Kao Corporation facts for kids
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Kao headquarters in Tokyo, Japan
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| Public (K.K) | |
| Traded as | TYO: 4452 TOPIX Large 70 Component |
| Industry | Personal care, Cosmetics |
| Founded | June 1882 Nihonbashi-Bakurocho, Tokyo, Japan |
| Founder | Tomiro Nagase |
| Headquarters | , |
| Revenue |  ¥1,381,997 million (2020) |
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Operating income
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¥175,563 million (2020) |
| ¥128,067 million (2020) |
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| Total assets |  ¥1,665,616 million (2020) |
| Total equity | ¥938,194 million (2020) |
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Number of employees
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33,409 (consolidated) (2020) |
Kao Corporation is a big Japanese company that makes many products you might use every day! They create things like soaps, shampoos, makeup, and cleaning supplies. Their main office is in Tokyo, Japan.
Contents
How Kao Started
Kao Corporation began a long time ago in 1882. A person named Tomiro Nagase started the company. At first, they only made soap for homes.
For many years, the company was called "Kao Soap Company." Then, in 1985, its name changed to Kao Corporation.
Growing the Company
1960s and 1970s
During the 1960s and 1970s, Kao started selling its products in other countries. They expanded to places like Taiwan and countries in Southeast Asia. They also began making ingredients for their products.
Kao launched many new household items during this time. These included laundry detergents like New Beads and fabric softeners like Humming. They also made cleaning products such as Haiter bleach and Magiclean.
1980s
In the 1980s, Kao introduced some very popular products. These included Merries diapers and Attack laundry detergent. They also launched skincare brands like Bioré and Curel, and makeup from Sofina.
Kao also teamed up with other companies. They bought companies in North America and Europe, like Andrew Jergens Company and Goldwell AG.
1990s and 2000s
During the 1990s and 2000s, Kao continued to grow. They started selling products in China and Vietnam. These countries were opening up their economies to the world.
Kao also began making food products like Econa and Healthya. They bought more companies, including John Frieda (haircare), Molton Brown (luxury bath products), and Kanebo Cosmetics.
Kao's Achievements
Kao Corporation is known for being a responsible company. In 2020, it was ranked very high among personal care and cleaning product companies. This was because of its great ideas, how it keeps employees happy, and its eco-friendly products.
Kao also won the "Environmental Heroes of the Year" award in 2020. This award recognized their efforts in making products that are good for the environment.
In 2021, two of Kao's special products were chosen for space! The 3D Space Shampoo Sheet and the Space Laundry Sheet were sent to the International Space Station in 2022. This was done with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Popular Brands by Kao
Kao owns many well-known brands. Here are some of them:
- Attack
- Ban
- Bondi Sands
- Bioré
- Biozet
- Curel
- Goldwell
- Guhl
- Healthya
- Jergens
- John Frieda
- Kanebo
- Kate
- KMS
- Laurier
- Liese
- Magiclean
- MegRhythm
- Merries
- Merit
- Molton Brown
- Oribe
- Segreta
- Sensai
- Sofina
- Success
Images for kids
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This picture was part of an advertisement for Woodbury's Facial Soap in 1917.
