Sogo shosha

A Japanese term that is referred to Japanese trading companies that import and export merchandise. Its roots can be traced back to the late 19th century. This form of trading company initially took the primary role of acquiring raw material for Japan’s industrialization process and then finding external markets for its goods. However, with the passage of time their operations expanded significantly to include investing in production and processing facilities, establishing fully integrated sales systems for certain products, expanding marketing activities, and developing large bases for the integrated processing of raw materials.