SUKIYA Founder Kentaro Ogawa Passes Away; From Yoshinoya Employee to Building a Trillion-Yen Restaurant Empire
Kentaro Ogawa, founder of SUKIYA, passed away after a myocardial infarction in January. He started ZENSHO in 1982 after leaving Yoshinoya, growing it into a trillion-yen restaurant empire. Despite past labor criticisms, he improved employee conditions and expanded internationally. ZENSHO Holdings achieved 1.1366 trillion yen in revenue in fiscal 2024, becoming Japan's first restaurant company to surpass this milestone.
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- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 14:11
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According to reports from NHK and FNN, Ogawa was born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1948. After dropping out of the University of Tokyo, he joined the beef bowl chain Yoshinoya, and later founded ZENSHO independently in 1982, establishing a bento shop. This shop was the predecessor of the beef bowl chain Sukiya. Subsequently, Sukiya expanded nationwide, leading to rapid company growth.
However, in 2014, the company was criticized for issues such as leaving only one employee on duty late at night, leading to excessive burdens on staff. The company then began to review its labor management, for example, by assigning multiple employees to stores.
On the other hand, amidst a shortage of personnel in the restaurant industry, the company and the union reached an agreement in the 2021 spring labor negotiations, committing to continuous annual wage increases until 2030, promoting improved employee treatment.
Additionally, ZENSHO Holdings actively acquired overseas businesses, such as American takeout sushi operators, to expand its international operations. In fiscal year 2024, ZENSHO Holdings' revenue reached 1.1366 trillion yen, becoming the first restaurant company in Japan to exceed 1 trillion yen (approximately NT$203.6 billion) in revenue, achieving this remarkable feat under Ogawa's leadership.
Ogawa's corporate philosophy was 'to take responsibility for the stability and development of human society through food, and to eliminate hunger and poverty in the world.'
According to the official website of ZENSHO Holdings, as of March 2025, ZENSHO operates 15,419 stores and employs 195,806 people.
ZENSHO Holdings stated that Ogawa had been recuperating in the hospital since suffering a myocardial infarction in January this year and passed away yesterday. The funeral will be limited to family and close associates, with a memorial service to be held later. (Compiler: Yang Wei-ching) 1150407
However, in 2014, the company was criticized for issues such as leaving only one employee on duty late at night, leading to excessive burdens on staff. The company then began to review its labor management, for example, by assigning multiple employees to stores.
On the other hand, amidst a shortage of personnel in the restaurant industry, the company and the union reached an agreement in the 2021 spring labor negotiations, committing to continuous annual wage increases until 2030, promoting improved employee treatment.
Additionally, ZENSHO Holdings actively acquired overseas businesses, such as American takeout sushi operators, to expand its international operations. In fiscal year 2024, ZENSHO Holdings' revenue reached 1.1366 trillion yen, becoming the first restaurant company in Japan to exceed 1 trillion yen (approximately NT$203.6 billion) in revenue, achieving this remarkable feat under Ogawa's leadership.
Ogawa's corporate philosophy was 'to take responsibility for the stability and development of human society through food, and to eliminate hunger and poverty in the world.'
According to the official website of ZENSHO Holdings, as of March 2025, ZENSHO operates 15,419 stores and employs 195,806 people.
ZENSHO Holdings stated that Ogawa had been recuperating in the hospital since suffering a myocardial infarction in January this year and passed away yesterday. The funeral will be limited to family and close associates, with a memorial service to be held later. (Compiler: Yang Wei-ching) 1150407