and a product portfolio of approximately 3,000 SKUs organized into four segments: surfactants (界面活性剤), specialty chemicals, resins (樹脂), and chemical products. The company manufactures anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic surfactants; polyurethane and resin emulsions (Hightec series); medium- and high-boiling-point solvents including glycol ethers, glycol diethers, 1,4-dioxane, and 1,3-dioxolane (under the Hisolv and TOHO'S SOLVENT brands); precision cleaners (Toho Clean) for hard disk drives, LCD panels, and printed circuit boards; acrylate monomers; metalworking oils (Runox, Glighton, InsCut); petroleum additives; and electronic information materials including PHS excimer resist resins and acrylic polymers for semiconductor and LCD fabrication. Its proprietary technology base centers on precision polymerization, organic synthesis, and advanced purification, supported by the Chiba factory and research laboratory.

The company serves nine primary downstream industries on a horizontal segmentation basis: cosmetics and toiletries, agrochemicals (Solvpol adjuvants), industrial resins and coatings, paper and pulp, construction and civil engineering, metalworking, electronics and semiconductors, precision cleaning, energy and petroleum, and textiles. Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales via a domestic branch network (Tokyo HQ, Osaka, Nagoya, Shikoku, with Fuji closing October 2025) and through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Shanghai — Toho Chemical Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. for sales and Toho Chemical (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. for production, with full-scale production at the Shanghai plant commencing in 2014. Pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed; the customer base is entirely B2B industrial.

The company is governed by a medium-term management plan (TOHO Step Up Plan 2027) that places overseas expansion and Shanghai subsidiary profitability at the center of its strategy, while recently rationalizing its domestic sales footprint (Fuji closure, October 2025) and expanding its shareholder benefit program (May 2025). Its largest shareholder is the affiliated trading company shareholders' association (16.64%), with Mitsui Chemicals (5.89%), Mitsui & Co. (5.86%), and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (4.99%) rounding out the top holders, indicating a strategic relationship with the Mitsui keiretsu.

Name

Toho Chemical Industry

Legal name

東邦化学工業株式会社

Website

https://toho-chem.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Toho Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo-listed Japanese specialty chemical manufacturer producing approximately 3,000 surfactant, resin, solvent, and electronic-material SKUs for cosmetics, agrochemicals, electronics, construction, and industrial customers across Japan and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Surfactants & Performance Additives (IMAEABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Institutional (I&I) Cleaning Chemicals (IMAEABAG), Electronic & High-Purity Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAD), Textile, Leather & Paper Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAM), Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)

Keywords

• Surface active agents
• Specialty chemicals
• Polyurethane resins
• Resin emulsions
• Precision cleaners

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Products Manufacturing and Sales: Manufactures and sells surface active agents (surfactants), specialty chemicals, polyurethane resins, resin emulsions, acrylic monomers, metalworking oils, petroleum additives, medium-to-high boiling point solvents, electronic information materials, and precision cleaning agents. Revenue generated through direct B2B sales to industrial customers across multiple sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Toho Chemical Industry manufactures and sells approximately 3,000 specialty chemical products across four main segments — surfactants, specialty chemicals, resins, and chemical products — to industrial B2B customers in Japan, China, and broader Asia. The portfolio spans personal care and household ingredients, agrochemical adjuvants, water-based resin emulsions, polyurethane resins, paper/pulp chemicals, construction additives, metalworking oils, petroleum additives, electronic information materials for semiconductor and LCD manufacturing, and high-purity precision cleaning agents.

