In 1887, Kanebo started as the Kanegafuchi Spinning Company, a textile manufacturer, and over the next 70 years they became one of the largest textile companies in Japan.
After expanding into confectionery, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics during the 1960s, Kanegafuchi was renamed Kanebo in 1971 when the cosmetics department absorbed the rest of the company.
In 2007, Kanebo was separated from the rest of the company and acquired by Kao Corporation, Japan’s leading cosmetics brand, responsible for Bioré, Curel, Sofina, Kate, and more.
Now Kanebo and Kanebo Kate sell some of the most widely-used cosmetics and skincare products in Japan.