History

March.1946 Kozaburo Kobayashi founded KOBAYASHI UNLIMITED PARTNERSHIP PATNERSHIP in Oji-ku (current Kita-ku), Tokyo, to start manufacturing and marketing of cosmetics.
June.1948 Established KOBAYASHI KOSÉ COMPANY LIMITED at 7-chome, Toshima, Kita-ku, Tokyo.
November.1951 The sales department was split off to form KOSÉ SHOJI CORPORATION.
March.1956 Established ALBION CO., LTD., a manufacturer of premium cosmetics.
October.1961 Established Topak Corporation, a manufacturer of corrugated cardboard and paper containers. (Later merged with INTERCOSME INC.)
May.1963 Signed an agreement with L’Orèal of France for technological cooperation. (The joint venture agreement lasted until August 2001.)
June.1964 Established Sayama Factory in Saitama.
August.1964 Opened a laboratory (current KOSÉ Product Development Research Laboratory) in Kita-ku, Tokyo.
March.1965 Relocated the head office to Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
September.1968 Established KOSÉ (HONG KONG) CO., LTD. in Hong Kong.
August.1971 Established KOSÉ SINGAPORE PTE. LTD. in Singapore.
November.1972 Established KOSÉ (MALAYSIA) SDN. BHD. in Malaysia.
June.1979 Established Gunma Factory in Gunma.
November.1980 Awarded the Deming Prize for Quality Control in Factory Production.
September.1984 Established KOSÉ (THAILAND) Co., Ltd. in Thailand.
September.1984 Established TAIWAN KOSÉ CO., LTD. in Taiwan.
April.1985 Established COSME LABO CO., LTD., a cosmetics manufacturer.
October.1985 Established CRIE CO., LTD., a cosmetics distributor exclusively for salons.
January.1988 Established Chun Si Li Co., LTD. (current KOSÉ COSMETICS CO., LTD. (China)).
(Transferred Equity Interest in May, 2018)
April.1988 Opened a laboratory (current KOSÉ Fundamental Research Laboratory) in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo.
April.1988 Established KOSÉ SALES CO., LTD., a distributor of KOSÉ products.
July.1988 Established KOSÉ COSMEPORT CORP., a cosmetics distributor for wholesalers.
August.1991 The company’s name was changed to KOSÉ Corporation.
September.1992 Established ADVANCE Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary corporation under the Law concerning Employment of Disabled Persons.
October.1993 Established KOSÉ COSMENIENCE CO., LTD., a cosmetics distributor.
March.1997 The accounting period was changed from ending December 31 to ending March 31.
October.1998 Gunma Factory acquired ISO 9002 certification (current ISO 9001).
December.1999 Registered with the Japan Securities Dealers Association (OTC-registered stocks).
September.2000 Gunma Factory acquired ISO 14001 certification.
December Listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
July.2001 Established KOSÉ KOREA CO., LTD. in South Korea.
April.2002 Acquired all shares of PHIL INTERNATIONAL INC. (current Dr. PHIL COSMETICS INC.), a company developing dermatology-based cosmetics.
April.2002 Established KOSÉ COSMEPIA CO., LTD., a distributor of OEM and amenity products.
August.2004 Opened a regional ordering center (current Operation Center) in Akita.
November.2004 Built KOSÉ Research Laboratory (current KOSÉ Product Development Research Laboratory) to establish a new R&D system.
December.2004 Established Hsinchu Factory of TAIWAN KOSÉ CO., LTD in Taiwan.
June.2005 Established KOSÉ COSMETICS SALES (CHINA) CO., LTD. in China.
August.2005 Introduced the JILL STUART brand to the Japanese cosmetics market as a licensed business.
April.2008 Opened KOSÉ Oji Training Center in Kita-ku, Tokyo.
October.2009 Acquired the global trademark rights for JILL STUART brand cosmetics.
August.2011 Established PROVISION CO., LTD. (current KOSÉ PROVISION CO., LTD.), a cosmetics mail-order company.
October.2013 Established KOSÉ Corporation INDIA PVT. LTD. in India.
February.2014 Established PT. INDONESIA KOSÉ in Indonesia.
April.2014 Acquired the stock of US company Tarte, Inc., making it an affiliate.
October.2015 Established KOSÉ America, Inc. in United States.
March.2016 Established KOSÉ INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
March.2016 Established KOSÉ BRASIL COMÉRCIO DE COSMÉTICOS LTDA. in Brazil.
March.2017 Operation Start – New Production Building at the Gunma Plant.
July.2017 Established KOSÉ MILBON COSMETICS to manufacture and distribute cosmetic products through salon channel
October.2017 Opened French Satellite Office of KOSÉ Research Laboratory in Lyon, France
November.2018 Opened “Maison KOSÉ,” the first concept shop in Europe, in Paris, Frace.
March.2019 Established KOSÉ Advanced Technology Research Laboratory in Kita-ku, Tokyo.
Newly built the Advanced Technology Research Center and consolidated its research and development bases in Oji.
July.2019 Established KOSÉ Maruho Pharma Co., Ltd. to plan, develop, and sell OTC drugs and cosmetics.
December.2019 Maison KOSÉ, a new concept store fusing digital platforms, opens in Ginza.
April.2020 KOSÉ Cosmepia, KOSÉ’s amenity business company, merged KOSÉ Corporation’s travel retail business and changed its name to KOSÉ Travel Retail Co., Ltd.
October.2020 Opened a flagship store “Maison KOSÉ Omotesando” in Omotesando, Tokyo, to offer new enjoyable shopping experience.