Shimamura Co., Ltd. was founded by Kenji Shimamura in 1947 as a small textile business in Yamanashi. The first store opened in Tokyo soon afterwards, and the company concentrated on growth in the region. As sales flourished, the company grew larger and more stores were opened throughout the country. In 1980, it was the first apparel company in Japan to be listed in the stock exchange, and it went on to become one of the leading apparel retailers in the nation over the next two decades.
