Shiseido is one of the world’s largest cosmetics groups, with an impressive history dating back to Japan’s opening up to Western trade and the transformations of the Meiji era that accompanied it. Founded in Tokyo in 1872 as Japan’s first Western-style pharmacy, the company fully embraced the motto of the time: ‘Japanese spirit and Western technology’. After the Second World War, Shiseido developed into a global corporation, now present in 120 countries and active in all areas of cosmetics, including skincare, make-up and perfume. J-BIG spoke to Johannes Scheer, Shiseido’s General Manager for the DACH region, about the connection between Japanese beauty philosophy and modern dermatology, how the company entered the German market, and the strategy behind a brand portfolio that strikes a balance between tradition and an international focus.
J-BIG: Shiseido has a truly fascinating history. How did it all begin?
Johannes Scheer: Shiseido was founded in 1872 by Arinobu Fukuhara in the Ginza district of Tokyo as the first Western-style pharmacy. Following Japan’s opening up to international trade, the country invested heavily in science and technology to keep pace with leading Western nations. However, at the same time, it did not want to lose its own identity – the Japanese way of feeling and thinking. The motto of the time was therefore ‘Japanese spirit and Western technology’. Arinobu Fukuhara was one of the pioneers of this transitional period, envisioning the use of medical advances to promote Japanese values of health and beauty. This vision remains at the heart of the company to this day, as reflected in its name. Shiseido is composed of three terms: ‘Shi’, ‘Sei’ and ‘Do’ stand for resources, life and home. Together, they mean: ‘Praise the virtues of the earth, which brings forth new life and meaningful values.’ In order to enable our customers to experience this spirit, we focus deliberately on traditional Japanese beauty and wellness routines, combining them with the latest skincare products developed by leading dermatologists.
It was the founder’s son, Shinzo Fukuhara, in particular, who further cemented this corporate philosophy. His father had sent him to New York to study pharmacy. However, he also took the opportunity to travel around Europe during his time away from Japan, and he was particularly captivated by Paris, which was then the cultural centre of the world. This experience had a decisive influence on his vision for the company.
When he took over leadership of Shiseido, Fukuhara played a pivotal role in driving the company’s transformation from a pharmacy business to a cosmetics company. He combined his knowledge of pharmacy with the education in art and photography he had acquired in Europe, and established a department for design and product development. This was highly unusual for the time, particularly in the cosmetics sector. The elegant presentation of the products and the appealing, modern advertising in fashion magazines contributed significantly to Shiseido’s success and reputation. He also opened the Shiseido Gallery in Tokyo, which is regarded as the first Western-style art gallery in Japan and continues to exhibit contemporary art to this day. His personal passion for both art and science lives on within the company to this day under the motto ‘Art and Science’.
J-BIG: Which milestones had a particularly significant impact on Shiseido during this period?
Johannes Scheer: Shiseido’s first product was a tooth-cleaning powder. At the time, this was an innovative form of dental care as classic toothpaste did not yet exist. The first skincare product followed in 1897, still during the 19th century. Eudermin, a lotion in its distinctive ruby-red flacon. Although the formula has been adapted over the years to reflect the latest dermatological research, it remains a classic in the Shiseido range to this day.
The success of these products paved the way for the company’s further development. In 1916, Shiseido opened its first shop specialising exclusively in cosmetics, where sales, production, development and advertising were organised under one roof. In 1934, sales began with specially trained sales consultants known as ‘Miss Shiseido’. Their role was to advise customers, explain the products, and promote the brand and its quality in the Japanese market.
To continuously improve product quality and strengthen the company’s competitive advantage over the long term, Japan’s first cosmetics research centre was established in 1939.
J-BIG: By 1939, Japan had already been at war with China for two years, and the conflict was on the verge of escalating into the Second World War. War and resource shortages on the one hand, luxury cosmetics on the other. How did that all fit together?
Johannes Scheer: The times demanded that the Japanese people support the war effort. Many companies were conscripted into the armaments industry. Those who could not make a direct contribution were expected to at least purchase war bonds. Consequently, a series of anti-luxury laws were passed in 1938, with the aim of channelling private household capital towards these bonds. This was a particularly severe blow for Shiseido, as the company had spent the previous years building an image as a provider of elegant, high-quality premium products. During the war years, whilst Shiseido did focus more heavily on hygiene products that wives could send to their husbands at the front in care parcels, it also endeavoured to continue selling luxury cosmetics on the grounds of their contribution to health and well-being.
