A new management team including dentist Junko Kato has been appointed to Hirao Senpei Shoten, a long-established store founded in the Meiji era.
*Hirao Senpei Shoten Co., Ltd.*
Press release: August 20, 2024
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A new management team including dentist Junko Kato has been appointed to Hirao Senpei Shoten, a long-established store founded in the Meiji era.
*We will welcome Junko Kato as representative director and Akashi Oda as director, and will begin product development centered on oral care products. *
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Hirao Senpei Shoten Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Junko Kato) is pleased to announce that Junko Kato has been appointed as Representative Director and President, and Akashi Oda has been appointed as Director, effective April 1, 2024. . *
– *About Hirao Senpei Shoten Co., Ltd.*
Founded in 1878 (Meiji 11), Hirao Senpei Shoten was a cosmetics manufacturer with one of the largest sales volumes in Japan before the war, and was the first domestic company to develop a modern
Western-style toothpaste called Diamond Toothpaste. The cosmetics brand “Late,” which took the world by storm with its unique advertising, was particularly popular. After the new management team takes over, we will focus on product development centered on high-priced oral care products that are both functional and stylish.
*Comment from Akiya Hirao, representative of the founding family* I am very happy that the young management team will be joining Hirao Sanpei Shoten, which was founded 147 years ago by my
great-great-grandfather, Hirao Sanpei. We hope that the Hirao name will open up a new era while following the traditions that our company has built in the past.
*Comments from Representative Directors/Sanpei Hirao III and Junko Kato* We are very honored to be able to realize the release of oral care products, which has been a long-held dream, at Hirao Senpei Shoten, which has a long history and style. Despite the abundance of inexpensive, high-quality oral care products, it is said that 80% of adults suffer from periodontal disease (gingivitis + periodontitis), and proper oral care habits are not yet established. Japan.
One of the major reasons for this is that oral care products lack the joy of choosing, owning, and using them. For example, there are a wide variety of skin care products to choose from, and it’s fun to choose products based on your individual skin type and preferences. However, current oral care products focus only on functionality, with design, scent, texture, etc. There is not enough white space for consumers to enjoy. In order to make oral care a habit, it is essential to have a creative and enjoyable process that increases self-esteem and a sense of fulfillment, just like daily skin care and makeup.
Just as Hirao Senpei Shoten once spread the joy of makeup that makes skin look beautiful in Japan, we will help establish a new standard of oral care habits through the development of oral care products.
*Comment from Director Akashi Oda*
For me, whose job is editing, which connects different things and gives them form, I was able to connect Hirao Senpei Shoten, one of the oldest brands in Japan, with the unique talent of Junko Kato, and to join the management team. Being able to publish it in this form is truly a blessing for me as an editor. Going forward, we will continue to work hard to add a new chapter to Hirao Senpei Shoten’s long history, not only through product design, but also through general communication-related work such as branding and marketing.
* Junko Kato Profile *
Born in 1991, dentist. Started working as a model in 2015. Although her day job is as a dentist, her unique sensibilities have garnered support from women of her generation on social media, and she has become involved in product development in collaboration with a wide variety of brands, including apparel, furniture, and perfume. In 2020, he established a private office to fully pursue his activities as a creative director, and launched the miscellaneous goods brand “AMAL.” DEPARTMENT STORE started. In 2024, furniture created in collaboration with Tendo Mokko was sold exclusively at the Isetan Shinjuku store from the same brand.
*Akashi Oda Profile*
Editor born in Tokyo in 1991. Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Environment and Information Studies. While in high school, he launched the art magazine “LIKTEN” and established the publishing company and editing production company “LIKTEN.LLC.” After that, he published the soccer culture magazine “OFF
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In addition to his writing work, including the founding of “BALL” and a series of illustrations and columns for Kobunsha’s “JJ”, he has also been involved in planning and editing various advertisements and events, and is currently working on an auction business developed to sell limited edition books. He also serves as the representative of the company that operates the system “Hammer Kit.”
Company name: Hirao Senpei Shoten Co., Ltd.
Location: 3-6-2 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative name: Representative director Junko Kato
Business content: Sales of oral care products
https://hiraosampei.jp/