Opening photo: Suikotei / Wikimedia Commons ／ CC BY-SA 4.0. The image size has been adjusted for display purposes.
Masatoshi Ito | The Executive Who Built Ito-Yokado
A 3-page feature based on public historical records
The story cannot be contained by the narrative of a lone founder.
The history of a major corporation is often remembered through the name of a single executive. Yet, the business that Masatoshi Ito inherited was built upon the contributions of his mother, Yuki; his older brother, Yuzuru; and various relatives and business partners. To omit them would be to reduce the concept of 'trust' to merely a personal character trait of the individual himself.
The corporate history of Seven & i notes that in 1920, Toshio Yoshikawa opened a Western-style clothing store called 'Yokado' in Asakusa. During Masatoshi Ito’s tenure, the company was incorporated as Yokado Co., Ltd. in 1958, and in 1961, it began its expansion into a supermarket chain. This involved both the inheritance of a small-scale business and the pivotal decisions that transformed the company into a major enterprise."[3]
According to records documenting Masatoshi Ito’s life, his family resumed their business after the war at a small retail stall in Kita-Senju. Following the death of his older brother, Yuzuru, in 1956, Masatoshi took over the management. His vision for expanding the business also carried the responsibility of upholding the family’s livelihood.[1]
Accounts of his later reflections frequently mention his mother, highlighting how she placed great importance on her daily interactions with customers and business partners.[2] If one assumes that 'trust' is something automatically gained simply by adopting a noble corporate philosophy, the story of this small shop might be difficult to grasp. It was, in fact, the quality of service—ensuring that a customer would want to return—that sustained the business day after day.
However, as the number of stores grew, it became impossible for the owner to oversee every customer interaction. How could the values—previously upheld through the conduct of those close to the family—be passed on to employees they had never met, or to stores in entirely different locations? Growth, therefore, meant not just expanding the retail footprint, but also reinventing the methods used to maintain trust.
伝Interpreting YAMATO DENSHI
It is not just a name that is passed down.
Before simply citing the words of the founding family, one must define exactly what it was that customers and business partners placed their trust in. By breaking this down into specific daily actions—such as keeping to promised times, handling returns, or providing clear product information—these values become standards that can be extended to new locations.