Akio Morita taught Japan to build global premium brands rather than export anonymously.
Startup · Topic
Japan Company Stories — Page 3
Expert guides, analysis and tool comparisons on Japan Company Stories from the kurums.com Startup desk — written for business decision-makers and updated as the market moves.
- 55 guides
- 11 subtopics
- Updated Jul 23, 2026
All guides · page 3
Shiseido: How J-Beauty Went Global
Shiseido turned Japanese beauty philosophy into a global prestige business built on skin science.
Rakuten: The Anti-Amazon Marketplace Empire
Rakuten built Japan’s biggest marketplace by empowering merchants, then bound an empire together with points.
7-Eleven Japan: How Konbini Perfected Convenience
7-Eleven Japan perfected convenience retail so thoroughly it bought its American parent company.
MUJI: The Brand Built on Having No Brand
MUJI created one of the world’s most recognizable identities by removing logos and embracing restraint.
Uniqlo: How LifeWear Beat Fast Fashion
Uniqlo built a global empire on timeless basics and fabric innovation rather than fast-fashion trends.
Murata: The Tiny Components Inside Every Device
Murata leads the world in the tiny ceramic capacitors inside nearly every electronic device.
Omron: Automation From the Factory to the Home
Omron spans factory automation, blood-pressure monitors and train gates through sensing and control expertise.
Keyence: The Sensor Company With Software Margins
Keyence earns software-like margins selling factory sensors through a fabless, direct-sales model.
Yaskawa: The Company That Invented Mechatronics
Yaskawa coined ‘mechatronics’ and turned motor expertise into world-leading industrial robots.
FANUC: The Secretive Giant Behind Factory Automation
FANUC’s yellow robots and CNC controls quietly automate factories worldwide with extraordinary profitability.
Capcom: How Franchise Mastery Built a Gaming Comeback
Capcom engineered a gaming comeback through franchises like Resident Evil and Monster Hunter and its RE Engine.