Kowa (company)

Kowa Company, Ltd. (Japanese: 興和こうわ株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ) is a Japanese specialized trading company and manufacturer. Its headquarters are located in Nagoya, the capital of Japan's Aichi prefecture.^[1]

Overview

Kowa Company is the core of the umbrella Kowa Group.^[2] Other companies within the group include Kowa's sibling firm Kowabo Company, Ltd. [ja]^[3] and the consolidated subsidiary Kowa Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. [ja].^[4] Its predecessor, Hattori Kensaburo Shoten, notably supported the industrialist Sakichi Toyoda's development of his automatic loom.^[5] The business is divided into trading and manufacturing divisions. The trading company division trades in fibers, machines, building materials, watercraft, mineral resources, chemical materials, and everyday goods. Meanwhile, the manufacturing division produces medicine, medical equipment, optical instruments, and energy-saving products.

Marketing of Kowa medical products under such brand names as Colgen Kowa and Cabagin Kowa^[6] via nationwide TV commercials increased the company's brand recognition. The company also manufactures and sells Prominar-brand camera lenses, spotting scopes, and video equipment that is used by NHK and various commercial TV and radio stations.^[7]^[8]

Kowa is the largest shareholder in both Bull-Dog Sauce Co. [ja] and Meito Sangyo Co. [ja], with which it shares cross ownership. The company also owned the now-defunct radio station RADIO-i.^[9]

History

Predecessor company

1894: Fiber wholesaler Hattori Kensaburo Shoten (Japanese: 服部はっとり兼けん三郎さぶろう商店しょうてん) is established in Nagoya^[2]
1912: Reorganized and established as a corporation, Hattori Shoten Co., Ltd. (Japanese: 株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ服部はっとり商店しょうてん)
1919: Added a spinning operation
1920: Founder Hattori Kensaburo kills himself at age 51 after facing bankruptcy^[5]

Current corporation

1939: Trading division separated and established as Kaneka Hattori Shoten Company, Ltd.
1943: Name changed to Kofu Sangyo Company, Ltd.
1945: Expanded beyond textiles
1960: Name changed to Kowa Company, Ltd.

Promotion

Kowa's mascot is a frog often referred to as Kero-chan.^[10] In 2020, Kowa acquired the naming rights for a Nagoya baseball stadium, now known as the Vantelin Dome Nagoya, after one of its pharmaceutical products.^[11]

References

^ Japan Trade Directory. JETRO. 1994.
^ ^a ^b "CRAiLAR Technologies signs fiber supply agreement with Japan's Kowa Company". SCNow. 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
^ "Kowabo KK - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
^ "Japan expected to see record number of M&A deals in 2021". Kyodo News. 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
^ ^a ^b "明治めいじ名古屋なごやを彩いろどるどえりゃー商人しょうにん服部はっとり兼けん三さん郎ろうが興和こうわの前身ぜんしんを創業そうぎょう". Nagoya Rekishi (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-18.
^ Ohtsuka, K. (1984). The Comprehensive Directory of Japanese Pharmaceutical & Related Firms. Technomic.
^ Callahan, David (2014-08-14). A History of Birdwatching in 100 Objects. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-8665-7.
^ Tangcay, Jazz (2020-11-24). "Beyoncé's 'Black Is King' — Behind the Visuals With DP Santiago Gonzalez". Variety. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
^ "History of the Kowa Group (2000-2004:Arrival of the 21st Century)". kowa.com. 2011. Kowa Co., Ltd. fully entered the FM radio broadcasting business through Aichi International Broadcasting Co., Ltd. The broadcasting range of the company covers the whole Chubu region.
^ Harrison, Edward (2010-07-15). "Pharmacy Mascots". GaijinPot InJapan. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
^ 湯野ゆの, 康隆やすたか (2020-12-10). "興和こうわがナゴヤドームのネーミングライツ取得しゅとく、「バンテリンドームナゴヤ」に". トラベル Watch (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-18.

[1] Japan Trade Directory. JETRO. 1994.

[:0-2] "CRAiLAR Technologies signs fiber supply agreement with Japan's Kowa Company". SCNow. 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2021-10-18.

[3] "Kowabo KK - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2021-10-18.

[4] "Japan expected to see record number of M&A deals in 2021". Kyodo News. 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2021-10-18.

[:1-5] "明治めいじ名古屋なごやを彩いろどるどえりゃー商人しょうにん服部はっとり兼けん三さん郎ろうが興和こうわの前身ぜんしんを創業そうぎょう". Nagoya Rekishi (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-18.

[6] Ohtsuka, K. (1984). The Comprehensive Directory of Japanese Pharmaceutical & Related Firms. Technomic.

[7] Callahan, David (2014-08-14). A History of Birdwatching in 100 Objects. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-8665-7.

[8] Tangcay, Jazz (2020-11-24). "Beyoncé's 'Black Is King' — Behind the Visuals With DP Santiago Gonzalez". Variety. Retrieved 2021-10-18.

[9] "History of the Kowa Group (2000-2004:Arrival of the 21st Century)". kowa.com. 2011. Kowa Co., Ltd. fully entered the FM radio broadcasting business through Aichi International Broadcasting Co., Ltd. The broadcasting range of the company covers the whole Chubu region.

[10] Harrison, Edward (2010-07-15). "Pharmacy Mascots". GaijinPot InJapan. Retrieved 2021-10-18.

[11] 湯野ゆの, 康隆やすたか (2020-12-10). "興和こうわがナゴヤドームのネーミングライツ取得しゅとく、「バンテリンドームナゴヤ」に". トラベル Watch (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-18.

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