Ocean Co., Ltd. Strengthens Organizational Structure Amid Business Expansion Ahead of Tax-Free System Reform
Ocean is ramping up organizational strengthening and hiring in earnest to respond to tax-free system reforms and the expansion of inbound tourism.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 03:02
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (18h 57m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 05:25 (415h 26m after Collected)
Ocean Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Ryo Hoshino; hereinafter "Ocean") announces a strengthening of its organizational structure, driven by accelerating preparations for the tax-free system reform (refund method) scheduled for November 2026 and ongoing business expansion. The company has published the founding story by Representative Director Hoshino on "note," launched employee interviews on its careers page, and begun mid-career recruitment on "doda." In order to further evolve its proprietary services — including "Ocean Tax Refund," which features the world's first (※) tax-free LINE Mini App — Ocean is now actively stepping up hiring for its next phase of growth. (※ Based on the company's own research)
The Expanding Inbound Market and Tax-Free System Reform
In 2025, the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached approximately 42.68 million, with total travel spending of approximately 9.5 trillion yen — both all-time records (Source: Japan Tourism Agency / JNTO). Japan's inbound market continues to grow, and the importance of the tax-free and tax refund sector — which supports the shopping experience of visitors to Japan — is greater than ever.
Against this backdrop, Japan's tax-free system will undergo a major shift in November 2026, moving from the conventional "point-of-purchase tax exemption" to a "deferred refund method." This reform will require tax-free-eligible stores across the country to redesign their operations and introduce new systems. Ocean views this reform as an opportunity for the evolution of the tourism industry as a whole and is actively preparing to respond.
>> For an explanatory article on the new tax-free system, please visit here
Ocean Moves to Strengthen Organizational Structure Ahead of Tax-Free System Reform
With an eye toward the November 2026 tax-free system reform, Ocean has implemented the following organizational strengthening measures to further advance merchant expansion, product development, and partnership building.
1. Publication of Ocean Representative Hoshino's Founding Story on "note"
Ocean has begun publishing articles for recruitment PR purposes on "note," the media platform operated by note, Inc.
As the first installment, the founding story by Representative Director Hoshino has been posted, conveying what he hopes to achieve at Ocean based on his past experiences.
