From Textiles to Manga: Japanese Companies Celebrating Major Anniversaries in 2026
Economy- English
- 日本語
- 简体字
- 繁體字
- Français
- Español
- العربية
- Русский
Centennial Celebrations for 2,371 Companies
According to data collected by Teikoku Databank, 2,371 Japanese companies will have their centennials in 2026, while 17,939 will celebrate 50 years in business. A total of 145,159 firms will mark decade milestone anniversaries.
One such company celebrating its centennial is Toyota Industries Corporation, the first enterprise from the Toyoda family behind today’s automotive giant Toyota. The company was founded in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, in November 1926 to manufacture and sell the Type G Automatic Loom invented by Toyoda Sakichi, the great-grandfather of Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Toyoda Akio. Sakichi invented a hand-operated loom in 1890, after which he obtained a series of patents and implemented them in the spinning and weaving industries. In 1924, more than 30 years after his first invention, he successfully developed a ground-breaking automatic loom that could run non-stop with no need to manually change shuttles.
Two other textile industry companies will also mark 100 years. Toray Industries (formerly Tōyō Rayon) and Kuraray (formerly Kurashiki Kenshoku) were both established with the intention of commercially producing rayon, a silk-like manufactured fiber and the first of its kind at the time. It is a clear indication that textile and fabric-linked industries were the main drive behind Japan’s economy in the early twentieth century.
Another company celebrating its centennial is Shūeisha, renowned for its publication of the manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump, where global hits like Captain Tsubasa, Dragon Ball, Slam Dunk, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba got their start.
Major Japanese Companies Celebrating Centennials in 2026
| Shūeisha (Chiyoda, Tokyo) | Engaged in the publishing industry and responsible for the weekly manga anthology Shōnen Jump, featuring works like Captain Tsubasa and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. |
| Shin-Etsu Chemical (Chiyoda, Tokyo) | A comprehensive chemical manufacturer. |
| Kanetetsu Delica Foods (Kobe, Hyōgo) | Makes fish-paste products, such as kamaboko and chikuwa. |
| Fuji Kyūkō (Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi) | Operates the Fujikyūkō Line, the closest railway line to Mount Fuji. |
| Iseki & Co. (Arakawa, Tokyo) | Manufactures agricultural machinery, including tractors and rice planters. |
A company celebrating an even larger anniversary is Kikkawa. Established in 1626 in the early Edo period (1603–1868), this seller of processed salmon products will mark its 400th year in business. Meanwhile, the comprehensive printing company Dai Nippon Printing will turn 150.
Major Companies Celebrating Anniversaries in 2026
| 400 years: Kikkawa (Murakami, Niigata) | Specializes in selling processed salmon products. |
| 150 years: Dai Nippon Printing (Shinjuku, Tokyo) | Has evolved from traditional printing into the field of information technology. |
| 50 years: Hands (Shinjuku, Tokyo) | A department store chain that provides lifestyle products. There is always something interesting to find in store. |
| 50 years: Jojoen (Minato, Tokyo) | A nationwide yakiniku barbecue restaurant chain. |
Data Sources
- Survey of celebrating major anniversaries in Japan 2026 (Japanese) by Teikoku Databank.
- The story of Toyoda Sakichi by Toyota Industries Corporation.
- News release of donation of type G automatic loom to Britain’s Science Museum by Toyota Motor Corporation.
- Toray history by Toray Industries.
- Kuraray history by Kuraray.
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: The non-stop shuttle change automatic loom that Toyoda Sakichi completed in 1924. Courtesy Toyota Motor Corporation. In 2000, Toyota donated one of these machines to the Science Museum in London.)