Hiroyuki Sato
President
Hiroyuki Sato
President
A Legacy of Belief and Challenge Passed Down Through Time
In April 1923, "Sato Kahei Shoten" was founded in a small rented house in Saiwaicho, Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama City, near Aokibashi Bridge. For over 100 years, our commitment to the founding principles of "Harmony," "Integrity," and "Honesty" has been the cornerstone of our business. These values have guided us in building sincere relationships with customers, treating everyone with mutual respect and fairness.
After World War II, we established Yokohama Lumber Co., Ltd. as a corporation, continuing our business with the unwavering support of our loyal customers. As the lumber trade shifted from Yokohama Port to Tokyo Port, we relocated our headquarters to Tokyo while retaining our company name and its nickname, "Yokomoku," carrying forward the founding principles.
Beginning as a specialized trading company for North American lumber, we later expanded into direct trade with Northern Europe, adapting to the changing times. Today, these two pillars form the foundation of our business. By maintaining our own inventory rather than relying solely on intermediary trading, we have established a stable procurement system independent of fluctuations in the Japanese market. This approach has earned us the unwavering trust of our overseas suppliers, which remains one of our key strengths.
In the spring of 1984, the "Sotetsu KS Building" was completed on the site of our former headquarters near Yokohama Station's west exit. This rental property serves as a strong support pillar for our main business, built on the foundation of our achievements in the lumber industry.
We owe our century-long success to the warm support of our suppliers and customers, for which we are deeply grateful. Looking to the next 100 years, we aim to explore new possibilities in the use of lumber. As wood remains an essential part of people's lives, we will continue to innovate and expand our business, keeping the founding principles of "Harmony," "Integrity," and "Honesty" at our core. Thank you for your continued trust and support.