J-BIG: How did international expansion unfold after the Second World War?
Johannes Scheer: Initially, the key factors were the economic boom in Japan itself and the growing global interest in high-quality cosmetics. Our first step towards internationalisation was to establish a presence in Taiwan in the 1950s, initially exporting our products only. This was followed by the opening of our own branch in the USA in 1965, and a branch in Italy in 1968. Italy was an obvious choice for the first European branch, given its reputation for beauty and fashion. Today, Shiseido has a presence in 120 countries worldwide, through a combination of its own branches and distributors.
As part of this international expansion, some products have had to be adapted to regional needs. A good example is the ‘whitening’ product category, which has a completely different significance in Japan and Europe. While the Japanese ideal of beauty tends to be associated with pale, flawless skin, the European ideal favours a lightly tanned complexion. In addition to such product adaptations, marketing strategies were also tailored to the respective markets. In doing so, it was important to us to strike a balance between global brand identity and local relevance.
J-BIG: How did Shiseido enter the German market?
Johannes Scheer: The company entered the German market in 1980. Germany’s prosperity and comparatively large consumer market offered considerable potential for the distribution of high-quality cosmetics. Duesseldorf was the ideal location for this for two reasons. Firstly, the city offers an established infrastructure for Japanese companies. Secondly, Duesseldorf is also a European hub for beauty, fashion and lifestyle, from which the German market could be targeted effectively.
From the beginning, we worked with a network of premium retail partners. Initially, these were mainly perfumeries, department stores and specialist retailers. Online retailers were added later. We also started offering dedicated training programmes for retail partners and sales staff very early on to give them a thorough understanding of how our products work and how to use them.
This approach allowed us to build a strong market position relatively quickly. Within just a few years, Shiseido became the market leader in prestige facial skincare in Germany, and we have remained one of the leading players in the category ever since. In addition to the quality of the products, the special image that Japan and Japanese companies enjoy in this country has also contributed to this.
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J-BIG: How has the relationship between the German subsidiary and the Japanese headquarters evolved over time?
Johannes Scheer: In its early years, as is common with many Japanese companies, the business was closely managed from its headquarters in Tokyo, with a Japanese president and Japanese employees on the ground. At the same time, though, Shiseido relied on local expertise from the outset to build close partnerships with its European retail partners.
Over the past few decades, that structure has evolved. Today, our headquarters in Japan is responsible for global brand strategies as well as product development, research and innovation. Here in Germany, we manage sales and local marketing and report directly to the EMEA headquarters in Paris.
J-BIG: How is Shiseido positioned globally today?
Johannes Scheer: Shiseido is one of the world’s largest cosmetics groups and the market leader in Japan. In 2025, the company generated around 6.1 billion euros in revenue and employed about 32,000 people worldwide. Around 1,100 of them work at our eight research centres around the world, developing new products and continuously improving existing ones. One good indication of Shiseido’s strength in research is the IFSCC Awards, which are presented annually at an international dermatology congress in recognition of outstanding research. Shiseido now holds 33 of these awards — significantly more than any other company.
What is also interesting is how we organise our research around the world: Shiseido operates across all three major areas of cosmetics: skincare, make-up and fragrance. We locate our development centres for each category in the regions where expertise is strongest. So skincare is mainly developed in Japan, fragrances in Europe and make-up primarily in the United States. That is a very conscious strategic choice which gives us an advantage over competitors whose development activities are more centralised.
J-BIG: What does the German business look like in practical terms?
Johannes Scheer: In addition to the Shiseido brand itself, we sell nine other brands in Germany across the skincare, fragrance and make-up categories. For marketing and sales, we work with authorised perfumeries, department stores and online shops. We have made a conscious decision not to serve the lifestyle or drugstore sectors here in Germany and Europe, as it is in the premium segment that we can most consistently deliver the level of quality we stand for.
We have around 200 employees in total. Roughly half of them work at our headquarters in Duesseldorf, and the other half work in the field across Germany, including at counters in department stores such as KaDeWe. The employees at those counters are actually employed directly by the individual brands and not by the department stores. Particularly in the premium segment in which we operate, this direct, professional customer contact is a key factor for success, as the quality of advice provided directly impacts brand perception.
