Shiseido

Shiseido Company, Limited, founded in Tokyo in 1872, is a Japanese multinational cosmetics giant. It ranks as the fifth largest cosmetic company globally and the largest in Japan, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022. The company's product range spans skin care, makeup, body care, hair care, and fragrances. Shiseido operates through numerous brands and subsidiaries worldwide, with its flagship label available at department stores and pharmacies across Japan. The company is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a component of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX Large70 indices. With a history stretching back over a century, Shiseido has built a reputation for blending Eastern aesthetics with Western science, influencing beauty trends globally.

Arinobu Fukuhara, former head pharmacist to the Imperial Japanese Navy, opened the first Western-style pharmacy in Ginza on September 17, 1872. The name Shiseido comes from a passage in the Chinese classic I Ching, meaning to praise the virtues of the earth that nurtures new life. After traveling to the United States and Europe, Fukuhara added a soda fountain to the store, which later evolved into the Shiseido Parlor restaurant chain and introduced ice cream to Japan. His son, Shinzo Fukuhara, who studied art and photography in Paris, became the company's first president in 1915. He designed the iconic camellia logo and transformed Shiseido into a beauty and lifestyle brand with a distinct visual identity.

Today, Shiseido's portfolio includes premium brands such as NARS, Clé de Peau Beauté, and ANESSA, alongside its namesake line. In 2021, the company sold its personal care business to CVC Capital Partners, transferring brands to Fine Today Shiseido, to concentrate on the premium cosmetics segment. Kentaro Fujiwara assumed the role of President and CEO in January 2025, succeeding Masahiko Uotani. The company's core philosophy rests on five management principles established in 1921: quality first, co-existence and co-prosperity, respect for customers, corporate stability, and sincerity. [edit]