benrido corporation

Name

benrido corporation

Legal name

株式会社 便利堂

Website

https://benrido.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Collotype Print Sales: Sale of hand-printed collotype reproductions of artworks, cultural heritage pieces, and artist collaborations. Includes portfolios of photographers (e.g., Shoji Ueda, Yasumasa Morimura, Atsushi Suwa) and cultural reproductions (e.g., Horyuji murals, Vermeer studies).
2. Academy and Workshop Fees: Revenue from Collotype Academy workshops (1-day, 2-day, 5-day courses) and studio rentals. Courses teach collotype printing to photographers and artists using Benrido's proprietary collotype tissue process.
3. Art Merchandise and Postcards: Sale of art postcards, clear files, seasonal greeting cards (winter, spring), Sakamoto Ryoma merchandise, and gift items through physical retail stores and the online shop.
4. Gallery Exhibitions and Entry Fees: Revenue from exhibitions at Benrido Collotype Gallery (free admission) and related events such as the Horyuji wall painting exhibition (June–November 2025).
5. HARIBAN AWARD Entry Fees: International photography competition entries (2026 open call: April 1 – June 30).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Benrido produces archival-quality collotype prints of cultural heritage artifacts and contemporary artworks at its Kyoto atelier. The company also runs an educational workshop program (Collotype Academy), an international photography competition (HARIBAN AWARD), and operates retail stores selling art postcards, greeting cards, and cultural merchandise. Core production has been continuous since the establishment of the collotype atelier in 1905.

Product overview

Benrido Corporation is a traditional Japanese printing company founded in 1887 that specializes in collotype printing services. The company operates through several interconnected offerings: its core Collotype Printing Services handles cultural heritage reproduction and art printing; the Collotype Academy provides educational workshops; HARIBAN AWARD is an international photography competition; and various portfolio products feature limited edition prints. The company also maintains gallery facilities and publishes the 美術研究 (Bijutsu Kenkyu) art research journal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HARIBAN AWARD: International photography competition established by Benrido in 2014, inviting photographers worldwide to create works for collotype printing. Grand Prize winners receive a two-week residency at Benrido and a solo exhibition.
• Collotype Academy
• Collotype Portfolio
• ColloFull

Quantifiable outcome

• The HARIBAN AWARD competition has attracted approximately 3,700 entries since 2014 across 13 annual editions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (北京三影堂)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2019Benrido conducted a mobile workshop at Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Beijing in December 2019, teaching hand-printed collotype techniques to participants at the international photography venue.
• ICOM Kyoto 2019 (International Council of Museums)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2019Benrido participated in the 25th ICOM Kyoto Congress 2019 (141 countries, 3,000+ museum professionals) by hosting a collotype hand-printing workshop at ANNEX HALL, engaging over 100 visitors.
• Daikanyama Photo FairminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2016Benrido participated in the inaugural Daikanyama Photo Fair in 2016 and has returned as a regular workshop host, offering collotype printing experience alongside photography professionals.
• Picter (Competition Platform)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2014HARIBAN AWARD entries are managed through Picter's online platform, enabling international submission and management of approximately 3,700 competition entries since 2014.
• KYOTOGRAPHIE (Kyoto International Photography Festival)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenrido Collotype Academy has been a public event partner at KYOTOGRAPHIE annually since 2017, hosting collotype workshops during the festival. The academy has participated in 2017, 2018, and 2019 editions.
• Horyuji Temple (法隆寺)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenrido created the full-scale collotype reproduction of all 12 panels of the Horyuji Temple Golden Hall wall paintings in 1938 (original 90th anniversary commemorated 2025). This represents one of the company's most significant cultural heritage preservation partnerships.
• Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (東京都写真美術館)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the supervision of Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and Shoji Ueda's estate, Benrido produced the limited-edition collotype portfolio 'Warabe-goyomi (Childhood Calendar)' — the first new print work since Ueda's death.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Factum Arte: Madrid-based studio specializing in high-fidelity reproduction of cultural heritage artifacts and artworks. Directly comparable to Benrido's collotype-based cultural heritage reproduction work (e.g., Horyuji wall paintings, Takamatsuzuka murals), serving museums and institutions globally.
• Steidl: German publisher and printer specializing in high-quality fine art photography books and prints. Comparable to Benrido's fine art printing services, artist collaborations, and limited-edition portfolio production for photographers.
• Two Palms Press: New York-based fine art printing studio producing limited-edition prints and editions for leading contemporary artists. Comparable to Benrido's collotype atelier work for artists such as Yasumasa Morimura, with similar emphasis on premium materials and craftsmanship.
• Graphicstudio (USF): University of South Florida's fine art printmaking studio collaborating with established and emerging artists to produce limited-edition prints. Comparable to Benrido's artist-collaboration model and archive-quality print production.
• Crown Point Press: San Francisco-based fine art printmaking studio producing hand-pulled editions of etchings, woodcuts, and lithographs. Comparable as a craft-focused, artist-collaboration-driven print studio with premium positioning.
• Pace Editions: New York-based publisher of limited-edition prints and multiples by leading contemporary artists. Comparable to Benrido's limited-edition collotype portfolio offerings and artist collaboration pipeline.
• Edition Schellmann: Munich/New York publisher of prints, multiples, and artist editions. Comparable to Benrido's high-end artist portfolio production and cultural heritage reproduction services for international artists and institutions.
• Harlan & Weaver: New York fine art intaglio printing studio serving contemporary artists. Comparable as a craft-specialist print studio with similar emphasis on hands-on collaboration with artists and museum-quality output.
• Vermilion Editions: Scottish fine art print studio producing limited-edition prints with contemporary artists. Comparable as a specialist printmaking studio with craft-focused processes analogous to Benrido's collotype atelier.
• Brand X Editions: New York-based fine art digital printing and editioning studio. Comparable to Benrido's print services arm serving contemporary photographers and artists with edition-quality production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/benrido.collotype.academy
• Instagraminstagram.com/benrido.atelier

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 benrido corporation