J-BIG: So the brand portfolio extends far beyond the Shiseido brand itself. How has this portfolio developed historically?
Johannes Scheer: This is the result of a combination of in-house developments, licences and acquisitions. Shiseido’s first major fragrance licence was Issey Miyake in the 1990s. Then we have brands that we developed ourselves, such as Clé de Peau Beauté, which represents our ultra-luxury segment. Other brands joined the portfolio through acquisitions, such as the American brand Drunk Elephant. And this September, we will also launch fragrances and cosmetic products from the Italian fashion brand Max Mara in Germany. New launches like these help us bring fresh momentum into the business, while we continue to invest in and develop our existing brands – a dual strategy of continuity and selectively building something new. And that approach is working well. The fragrance ‘For Her’ by Narciso currently ranks number two among women’s fragrances in Germany, while the make-up brand NARS, which we only launched in Germany in 2018, has already reached number 15.
One thing that is particularly important to us when building the portfolio is making sure the brands do not cannibalise each other. Take our fragrance brands, for example. Issey Miyake, with products such as L’Eau d’Issey, has a distinctly Japanese identity rooted in East Asian philosophy. Zadig & Voltaire, on the other hand, represents a much more European, rock-inspired lifestyle. So someone who identifies strongly with Zadig & Voltaire is unlikely to be looking for exactly the same thing from Issey Miyake. Our aim is to build a portfolio in which the brands complement each other. That allows us to offer every customers the right product within the premium segment.
J-BIG: What role do Shiseido’s Japanese roots play in its European marketing strategy?
Johannes Scheer: The combination of Japanese philosophy and Western science has been part of Shiseido since the very beginning. You could say we have always been both a Japanese company and a global company. This is also reflected in our European marketing strategy. Through our J-Beauty philosophy – with the ‘J’ standing for Japan – we aim to establish traditional Japanese beauty rituals in the German market. At the same time, Shiseido has always been very international and multicultural because of our strong focus on the latest dermatological research and innovation.
With the Shiseido brand itself, the connection to Japan is already visible in the logo: it deliberately says “Shiseido Ginza Tokyo”. But because we are an international group, we also have many products and brands that do not come from Japan at all. They may express a completely different lifestyle and a very different idea of beauty and wellness from our traditional products.
This is reflected in our marketing campaigns: Our current brand ambassador for Shiseido is Anne Hathaway. For our hero product Ultimune, which has received more than 330 awards worldwide, we will have an Asian brand ambassador starting this year: Lalisa Manobal, a major star in Asia who is also known in Germany from The White Lotus, among other things. This deliberate blend of our Japanese brand essence and a variety of testimonials, some of which are not from Japan or Asia, shows that Japan is our foundation while allowing each product to have its own identity.
An identity which, in fact, extends beyond marketing. Our company’s global mission is: ‘Beauty Innovations for a Better World’. By this, we mean that our products should not only impress at first glance, but also offer genuine added value. Some even go beyond the cosmetic effect and make a very practical difference in people’s lives.
J-BIG: Can you give us an example of how your products can help people beyond their purely cosmetic effect?
Johannes Scheer: We are going to launch a special make-up product in Germany that is designed to support people with vitiligo. Our aim is to offer people affected by the condition a highly effective solution that can help them feel more confident and comfortable in everyday life. It is a purely philanthropic project.
Another area that will become increasingly important in the future is UV protection. Attitudes towards the sun have changed a lot over the past few decades. In the past, people often spent time in the sun without giving much thought to UV protection. Today, younger generations are much more aware of the issue. We want our research to contribute to better skin protection in this area as well.
J-BIG: And looking ahead, what are the key issues that will shape Shiseido over the coming years?
Johannes Scheer: Here too, our mission – ’Beauty Innovations for a Better World’ – gives us a clear direction. With our products, we want to create moments of happiness and support skin health through high-quality skincare. We want to help people express their personality through make-up, and we want our fragrances and wellness products to create moments of enjoyment and relaxation. At the same time, we also see ourselves as having a broader social responsibility. Projects such as the vitiligo make-up I mentioned are one way we can contribute.
But to do all of that, we need to keep building on something that has always been one of Shiseido’s greatest strengths: our continuous focus on research and innovation. We want to keep improving the quality of our products and continue developing new, pioneering products. That will remain the foundation of Shiseido in the future.
