Arinobu Fukuhara founded Shiseido in Tokyo’s Ginza district in 1872 as a Western-style pharmacy. A former chief pharmacist at a naval hospital, he wanted to raise the standard of the medicines available at the time.
The company’s name came from the Chinese Book of Changes. Its early identity brought Eastern philosophy into conversation with Western learning, a meeting of perspectives that would shape its approach to beauty.
Culture as well as cosmetics
Shiseido’s history includes skincare, design and even a soda fountain inspired by pharmacies Fukuhara encountered abroad. Beauty became part of a wider interest in modern life and new experiences.
That sense of curiosity continues through the collection’s different categories. Skincare, makeup and fragrance are expressions of a house whose history connects scientific thinking with an unusually rich cultural imagination.
A few ways into the collection
Selected products that introduce different sides of Shiseido.
Shiseido Ginza Eau de Parfum
An eau de parfum from the Ginza fragrance collection.
