Japan's first Western-style pharmacy grew into a global beauty house
QUICK FACTS
Est. 1872 — best known for skincare and cosmetics, one of the world's oldest cosmetics companies.
HISTORY
Shiseido was founded in 1872 in Tokyo's Ginza district by Yushin Fukuhara, a former pharmacist for the Japanese Navy, as Japan's first Western-style pharmacy. It combined Eastern and Western pharmaceutical knowledge, and its name comes from a phrase in the ancient Chinese classic I Ching meaning 'praise the virtue of the great earth, which nurtures new life.'
Shiseido entered the cosmetics business in 1897 with Eudermine, a skin lotion still sold today, and gradually shifted its focus fully to cosmetics over the 20th century. It became known for pairing scientific skincare research with distinctive art-directed advertising, and today is one of the world's largest cosmetics companies, with brands spanning skincare, makeup, and fragrance sold globally.
PRODUCTS
Skin lotion launched 1897, still sold today
Flagship and prestige skincare and makeup lines
TIMELINE
This page is compiled from publicly available company history and is provided for general reference only. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please consult the brand's official website.