From Internal Records to Society's Memory: 120-Year-Old Can Manufacturer Sobajima Seikan Achieves Crowdfunding Goal for Company History Book in Two Weeks. Next Challenge: Connecting 'Can Culture' to the Future with 1,000 People.

Sobajima Seikan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Oharu-cho, Ama-gun, Aichi Prefecture; Representative Director: Takaya Ishikawa), a can manufacturer founded in Meiji 39 (1906), is pleased to announce that its crowdfunding campaign for the publication of its 120th-anniversary company history book, which began on April 21, 2026, achieved its initial goal of 2 million yen within two weeks, receiving over 200 pre-orders. The company is now setting a new challenge to reach 1,000 supporters.

**Challenging the New Form of Anniversary: "Open History"**

Typically, a company's "company history" is compiled as a record of its trajectory and achievements, mostly distributed free of charge to employees and stakeholders. Its contents are rarely widely known. However, at the milestone of its 120th anniversary, Sobajima Seikan has re-evaluated the nature of this company history, aiming to create "a cool book that people would want to buy." This company history is not merely a 120th-anniversary commemoration for a long-established SME; it is a challenge to the world, proposing a new form of anniversary called "Open History," which opens the company history to the outside world.

**Overwhelming Response: More than 200 Pre-orders in Just Two Weeks**

This project began as a crowdfunding campaign for pre-orders towards publication. It was unknown how much of a response a "company history," typically an "internal record," would receive from the general public, and only a small portion of its content was disclosed. Nevertheless, it has shown an overwhelming response, receiving support from over 200 people in just about two weeks since its launch.

**"To not let it end as an internal record, but to preserve the culture of cans for the future, we want to deliver it to 1,000 people."**

**Representative Director Takaya Ishikawa**

"A small company publishing a company history book" is an unprecedented challenge. In the planning stages, there were many instances where understanding was difficult to obtain, and the project itself almost stalled. However, thanks to the participation of leading figures from various fields who resonated with our desire to "connect the charm and culture of Japanese cans to the future" and "make the existence of culture originating from SMEs more widely recognized by society," we were able to complete a visual book. Although we have achieved the initial crowdfunding goal, we continue to aim to deliver it to 1,000 people. We believe that only when we reach that number will the "company history" truly transform from an "internal record" into "society's memory." With sincerity to everyone who cooperated in this publication, and for the future of Japanese culture, we are advancing this project with the determination to deliver the book to 1,000 people.

**Project Overview**

* **Project Page** "Sobajima Seikan 120th Anniversary Company History Book Project. Delivering the story of cans made for 120 years to those who love cans." https://motion-gallery.net/projects/SOBAJIMAcanCOMPANY-120th

* **Support Recruitment Period** April 21, 2026 (Tuesday) 12:00 PM - June 30, 2026 (Tuesday) 11:59 PM

* **Project Progress** Collectors: 209 people Amount collected to date: 2,347,020 yen Remaining days: 51 days (As of May 11, 2026, 09:00 AM)

* **Main Rewards** Company History 'Sobajima Seikan' 1 book course: 6,000 yen Company History 'Sobajima Seikan' 1 book & Sobajima 120th Anniversary Goods course: 16,000 yen Company History 'Sobajima Seikan' 1 book & Factory Tour course: 22,000 yen Company History 'Sobajima Seikan' 10 books & Behind-the-Scenes Talk Event course: 125,000 yen

* **Future Stretch Goals and Additional Rewards** 4 million yen: One original sticker added for all supporters 6 million yen: One postcard with other cuts from the company history production added for all supporters 8 million yen: Supporter-exclusive! Offline discussion event to read the company history together 10 million yen: All supporters' names printed on an iron plate (can material) and displayed at Sobajima Seikan

*Additional rewards may be subject to change.

**Table of Contents (Partial)**

From Mr. Matsunaga's Workshop / "People" and "Machines" working in the factory Exploring the birthplace of cans ━━ Kenya Hara and I thought about cans Knowing cans better (Can encyclopedia / Can catalog / Can trivia) Stories of cans from creators and employees Julien Birban Levy / Sayaka Botanic / Chiharu Seino / Funny Dress-up Lab The Deep World of Cans by Puu Nakata Tanka by Machi Tawara Sobajima Seikan Dissected! Tomonori Yonemura / Sobajima Seikan Glossary Stories of people who make cans Sobajima Seikan Town Walk History of Sobajima Seikan Chie Yamano and Takaya Ishikawa, inheriting 120 years of can making

**Credits**

**[Production]**

Kaori Okamura, Aya Kanamori (Design) Tomonori Yonemura (Illustration) Hikaru Degawa (Editing, Photography, Text)