Watahan

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.

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

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

• Retail super centers
• Construction services
• Building materials trading
• Fresh food retail
• Custom home building

Headquarters

HQ city

Iida

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Construction and Building Materials: Revenue from construction business including steel structures, building materials, renovation services, and large-opening window systems for corporate clients.
3. Trading Operations: International trading business including sourcing and distribution of various products including Mexican cactus-based products.
4. 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

Core 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

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 信州ブレイブウォリアーズ (Shinshu Brave Warriors)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 February 2025Watahan 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)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 September 2024Watahan 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)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 November 2023Sponsored 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)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2023Sponsored 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)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2023Co-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)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 June 2023Jointly 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)coreOthers · 30 May 2023Watahan 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)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 April 2023Sponsored 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)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 April 2021Sponsored 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

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/leas_design
• Xtwitter.com/LEAsDesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Watahan