From textile trading to global energy shifts and renewable investments

Health · Published 7 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1858 as a linen trader, Marubeni has evolved into a massive Japanese sōgō shōsha. Today, the conglomerate is pivoting from coal to renewable energy, investing in offshore wind farms and advanced battery storage solutions to meet modern global demands.

Marubeni Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, began its history in 1858 when Chubei Itoh launched a linen trading business. Throughout several decades, the firm experienced major organisational shifts, such as merging with Itochu amidst World War II to create Sanko Kabushiki Kaisha Ltd. and Daiken Company, Ltd. Following the war, the company emerged as a separate entity in 1949, initially focused on textiles before diversifying into machinery, metals, and chemicals by the end of that decade. The firm's origins trace back to Chubei Itoh's departure from his family's enterprise. It was formally established as Itochu Shoten, Ltd. in 1918 through a spin-off from C. Itoh & Co.

The company's reach is vast, spanning sectors from food and agriculture to aerospace and infrastructure. It is a member of the Fuyo Group keiretsu, a network of corporate clients that includes major names like Hitachi, Nissan, and Canon. Marubeni also managed substantial legal and economic hurdles, such as the early 1990s Japanese asset price bubble burst—triggering its initial yearly net loss in 1998—and multiple legal settlements concerning global business conduct. The conglomerate's diverse portfolio includes the consumer products group, which manages forest products and real estate. Additionally, the company's transportation and industrial machinery division trades in aircraft and automobiles.

In recent years, Marubeni has focused on the energy transition. In 2018, the company announced a strategic shift from coal toward renewable energy resources. This commitment is reflected in its recent ventures, such as winning seabed rights in Scotland for an offshore wind farm in early 2022 and investing in B2U Storage Solutions in 2021, a startup specializing in reusing electric vehicle batteries for energy storage systems. Furthermore, the firm has expanded its footprint through significant acquisitions, such as the Jacobson Group in 2026. It also maintains a presence in the supermarket industry through its former stake in Daiei.

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