Watahan
Watahan Holdings (TSE: 3199) is a Japanese diversified holding company operating retail (Watahan Super Center, Fresh Market, cotton1598), construction (Science Home, Watahan Kenzai building materials), and trading businesses, serving individual consumers, corporate clients, and local communities primarily across Nagano, Yamanashi, and surrounding prefectures.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersIida, Japan
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Watahan does
Watahan Holdings Co., Ltd. (TSE: 3199) is a publicly listed Japanese diversified holding company headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, with its operational roots in Iida, Nagano Prefecture. Formally established in 1947 and reorganized under a holding-company structure in 2021, the group operates across three primary verticals: retail — anchored by the Watahan Super Center and Watahan Fresh Market formats, supplemented by specialty stores, the Kochouan tea house, and the cotton1598 lifestyle-design showroom brand; construction — including the Science Home and Yume House custom-home brands, Watahan Kenzai building materials, Watahan Wood Power wood processing and energy, and B2B services such as WK Cover roof renovation with integrated solar and Stage W multi-story parking; and trading — encompassing international product sourcing, the B2B e-commerce platform wata-pro, and the B2C electronics storefront PC Bomber. The group also maintains a forestry and housing supply chain (Watahan Forestry, sub-subsidiary 須江林産), welfare services via social-welfare corporation Watahan Nohara Sekizenkai, and a farming arm (Watahan Farm), with an active international footprint through Watahan de Mexico for cactus-based products under the SABOVEG brand.
The company serves a hybrid B2C/B2B customer base spanning individual consumers, regional households, construction and store-development corporate clients, local farmers, and welfare-program beneficiaries across Nagano, Yamanashi, Aichi, and surrounding prefectures, with showrooms now extending into Tokyo. Revenue is generated through transactional retail sales, one-time construction and building-materials contracts, and trading commissions, while the holding company consolidates roughly eighteen subsidiaries and affiliated entities under unified group governance. Recent strategic emphasis has been placed on forestry vertical integration (2024 acquisition of 須江林産), branded private-label expansion (Gold Prize at the 2025 Fried Chicken Grand Prix for "Infinity" karaage), digital channel build-out (Kochouan members app, e-commerce), and ESG positioning — including a public 50% CO2 reduction target by 2030 and net-zero by 2040 versus 2013 levels, supported by forest cultivation in Niigata and British Columbia.
Watahan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Watahan
- Legal name
- Watahan & Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://watahan.co.jp/
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Watahan Holdings (TSE: 3199) is a Japanese diversified holding company operating retail (Watahan Super Center, Fresh Market, cotton1598), construction (Science Home, Watahan Kenzai building materials), and trading businesses, serving individual consumers, corporate clients, and local communities primarily across Nagano, Yamanashi, and surrounding prefectures.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Watahan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Diversified retail and construction holdings
- NAICS
- Home Centers (444110), Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers (4552), Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers (449), Management of Companies and Enterprises (551), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111), Other Building Material Dealers (44418), Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4492)
- SIC
- Retail-Lumber & Other Building Materials Dealers (5211), Retail-Furniture Stores (5712), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700), Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Doors, Windows & Millwork Hardware Retail (Locks, Hinges, Handles) (CRAIADAJ)
Keywords
Where Watahan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Iida
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices8 records
Markets served
Watahan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Sales: Revenue from retail store operations including Watahan Super Center, Watahan Fresh Market, and specialty stores selling general merchandise, food products, and home goods.
- Construction and Building Materials: Revenue from construction business including steel structures, building materials, renovation services, and large-opening window systems for corporate clients.
- Trading Operations: International trading business including sourcing and distribution of various products including Mexican cactus-based products.
- E-commerce: Online sales through PC Bomber (electronics), corporate e-commerce site (法人専用ネット通販サイト), and various product marketplaces.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Watahan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Watahan Holdings is a Japan-based diversified group operating large-format retail super centers and fresh-food markets, residential and commercial construction (custom homes, steel structures, facades), and a trading business for building materials and lifestyle goods. Through its multi-brand subsidiaries, the group serves everyday consumer shopping, home improvement, and housing construction demand, primarily in Nagano Prefecture and surrounding regions.
