Daiso founder Hirotako Yano passes away at 80

Yano established the company in 1977.

Daiso founder Hirotake Yano passed away due to heart failure, the company announced. He was 80.

He first introduced the Daiso brand as a street vending shop by the name of “Yano Shoten” in 1972.

Yano officially started the company under the name “Daiso Sangyo” in 1977. By 1987, he developed the framework of the modern-day 100-yen shop with “100 Yen Shop Daiso”.

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Yano then opened the first directly managed store in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture in 1991, which he followed up with more chain stores. He also launched the first overseas store in Taiwan in 2001, starting Daiso’s global reach.

He briefly served as chairman from 2018 to 2019.