A 100-Year-Old Soap Company Expands from Washing to Skincare: We Continue to Create Products that Respond to the Desire to Care for Oneself and Others!
Kimura Soap, a century-old company, launches its first skincare brand "HASHUKA" and plans to develop basic cosmetics using its own original ingredients from Okinawa.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 21:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 13:00 (380h 13m after Collected)
About Kimura Soap
Kimura Soap Industrial Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yao City, Osaka; Representative Director: Shoichiro Kimura) is a manufacturer that has been producing soaps and detergents for over 100 years since its establishment in 1924 (Taisho 13).
It is a small factory in Yao City, Osaka, that still preserves the "kama-daki (cauldron-boiled) method," which is rarely found in Japan, and crafts soaps with the experience and intuition of its artisans. Building on the quality and technology cultivated through OEM, the company has been focusing on developing and selling its own brands since around 2015.
Starting with the detergent brand "SOMALI," followed by hair care "12/JU-NI," and then in 2026, launching its first skincare brand "HASHUKA," the company is expanding its range of products that cater to daily life.
This commitment to manufacturing was affirmed in July 2025 with the international certification "B Corp™." B Corp is a system that certifies companies contributing to society, environment, employees, and local communities through their business. Our desire to be more than just "a company that makes good products" and to be seen as "a company we're glad exists" was re-articulated through this certification milestone.
Kimura Soap's Dream
Kimura Soap has always been close to daily life through "washing." Removing dirt, caring for the body, cultivating the skin. Washing and grooming are fundamentally the same: an act of cherishing oneself and others.
Even on days when things don't go well, we try to face them again. We believe that these small accumulations gradually enrich our lives and feelings. That's why Kimura Soap has continued to create products that support "sustainable care" rather than "perfect care."
When creating products, Representative Director Shoichiro Kimura always asks:
"Can I confidently give this as a gift to someone important? It's not about a marketing idea like 'this product would sell if it were in this position,' but rather creating from my own perspective."
As the phrase "Life, Feelings, Sparkling" suggests, Kimura Soap's dream is to continue creating products that respond to the desire to care for oneself and others in all aspects of daily life.
Initiatives to Realize the Dream
(1) Hair Care "12/JU-NI" Born from the Foundation of Soap Making
The craft shampoo "12/JU-NI," launched in 2019, is a lifelong product created by development manager Tago over five years. It was designed to prevent hair from feeling stiff or tangled during washing, rinsing, and after drying, even for those with highly damaged hair from bleaching. This ideal formulation was pursued together with Kimura Soap's artisans.
"12/JU-NI" was born from the developer's desire to "create conscientious and authentic products" and Kimura Soap's environment of honest manufacturing. It garnered a significant response on social media and grew into a brand with annual sales of approximately 300 million yen.
(2) Skincare for Caregivers "HASHUKA"
In January 2026, Kimura Soap launched its first skincare brand, "HASHUKA." The name is a coined word inspired by leaves (HA), seeds (SHU), and flowers (KA), embodying the concept of "cultivating" inspired by the robust vitality of plants.
Similar to cleaning and laundry, HASHUKA proposes skincare that supports "daily care" that continues even on days when things don't go well, aiming to "re-balance" the skin. Instead of excessive function-first claims, it delivers plant extracts and proven ingredients that have long supported the skin, in the necessary quantities and balance. Development manager Tago states:
"I create products that I am satisfied with and would want to buy myself. Having suffered from atopic dermatitis for many years, I wanted to incorporate ingredients that truly felt good for the skin into the formulation without compromise."
── Kentaro Tago, Technology Development Department
The first product is a night-time finishing emulsion that recreates the lamellar structure found in the stratum corneum. This product also uses extracts from Okinawa's getto (shell ginger). Moving forward, the lineup will be sequentially expanded to include facial cleansers and lotions.
(3) Developing Original Ingredients from Okinawan Plants
Many cosmetic manufacturers purchase raw materials from specialized companies and combine them to create products. While large cosmetic manufacturers may develop and possess their own plant extracts, this is not easy for small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Since 2021, in agreement with the developer's long-held dream of "creating original ingredients from Okinawan plants," a research institute has been established in Okinawa, where a developer is permanently stationed. Okinawa is said to have about 1.5 times the UV radiation of Tokyo. The plants that grow there have adapted to harsh environments and possess powerful vitality. To extract this power, research is being conducted on multiple plants, including Okinawan mugwort (fuchiba) and nigana.
"We want to deliver products that we truly believe are good, not just by trusting data from raw material companies, but by evaluating them ourselves."
This sincerity is the very essence of Kimura Soap's manufacturing philosophy, built up through its soap-making history.
Future Challenges
Kimura Soap aims to launch skincare products formulated with its independently developed original plant extracts from Okinawa.
From raw material selection to extraction, evaluation, and formulation, we pursue everything with our own hands. This is a challenge that only we, who have been making soap "from scratch," can embody. Our future dream at Kimura Soap is to one day deliver skincare infused with the power of Okinawa's nature to everyone.
■Kimura Soap Industrial Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 2-1-30 Kitakameicho, Yao City, Osaka 581-0066
Representative: Shoichiro Kimura, President and Representative Director
Established: April 1, 1924 (Taisho 13)
Tel: 072-994-7333 Fax: 072-993-7188
URL:https://www.kimurasoap.co.jp/
Business Activities: Manufacturing and sales of household soaps, detergents/cleaning agents, and cosmetics.
Manufacturing and sales of detergents/cleaning agents for public baths, laundry, and coin laundries.
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FAQ
What is the new skincare brand launched by Kimura Soap?
It's "HASHUKA." Inspired by the vitality of plants, its concept is "cultivating" to re-balance the skin.
Why is Kimura Soap developing original ingredients in Okinawa?
They focus on the powerful vitality of plants grown in Okinawa's harsh environment, aiming to deliver truly good products by self-evaluating and developing ingredients, reflecting their honest manufacturing philosophy.
What is B Corp certification?
It's an international system that certifies companies contributing to society, environment, employees, and local communities through their business. Kimura Soap obtained it in July 2025.