SEKISHO CORPORATION

SEKISHO CORPORATION (関彰商事株式会社) is a Japanese general trading company headquartered in Ibaraki Prefecture, with a dual head-office structure in Shimodate (Chikusei City) and Tsukuba since 2016. It was founded in 1908 by Akira Seki as Sekisho Shoten in Shimodate, and in its early years sold fuel to fishing boats at ports in Ibaraki and Fukushima prefectures. It was incorporated as Sekisho Shoten Co., Ltd. in 1938 and adopted its current name, Sekisho Corporation, in 1966. The company's core business is energy: wholesale and direct sales of fuels, proposals and sales of energy to municipalities and corporate clients, home energy and residential equipment, and green transformation services such as support for conversion to natural gas and the design and installation of residential and industrial solar power systems. Through group companies it operates service stations under the ENEOS, Enejet and Idemitsu banners, and runs LP gas retail and safety operations. Beyond energy, the Sekisho Group is organized around four broad business domains: Energy, Mobility, Business and Life. In mobility it sells Honda vehicles through Sekisho Honda, and Mercedes-Benz and Porsche vehicles through Stern Tsukuba and Salzburg Motors respectively, and it operates an Orix Rent-a-Car business. In business services it sells and maintains IT equipment and office furniture to corporate clients, provides digital transformation system design and development, and offers engineering, electrical construction and human-resources services, including through Sekisho Vietnam Company Limited. In life services it sells SoftBank and Y!mobile phones, operates FamilyMart convenience stores and ENEOS service stations, runs day services, group homes and assisted-living facilities for the elderly, and operates a special nursing home and a licensed nursery school through the Sekiyokai social welfare corporation. The group comprises around 26 group companies operating mainly in and around Ibaraki Prefecture. It has expanded overseas, establishing Sekisho Vietnam in Hanoi in 2017 to provide human-resources services matching Vietnamese science and engineering talent with Japanese companies. It also opened the mixed-use commercial facility SEKISHO Mi・La・Pa in Tsukuba Mirai City in 2019, combining a gas station, car dealership and mobile phone shop. In 2020 it entered the childcare business with the opening of Mirai no Mori Nursery School in Tsukuba, and it has engaged former football coach Tsuyoshi Oiwa as a sports advisor since April 2020. The company describes itself as aiming to be "a company that contributes to the improvement of the local community and daily life."

SEKISHO CORPORATION traces its origins to 1908 (Meiji 41), when Akira Seki founded Sekisho Shoten in Shimodate (present-day Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture) and became an authorized dealer of Nippon Oil (now ENEOS). In its early years the business sold fuel to fishing boats at ports in Ibaraki and Fukushima prefectures, far from its Shimodate base, and the Ena branch office in Iwaki City became a base for refueling fishing vessels around the mid-1940s. The company expanded its branch network in the Taisho era, opening the Otsu, Yotsukura and Tsuchiura branches in 1915. In 1937 (Showa 12) it opened its first fixed service station, the predecessor of today's Eco Pit Tsuchiura Chizuka store operated by Sekisho Car Life. In 1938 it was reorganized into a joint-stock company, Sekisho Shoten Co., Ltd., with capital of 480,000 yen, and in 1952 its capital was increased to 9 million yen. After World War II the company pursued diversification. It began selling propane gas in 1955, automobile tires in 1960, heating and cooling equipment in 1963, insurance agency services in 1972, and information and office equipment in 1976. In 1966 (Showa 41) it changed its name to Sekisho Corporation (関彰商事株式会社). Since 2016 it has operated with a dual head-office structure in Shimodate and Tsukuba. In recent decades the group has continued to broaden its business. It once operated am/pm convenience stores inside Tsukuba Express stations, running six stores as of November 2007. In March 2019 it opened the mixed-use commercial facility SEKISHO Mi・La・Pa in Tsukuba Mirai City, combining a gas station, car dealership and mobile phone shop. In April 2020 it entered the childcare business by opening Mirai no Mori Nursery School in Tsukuba, and it also operates special nursing homes and other welfare facilities through the Sekiyokai social welfare corporation. Overseas, it established Sekisho Vietnam in Hanoi in 2017, providing human-resources services that match Vietnamese science and engineering talent with Japanese companies. In April 2020 former football coach Tsuyoshi Oiwa became a sports advisor, supporting sports activities and school clubs. The group now comprises around 26 group companies, mainly in and around Ibaraki Prefecture.

• 2020

  Opens Mirai no Mori Nursery School in Tsukuba in April, entering the childcare business; Tsuyoshi Oiwa becomes sports advisor.

• 2019

  Opens the mixed-use commercial facility SEKISHO Mi・La・Pa in Tsukuba Mirai City in March.

• 2017

  Establishes Sekisho Vietnam in Hanoi.

• 2016

  Adopts a dual head-office structure in Shimodate and Tsukuba.

• 2007

  Operates six am/pm convenience stores inside Tsukuba Express stations as of November.

• 1976

  Begins selling information and office equipment.

• 1972

  Begins insurance agency business.

• 1966

  Changes its name to Sekisho Corporation (関彰商事株式会社).

• 1963

  Begins selling heating and cooling equipment.

• 1960

  Begins selling automobile tires.

• 1955

  Begins selling propane gas.

• 1952

  Increases capital to 9 million yen.

• 1938

  Reorganized as Sekisho Shoten Co., Ltd. with capital of 480,000 yen.

• 1937

  Opens its first fixed service station (predecessor of today's Eco Pit Tsuchiura Chizuka store).

• 1915

  Opens the Otsu, Yotsukura and Tsuchiura branches.

• 1908

  Founded as Sekisho Shoten by Akira Seki in Shimodate (present-day Chikusei City); becomes an authorized dealer of Nippon Oil.

A regional general trading company rooted in Ibaraki Prefecture, positioning itself as "a company that contributes to the improvement of the local community and daily life," with energy distribution as its core and diversified services spanning mobility, business and life support.

• Energy (wholesale and direct sales)

  Proposals and sales of energy to municipalities and corporate clients.

• Home energy

  Proposals and sales of household energy and residential equipment.

• Green transformation

  Support for conversion to natural gas and design/installation of residential and industrial solar power systems.

• Service stations

  Operation of ENEOS, Enejet and Idemitsu service stations through group companies.

• LP gas

  Retail and safety operations for LP gas.

• Mobility

  Sales, inspection and vehicle inspection of Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche vehicles; rental car business.

• Business transformation

  Corporate sales and maintenance of IT equipment, office furniture and peripherals.

• Digital transformation

  Design, development and provision of systems and services.

• Engineering and electrical construction

  Air conditioning, plumbing, electrical work and residential equipment installation and maintenance.

• Human resources services

  One-stop human resources solutions and Vietnamese talent introduction and system development.

• Mobile phone sales

  Sales of SoftBank and Y!mobile phones and related mobile tools.

• Convenience store operations

  Operation of FamilyMart convenience stores and ENEOS service stations.

• Nursing care and childcare

  Day services, group homes, assisted-living facilities, special nursing homes and licensed nursery schools.

• Sports coaching

  Coaching services at an indoor practice facility equipped with the latest equipment.

1. 1関彰商事 公式サイトsekisho.co.jp
2. 2会社沿革 | 関彰商事sekisho.co.jp
3. 3こんなところに関彰商事 | 関彰商事sekisho.co.jp
4. 4サービスステーションMAP | 関彰商事sekisho.co.jp
5. 5SEKISHO CORPORATION - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6関彰商事 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org