Foundation: 1949
Headquarters: Kita Ward, Osaka
President and CEO: Masahiro Okafuji
Executive Summary: Itochu Corporation stands as one of Japan’s largest general trading companies, unique for not originating from the traditional zaibatsu conglomerates. Its beginnings can be traced back to a textile business started by Chubei Itoh in 1858, which initially traded in hemp cloth. Following World War II, under US Occupation anti-trust laws, the prewar company, then known as Daiken Co., was divided into four entities. One of these became C. Itoh & Co., which eventually renamed to Itochu Corporation. Initially focusing on textiles, it expanded into heavy chemicals during Japan’s high-growth era in the 1960s, evolving into a comprehensive trading company. In 1998, Itochu acquired FamilyMart Co. Today, with around one hundred bases in numerous countries, Itochu deals in a wide array of goods including textiles, machinery, metals, energy, chemicals, food, housing, information, and finance, alongside managing business investments both domestically and abroad. Its annual revenue is in the range of US$45 billion.