Product overview
Watahan (綿半ホールディングス) is a Japanese holding company operating a diversified portfolio of businesses primarily focused on retail, construction, and trading. The company operates through multiple distinct brands and subsidiaries: its core retail business includes 綿半スーパーセンター (super center stores) and 綿半フレッシュマーケット (fresh markets); e-commerce operations include PCボンバー (electronics retail) and a corporate B2B platform; the housing business encompasses サイエンスホーム (custom home building) and 綿半林業/夢ハウス (forestry and timber construction); lifestyle brands include cotton 1598 (design and garden services), 胡蝶庵 (tea/confectionery), and interior brands Shelfit, FUGGICOSI, and Rigna; construction services include WKカバー (roof renovation with solar), 綿半建材 (building materials), and Stage W (parking structures). The company also operates welfare facilities, farming operations, and trading businesses primarily serving the Nagano and surrounding regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- cotton 1598: Lifestyle design brand promoting thoughtful living spaces with garden and interior design services.
- PCボンバー (PC Bomber)
- 胡蝶庵 (Kochouan)
- サイエンスホーム (Science Home)
- 夢ハウス (Yume-H)
- Shelfit
- FUGGICOSI
- Rigna
- SABOVEG
- TR ORGANIC
Products and services
- Watahan Super Center
Companies that use Watahan
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Watahan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Watahan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 信州ブレイブウォリアーズ (Shinshu Brave Warriors)coreWatahan sponsors the Shinshu Brave Warriors professional basketball team's Kids Basketball Clinic targeting elementary school students in Nagano Prefecture. The clinic promotes sports development and community engagement.
- VC長野トライデンツ (VC Nagano Tri dentz)coreWatahan sponsors VC Nagano Tri dentz volleyball team's Kids Volleyball Classroom for elementary school students in Nagano Prefecture, contributing to local sports development.
- 第８回 みなみ信州駅伝大会 (8th Minami Shinshu Ekiden)minorSponsored the 8th Minami Shinshu Relay Race in Iida City, participated by children through adults, promoting sports culture in the southern Shinshu region.
- 第69回 風越登山マラソン大会 (69th Kazakoshi Mountain Marathon)minorSponsored the 69th Kazakoshi Mountain Marathon in Iida City, featuring trail running and road race courses, including provision of company original products.
- 松本山雅FC (Matsumoto Yamaga FC)coreCo-organized Watahan x Matsumoto Yamaga FC Kids Soccer Clinic for elementary school students in central-south Nagano region, with clinic participants attending FC Ryukyu matches.
- AC長野パルセイロ (AC Nagano Parceiro)coreJointly operated AC Nagano Parceiro Kids Soccer School with Watahan sponsorship, providing soccer training for elementary school children in the north Nagano region.
- 龍峡育英会 (Ryukyou Ikueikai Scholarship)coreWatahan provides annual donations to the Ryukyou Ikueikai scholarship association established 1953, supporting students from Iida and Shimina district. Cumulative donations exceed 171 million yen over 70 years. Scholarship amounts: 30,000 yen/month for university/junior college/technical school students, 11,000 yen/month for high school students.
- 第18回長野県市町村対抗小学生駅伝競走大会 (Nagano Prefecture Elementary School Relay Race)minorSponsored the 18th Nagano Prefecture Elementary School Municipal Team Relay Race, a 4.8km relay competition for elementary school students promoting youth athletics.
- 第16回長野県市町村対抗小学生駅伝競走大会 (16th Nagano Elementary School Relay)minorSponsored the 16th Nagano Prefecture Elementary School Municipal Team Relay Race (6.1km course) promoting youth track and field athletics.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Watahan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Watahan social profiles
Digital presenceWatahan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Watahan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Watahan subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries19 records
Watahan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Watahan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Watahan
What does Watahan do?
Watahan Holdings is a Japan-based diversified group operating large-format retail super centers and fresh-food markets, residential and commercial construction (custom homes, steel structures, facades), and a trading business for building materials and lifestyle goods. Through its multi-brand subsidiaries, the group serves everyday consumer shopping, home improvement, and housing construction demand, primarily in Nagano Prefecture and surrounding regions.
Is Watahan a public or private company?
Watahan is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Watahan founded?
Watahan was founded in 1949. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Watahan based?
Watahan is headquartered in Iida, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Watahan make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are construction and Building Materials, trading Operations and E-commerce.
Does Watahan have an API?
No public API is recorded for Watahan.
What industry is Watahan in?
Watahan's product category is Diversified retail and construction holdings. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIADAJ, Doors, Windows & Millwork Hardware Retail (Locks, Hinges, Handles). Its NAICS code is 444110 and its SIC code is 5211.