Route Stile

Route Stile Co., Ltd. (株式会社ルートスタイル) is a Japanese B2B apparel wholesaler headquartered in Osaka. The company traces its origins to 1900, when it was founded as Maeda Riemon Shoten in Osaka's Nishi-ku. It was incorporated in 1951 as Marumitsu Co., Ltd., and in 1959 shifted to a self-service cash wholesale format for general apparel. In 1983 it introduced a corporate identity strategy and adopted the trade name Pro Route Marumitsu, changing its legal name to Pro Route Marumitsu Co., Ltd. in 1988. The company listed its shares over the counter in 1988 and moved to JASDAQ in 2004. Route Stile operates a membership-based wholesale business for retail stores, offering women's apparel, accessories, and interior goods. Its main channel is its Osaka main store, supplemented by the online wholesale platform "ROUTE STYLE online," a dedicated app, and telephone/fax ordering. The company states it handles approximately 100,000 items annually from about 500 manufacturers in Japan and overseas, with a minimum order of one piece. It also operates a brand product business, including the original brand co;ill nine. In the 2020s the company faced severe financial and legal difficulties. In April 2023, improper receipt of COVID-19 employment adjustment subsidies was discovered, and accounting irregularities led to a qualified opinion from its auditor. In December 2023, the company filed for civil rehabilitation (会社更生法) at the Osaka District Court, and in January 2024 it was delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market. In July 2024, the Osaka District Court approved its rehabilitation plan, and the company changed its name to Route Stile Co., Ltd. In July 2025, it concluded a rehabilitation sponsor agreement with Shinnosuke Murakami, president of S Foods, and in August 2025 the Osaka District Court issued a decision terminating the rehabilitation proceedings. The company continues to operate its wholesale and online businesses.

Route Stile Co., Ltd. traces its history to 1900, when it was founded as Maeda Riemon Shoten in Utsubo-cho, Nishi-ku, Osaka. In 1919 it moved to Honmachi, Higashi-ku, and changed its name to Maeda Mitsu Shoten, beginning mail-order sales with a direct mail publication titled "Yo Tanmono Dayori." In January 1946, it changed its trade name to Marumitsu Shoten, resuming business activities that had been reduced during the war. In March 1951, it was incorporated as Marumitsu Co., Ltd. in Minamikyuhouji-machi 1-chome, Higashi-ku, Osaka. In September 1959, it shifted to a self-service cash wholesale format for general apparel. In September 1971, the company introduced online computers and began unit control inventory management. In August 1983, it introduced a corporate identity strategy and changed its trade name to "Pro Route Marumitsu," opening the former Osaka main store. In November 1984, it developed and introduced the industry's first cashless purchasing card, the "Pro Route Card." In June 1988, it changed its legal name to Pro Route Marumitsu Co., Ltd. In November 1988, its shares were publicly listed over the counter, and in December 2004 it listed on JASDAQ. In June 2019, the current Osaka main store opened. In 2020, Pro Route Marumitsu made Sanko Advance a subsidiary through a share exchange, but Sanko Advance had no actual business operations and was used to inflate the parent company's earnings. In November 2022, the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission conducted a mandatory investigation of Pro Route Marumitsu on suspicion of violations of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. In April 2023, improper receipt of COVID-19 employment adjustment subsidies was discovered, and the Osaka Labour Bureau ordered repayment of approximately 260 million yen. In August 2023, the president resigned to take responsibility. In September 2023, the accounting auditor Nagisa Audit Corporation terminated its client contract, leaving the company without an accounting auditor. In October 2023, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office arrested the president, the president of Wealth Brothers, and a former chairman on suspicion of false statements in securities reports. On December 5, 2023, Pro Route Marumitsu filed for civil rehabilitation at the Osaka District Court, with liabilities of 2.703 billion yen. On January 5, 2024, the court issued a decision to commence civil rehabilitation proceedings, and on January 6, 2024, the company was delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market. On April 10, 2024, the company announced it would consolidate its general apparel wholesale and brand product businesses and withdraw from beauty and healthcare businesses, and on April 22, 2024, it began operating with a single Osaka main store. On May 27, 2024, the head office moved near the Osaka main store. On June 7, 2024, the company announced its rehabilitation plan, which was approved by a majority vote and confirmed by the Osaka District Court on July 19, 2024. At the same time, the company changed its name to Route Stile Co., Ltd. and implemented a 100% capital reduction, with new shares allocated to a general incorporated association organized by the trustee committee. On July 22, 2024, the Tokyo District Court sentenced the former chairman to two years in prison, suspended for four years. On September 11, 2024, the Tokyo District Court fined Route Stile 10 million yen. On September 25, 2024, the former president was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for four years, and the sentence became final. On July 8, 2025, Route Stile concluded a rehabilitation sponsor agreement with Shinnosuke Murakami, president of S Foods. On July 31, 2025, it made a lump-sum repayment of rehabilitation claims, and on August 19, 2025, the Osaka District Court issued a decision terminating the civil rehabilitation proceedings. On May 18, 2026, the Tokyo District Court sentenced the president of Wealth Brothers to three years in prison, suspended for five years.

• Founded as Maeda Riemon Shoten in Nishi-ku, Osaka

• Moved to Honmachi, Higashi-ku; renamed Maeda Mitsu Shoten; began mail-order sales

• Renamed Marumitsu Shoten

• Incorporated as Marumitsu Co., Ltd.

• Shifted to self-service cash wholesale format for general apparel

• Introduced online computers and unit control inventory management

• Introduced CI strategy; changed trade name to Pro Route Marumitsu; former Osaka main store opened

• Developed and introduced the industry's first cashless purchasing card, the Pro Route Card

• Changed legal name to Pro Route Marumitsu Co., Ltd.

• Shares publicly listed over the counter

• Listed on JASDAQ

• Osaka main store opened

• Improper receipt of COVID-19 employment adjustment subsidies discovered; ordered to repay approximately 260 million yen

• Filed for civil rehabilitation at Osaka District Court

• Osaka District Court issued decision to commence civil rehabilitation proceedings

• Delisted from Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market

• Rehabilitation plan approved; company renamed Route Stile Co., Ltd.

• Rehabilitation sponsor agreement signed with Shinnosuke Murakami

• Osaka District Court issued decision terminating civil rehabilitation proceedings

Membership-based B2B apparel wholesaler for retail stores, offering one-piece minimum orders and a wide range of women's apparel and accessories.

• Women's tops

• Women's outerwear

• Women's bottoms

• Innerwear

• Fashion accessories

• Interior goods

• co;ill nine original brand

• Improper receipt of COVID-19 employment adjustment subsidies

• False statements in securities reports (window dressing)

Read more

• Consolidation of businesses and withdrawal from beauty and healthcareOther

• 100% capital reduction and allocation of new sharesOther

1. 1Route Stile official websiteroutestyle.co.jp
2. 2Company informationroutestyle.co.jp
3. 3Company profileroutestyle.co.jp
4. 4Wikipedia article on Route Stileja.wikipedia.org
5. 5Wikidata entrywikidata.org
6. 6お客様へのサービス – 大阪の本町でアパレル婦人服のお仕入れなら卸のルートスタイルroutestyle.co.jp