Our Challenge for Our 115th Year

Our company TASHIMA traces its roots back to Tashima Chozaburo Shoten, a maker and wholesaler
of Kishu lacquerware that flourished in Kuroe, Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture, since olden times.
A craft that binds a wooden vessel and the sap known as urushi, or lacquer, with the craftsman’s skill:
this heritage of pride in genuine quality was eventually passed on in the city of Kobe.

In 1899, Chozaburo Tashima opened a business in Kobe, which was then the busiest international
trading port in the East. Founding the trading company Tashima Shoten, he began trading with
Australia. It was in that same year that the Kobe Foreign Settlement was returned to Japan, and the
city of Kobe became even livelier than before.

The company’s original office was in the same place as the current one, on Flower Road across from
Higashi Yuenchi Park. This is the location of japan’s first Western-style park, opened in the days of
the foreigners-only settlement, and is now a public park.

In its halcyon days, Tashima Shoten engaged in imports and exports here, chiefly silk fabrics and
natural rubber. Introducing Japan’s special products overseas, and new things and culture from
around the world here in Japan, the company contributed to the modernization of the country.

Times have changed greatly since then. The company’s progress has followed the development of
Kobe into an international city, and in 2014, we celebrated the 115th anniversary of Tashima
Incorporated.

In 2010 TASHIMA launched Plusui, an original brand of natural mineral water and platinum aqua
skincare products. These are simple, natural, fine quality and high-functioning products of the
kind the modern era demands. Both were born from our encounter with the unheated alkali ion
water that bubbles from the ground of Onuma Quasi-National Park in Hokkaido.

Then in 2015, our skincare cosmetics evolved even further,
becoming the improved Plusui N series.

At TASHIMA, taking “the quest for new possibilities in beauty” as our theme and keeping our focus
especially on women’s beauty and health, we will continue to follow in the steps of our predecessors
by delivering fine-quality goods and services both at home and abroad.

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About the Company / History

History

1899	Set up by founder Chozaburo Tashima as Tashima Shoten. Began trading business in Kobe.
1910s~	Exported goods such as silk fabrics, ceramics, etc., chiefly to Australia.
1920s~	Expanded market to Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, and Africa. In addition to textiles, also carried out businesses such as importing raw rubber and acting as agent for an overseas steamship company.
1977	In hopes of development for Kobe’s small and medium trading businesses, set up current building “Kobe Import Wholesale Center”.
1995	Kimiko Ito becomes Representative Director. Engaged in creating original products (fashion, accessories, etc.), and in importing and wholesale business.
2010	As a new line of business, began development and sales of natural mineral water and skincare brand “Plusui”.

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Our predecessors, who laid the foundations of TASHIMA

On the left in the front row is Chozaburo Tashima, the first president of the company. At the left of the back row is Eizaburo Tashima, the second president. In the middle is Yoshimatsu Tashima, who in 1938 contributed his efforts to the formation, under wartime regulations, of Japan’s first import association, the Nippon Rubber Import Association. He became the first chairman of the Association’s board of directors, also becoming a director at Tashima Shoten, and worked for the continuation of all sorts of industries that use raw rubber.

	The former Tashima Building. On the same spot as the current building, facing Flower Road. Photo taken in 1928.
	Scene of the welcoming party for Eizaburo Tashima (second president, and grandfather of the current president) and his wife, Miyo, on their arrival in Australia, early Taisho (1912~1926) period. Important people in the Australian business world were in attendance.
	Tashima Shoten employees posted to Australia, along with local employees.