Company History

  • May. 1957
    Luce MARUHAN gets its start as “Luce“, a café playing classical music in Mineyama, a rural town on the Tango Peninsula in Kyoto.
  • Apr. 1958
    Chang-Woo Han opened his first Pachinko parlor, Mineyama Casino, which he took over from his brother-in-law.
  • Dec. 1967
    Toyooka Bowl Discovered potential in the bowling industry and began managing bowling alleys. Opened “Toyooka Bowl“ in Toyooka, Hyogo. The business expanded following the bowling boom.
  • Dec. 1972
    The former company Changed from being personally managed to a company organization. Founded Nishihara Industries Co., Ltd. in Mineyama, which is currently MARUHAN Co., Ltd.
  • 1973
    Seishin Bowl Business worsens with the demise of the bowling boom. The company goes into debt of ¥6 billion yen (at the time).
  • Dec. 1975
    With an increase in car ownership due to high economic growth, the company changed its course toward suburban pachinko parlors as its first step to recovery.
  • Oct. 1988
    Kyoto HQ Changed company name to MARUHAN Corporation
    Moved headquarters to Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto.
  • Apr. 1992
    Began trying to change the industry during an era when the concept of “customer service“ did not even exist in the industry, based on the current president Yu Han’s desire to “make pachinko a service industry”. Opened MARUHAN Kusanagi Apia as a model parlor that would disrupt industrial conventions and create change.
  • Jul. 1995
    MARUHAN Pachinko Tower Opened MARUHAN Pachinko Tower Shibuya in Tokyo on July 7, 1995.
    Received acclaim from a variety of industries, even winning Nikkei Shimbun’s 1995 Best Cutting Edge Business Award.
  • Aug. 1996
    Established MM International Co., Ltd.
  • Jul.1997
    Izm Project In order to unite the organization as it underwent rapid growth, MARUHAN started a project to help recognize its goals. All employees entered discussions lasting 550 days, finally leading to the establishment of MARUHANism.
  • Oct. 1999
    MARUHAN Changed company name to MARUHAN Co., Ltd.
  • Dec. 2000
    Shin-Bungeiza Opened Shin-Bungeiza cinema in Ikebukuro, Tokyo
  • Feb. 2002
    Abashiri parlor Commemorated the opening of 100 pachinko parlors
  • Oct. 2002
    Tokyo Headquarters Started dual head office system in Kyoto and Tokyo, due to the establishment of Tokyo head office
  • Apr. 2003
    Established M Foods Co., Ltd.
    (now changed to MARUHAN Dining Co., Ltd.)
  • Jan. 2005
    1 trillion yen newspaper First company in the Pachinko industry to exceed 1 trillion yen in sales
  • Aug. 2006
    Hamada parlor Commemorated the opening of 200 pachinko parlors
  • May. 2008
    MJB Established MARUHAN Japan Bank Plc. (now Sathapana Bank) as the first Japanese commercial bank in Cambodia. Then, in 2013, opened MARUHAN Japan Bank Laos in Vientiane, Laos.
  • Apr. 2012
    Chiba Kita parlor Opened Harvest Garden, a combined deli and buffet, as well as MARUHAN Chiba Kita, in order to create new value of pachinko as entertainment and a place where both people who play pachinko and those who do not can have a good time.
  • Jan. 2013
    MARUHAN became Tokyo 2020's Official Bid Partners
  • Mar. 2014
    Taiheiyo Acquire the management rights to Taiheiyo Club, Inc.
  • Apr. 2014
    Akatsuka parlor Commemorated the opening of 300 pachinko parlors
  • Apr. 2015
    Opened MARUHAN Shinjuku Toho Bldg. as a MARUHAN’s first “tourist-friendly parlor”
  • Apr. 2016
    Sathapana MARUHAN Japan Bank Plc. and Sathapana Limited merged, starting operations as Sathapana Bank Plc
  • May. 2016
    Established a new investment company, MARUHAN Venture Partners, and entered the venture capital field
  • May. 2017
    60th anniversary Celebration of 60th anniversary of establishment of the company on May 22