In October
1891, founder Tomijiro Kobayashi established T. Kobayashi &
Co. in Kanda, Tokyo, to trade in the raw materials for soap
and matches.
Thereafter, T. Kobayashi & Co. began manufacturing soap
and toothpaste, taking the first steps to becoming a manufacturer.
However, the toothpaste and soap businesses were to present
differences that gradually became more pronounced, prompting
T. Kobayashi & Co. to specialize in toothpaste. This company
later became the Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd. The soap business
was spun off as Lion Soap Co., Ltd., which later became Lion
Fat and Oil Co., Ltd.
The two companies continued to expand their businesses independently,
and merged in 1980 to give rise to Lion Corporation. |