Product overview

Toho Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. is a Japanese chemical manufacturer with approximately 3,000 products organized into four main segments: surfactants (界面活性剤), specialty chemicals (スペシャリティーケミカル), resins (樹脂), and chemical products (化成品). The product portfolio includes medium and high boiling point solvents such as glycol ethers, glycol diethers, 1.4-dioxane, and 1.3-dioxolane; high-tech precision cleaning agents under the Toho Clean (トーホークリーン) brand including water-based, quasi-water-based, and solvent-based formulations; electronic information materials including eximer resist resins (PHS), acrylic polymers, and acrylate monomers; resin emulsions under the High Tech (ハイテック) series; metalworking oils; and various surfactant products for cosmetics, pesticides, construction, textiles, and industrial applications. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Japan and China (Toho Chemical Shanghai), with products serving diverse industries from consumer goods to advanced electronics manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TOHO'S SOLVENT: Brand for specialty solvents including glycol ethers, glycol diethers, dioxane, and dioxolane products used in coatings, inks, pharmaceuticals, electronic materials, and brake fluids.
• トーホークリーン (TOHO CLEAN)
• ソルポール (Solpole)
• ハイソルブ (Hisolv)
• ハイテック (Hightech)
• ルノックス (Runox)
• グライトン (Glighton)
• インスカット (InsCut)
• ペグノール (Pegnole)
• ペポール (Pepole)
• ソルボン (Sorbon)
• カチナール (Catinol)
• オバゾリン (Obazoline)
• ネオスコープ (Neoscope)
• アルスコープ (Alscope)
• ハイセル (Hicell)
• ペトライザー (Petraizer)
• ペルトール (Peltol)
• エスブリッド (Esbrid)
• TOHO Step Up Plan 2027

Products and services

• Surfactants Product Line (界面活性剤) Approximately 3,000 chemical products including anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic surfactants used as ingredients in cosmetics, detergents, pesticides, rubber/plastics, construction, textiles, and paper/pulp applications.
• Solvpol / Solpole Agricultural Surfactants (ソルポール) Agricultural adjuvant surfactants for pesticide formulations including emulsifiable concentrates, wettable powders, granules, suspension concentrates, and water-based emulsions; distributed internationally under the Solpole world brand.
• TOHO'S SOLVENT Specialty Solvents (東邦化学工業の特殊溶剤) Glycol ethers, glycol diethers (Grime), 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxolane, EPH, ethyl lactate, dioxane, and dioxolane products used in coatings, inks, pharmaceuticals, electronic materials, and brake fluids; supplied in low-metal and high-purity electronic-grade variants.
• Toho-Clean High-Tech Precision Cleaning Agents (トーホークリーン) CFC-substitute precision cleaning agents for hard disk drives, LCD panels, silicon wafer bases, screen metal masks, printed circuit boards, and printing inks; offered in water-based, semi-water-based, and solvent-based formulations across the HP, MA, and related series.
• Electronic Information Materials (電子情報材料) Excimer resist resins (PHS / polyhydroxystyrene), acrylic polymers, and high-functional polymers produced using precision polymerization, organic synthesis, and advanced purification for semiconductor and liquid crystal manufacturing.
• Acrylate Monomers (アクリレートモノマー) Acrylate monomers offering flexibility, adhesion, low skin irritation, and weather resistance; available in ester type, terminal hydroxy type, urethane type, and phosphate ester type variants for electronic materials, coatings, plastic films, and flooring materials.
• Medium and High Boiling Point Solvents (中・高沸点溶剤) Glycol ethers, glycol diethers (Grime), and special solvents including 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxolane, EPH, and ethyl lactate used as extraction agents, reaction solvents, and in anti-microbial applications.
• 1,3-Dioxolane (1.3-ジオキソラン) Water-soluble, non-protonic cyclic ether solvent with molecular weight 74 and boiling point 76°C, used as extraction agent and reaction solvent.
• 1,4-Dioxane (1.4-ジオキサン) Water-soluble, non-protonic cyclic ether solvent with molecular weight 88 and boiling point 101.3°C, used as extraction agent and reaction solvent for dissolving various resins.
• Ethyl Lactate (乳酸エチル) Environmentally-friendly natural-derived solvent with molecular weight 118 and boiling point 155°C, used for epoxy resin, acrylic resin, and vinyl chloride resin dissolution.
• Hightec Resin Emulsions (樹脂エマルション / ハイテック) Water-based Hightec series of olefin-based and composite resin emulsions — polyethylene wax, polypropylene wax, polyethylene copolymer, and urethane-modified resins — for coatings, inks, adhesives, coating agents, floor polishes, metal surface modifiers, and textile/paper processing.
• Metalworking Oils (金属加工油剤) Water-soluble cutting oils (Glighton), non-water cutting oils (InsCut), cleaning agents, and rust preventives (Runox) for metal cutting and surface treatment applications.
• Construction and Civil Engineering Chemicals (土木建築用助剤) Concrete admixtures (Esbrid shrinkage-reducing agents), asphalt additives, waterproofing agents (Hicell polyurethane resins, Peltol), and polyurethane sealants (Petraizer) for high-rise construction, tunnel sealing, and building material applications.
• Paper and Pulp Industry Chemicals (紙パルプ工業用薬剤) Chemicals for paper and pulp manufacturing processes covering deinking, defoaming, pitch control, blanket cleaning, wet strength, sizing, lubrication, and water repellency.
• Textile Industry Chemicals (繊維工業用助剤) Surfactants, lubricants, softeners, and dyeing auxiliaries for textile dyeing, finishing, lubrication, and softness improvement.
• Energy and Petroleum Chemicals (エネルギー関連薬剤 / 石油添加剤) Petroleum additives and crude oil treatment chemicals for oilfield extraction, petroleum refining, fuel additives, lubricant additives, and demulsifier applications serving the global energy industry.
• Cosmetics and Toiletries Ingredients (化粧品・洗剤原料) Surfactant, conditioning, and emulsifier ingredients for cosmetics, shampoos, rinses, body washes, toothpaste, and beauty products across the Catinol, Obazoline, Neoscope, Alscope, Sorbon, Pepole, and Pegnole brands.
• Toho-Clean Solvent-Based Cleaners (トーホークリーン 溶剤系) Solvent-based precision cleaning agents for hard disk drives, LCD panels, silicon wafer stands, screen metal mask printing, printed circuit boards, and newspaper printing ink cleaning.
• Toho-Clean Quasi-Water-Based Cleaners (トーホークリーン 準水系) Quasi-water-based precision cleaning agents for electronics manufacturing applications.
• Toho-Clean Water-Based Cleaners (トーホークリーン 水系) Water-based precision cleaning agents including HP and MA series for various industrial cleaning applications.
• Hisolv Glycol Ether Solvent Series (ハイソルブ) Hisolv series of glycol ether and glycol diether solvents including MC, DM, DB, DPM, MP, MDM, MTM, EPH, and related grades.

