Itochu

Itochu Corporation (伊藤忠商事株式会社, Itōchū Shōji Kabushiki-gaisha, known in English as C. Itoh & Co. until 1992) is a Japanese corporation based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo.

Itochu is the second-largest Japanese sogo shosha (general trading company) after Mitsubishi Corporation. Among Japanese trading companies, it is distinguished by not being descended from an historical zaibatsu group, but by the strength of its textiles business and its successful business operations in China. It has six major operational divisions specializing in textiles, metals/minerals, food, machinery, energy/chemicals and ICT/general products/real estate. Itochu was ranked 174th on 2013's list of Fortune Global 500 companies with an annual trading revenue of 145 billion USD.

Itochu is a member of the Mizuho keiretsu.

History

Prewar years

Itochu dates the start of its business to 1858, shortly after the opening of Japan to foreign trade, when Chubei Itoh (伊藤 忠兵衛, Itō Chūbei) began door-to-door wholesaling of linen in the regions between Osaka and Kyushu. Itoh founded the "Benichu" drapery store in the Honmachi district of Osaka in 1872. This site was renamed "Itoh Honten" in 1884 and became the Itoh Thread and Yarn Store in 1893, which was renamed "C. Itoh & Co." in 1914.