Foundation Era
The Company's founder, Chubei Itoh, was born in what is now called Toyosato-machi, Inukami County, Shiga Prefecture. The Company considers its founding year to be 1858, the year in which Chubei began travel peddling of Omi linen. In 1872, Chubei stopped travel peddling and opened 'Benchu', a drapery shop, at Hommachi 2 chome in Osaka. That same year, Chubei's older brother, Chobei Itoh opened Itoh-chobei Shoten, a drapery wholesale store in Hakata, Kyushu.
In 1883, Chubei used the "BENI in Circle" mark as the store's Logo. (Deep-Red is translated as "BENI" in Japanese. Also Circle is translated as "MARU" in Japanese). This was the beginning of the Company's name of Marubeni ("MARU"+"BENI"). The next year in 1884, Benchu was renamed Itoh Main Store and Itoh Kyoto Store, a drapery wholesale store was established in Kyoto. Thereafter the Company expanded its operations, establishing the woolen fabric import and wholesale store, Itoh West Store in Osaka, the cotton thread wholesale store, Itoh Yarn Store, Kobe Branch, and other operations.
In 1903, Chubei passed away and his son, Seiichi, assumed the name Chubei II. In 1914, the Company was reorganized from a proprietorship into C.Itoh & Co. In 1918, the limited partnership was divided into Itochu Shoten LTD. with the Main store and Kyoto store at its center, and C.Itoh & Co., LTD. with the Yarn store and the Kobe Branch at its center. These two companies were the forerunners to Marubeni Corporation and Itochu Corporation, respectively.