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NOF Corporation: Tokyo-listed Japanese specialty chemicals producer with overlapping exposure to surfactants, oleochemicals, industrial chemicals, and life science intermediates. NOF's specialty focus and Japanese mid-cap profile make it a directly comparable benchmark.
• Stepan Company: U.S.-listed global surfactant manufacturer serving personal care, cleaning, agricultural, and industrial markets. Stepan is a directly comparable specialty surfactant producer with similar customer end-market exposure.
• Sanyo Chemical Industries: Japanese specialty chemical manufacturer with a comparable portfolio of surfactants, polyurethane resins, and performance chemicals serving similar cosmetics, paper, construction, and electronics end-markets. Sanyo is the closest like-for-like mid-cap Japanese specialty chemical peer.
• Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK): Japanese electronic materials specialist and an existing Toho shareholder (2.03%), producing photoresists and high-purity chemicals for semiconductor manufacturing. TOK directly overlaps Toho's electronic information materials business including PHS-based resist resins.

Broad incumbents

• Mitsui Chemicals: Major Japanese chemical conglomerate and Toho's 5.89% strategic shareholder. Mitsui Chemicals competes across polyurethane, performance materials, and specialty chemicals and serves as both a peer and a potential channel partner.
• Croda International: UK-listed global specialty chemicals leader focused on personal care, life sciences, and performance technologies. Croda's specialty surfactant and personal care ingredients business is directly comparable to Toho's cosmetics and toiletry ingredients segment.
• Kao Corporation: Major Japanese consumer products and chemical company with significant in-house surfactant and specialty chemical capabilities for cosmetics, detergents, and industrial applications. Comparable as a Japanese peer operating across overlapping chemistry categories.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals major with leading positions in surfactants, additives, and high-purity intermediates for cosmetics, coatings, and electronics. Evonik is a global benchmark for the specialty surfactant and additive categories in which Toho competes.
• Lion Corporation: Japanese household and personal care products company that consumes large volumes of surfactants and cosmetic ingredients — comparable as a downstream customer archetype and as a Japanese peer in cleaning/personal care chemistry-adjacent categories.

Emerging players

• Innospec: U.S.-listed specialty chemicals company focused on performance chemicals, fuel specialties, and oilfield services. Comparable as a mid-cap specialty chemical producer with overlapping exposure to petroleum additives, metalworking, and personal care chemistries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toho-chemical-industry-co-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Toho Chemical Industry