Kao Corporation (花王株式会社) is a Japanese global chemical and cosmetics company headquartered in Nihonbashi-Kayabacho, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan.
History
Kao was established in 1882 by Tomiro Nagase as a manufacturer of domestic toiletry soap. Until 1954, they were known as Kao Soap Company (花王石鹸株式会社), and finally in 1985 to Kao Corporation.
In 2020, Kao Corporation was ranked the No. 4 out of 42 companies in the Corporate Knights Industry Group's Personal Care and Cleaning Products category, recognized for its excellence in innovation capacity, employee retention as well as clean revenue, or revenue from all goods and services which have clear environmental benefits.[7] For the company's national and international experience in sustainable development, and eco-friendly products, the Environment Possibility Award conferred the "Environmental Heroes of the Year" to Kao Corporation in 2020.[8]
In 2021 two of Kao's products, the 3D Space Shampoo Sheet and the Space Laundry Sheet, were chosen to be sent to the International Space Station, with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2022.[9]