About AIN GROUP

The AIN Group operates Japan’s leading dispensing pharmacy business and a unique cosmetic and drug store business. Over the years, we have achieved sustained growth by expanding these businesses while consistently anticipating and responding flexibly to changes in the operating environment. Going forward, the Group will continue working to increase corporate value as a company that contributes to society and supports people everywhere.

Corporate Profile

Company name AIN HOLDINGS INC.
Representative Kiichi Otani, President and Representative Director
Established August 1969
Capital ¥21,894 million (As of April 30, 2024)
Stock exchange listings Prime Market of Tokyo Stock Exchange and Sapporo Securities Exchange
Business lines Planning, management and operation of the corporate Group, focused on dispensing pharmacy and cosmetic and drug store operation, generic drug wholesaling, sales of cosmetics, retail shop operation and the Group's other businesses.
Net sales and operating income Net sales: ¥399,824 million
Operating profit: ¥20,432 million (FY4/24)
Sales composition Dispensing Pharmacy: ¥357,571 million
Cosmetic and Drug Store: ¥31,111 million
Others: ¥11,142 million (FY4/24)
Number of employees 15,114 (including 6,478 pharmacists) (As of April 30, 2024)
Number of stores 1,312 (1,231 dispensing pharmacies. 81 cosmetic and drug stores)(FY4/24)

Dispensing Pharmacy Business

Aiming to be Dispensing Pharmacies which support local healthcare services

We operate more than 1,200 dispensing pharmacies nationwide.
The ideal way of dispesing pharmacies are changing because of aging society and advancement of medical care. AIN Group aims to be dispensing pharmacies which support local healthcare services by strengthening their functions and cooperating with various occupations more than ever before.

A pie chart: (In Fiscal Year ending on April 30, 2024) Total net sales was ¥399,824 million. The majority of net sales is from Dispensing Pharmacy Business, account for 89.4% (with ¥357,571 million)

Cosmetic and Drug Store Business

Providing Beauty and Happiness

AINZ & TULPE stores are comprehensive beauty outlets which offer customers expectations to become beautiful. Their features are in highly convenient locations, blight and clean store designs that allow custmores to take their time to browse through products, and have wide selections of cosmetics which we can highly recommend. In addition, the stores are designed in a way that is unique to AINZ & TULPE depend on locations and trends. We continue to create opportunities for everyone to pursue beauty as our new brand that is completely different from normal drug stores. In addition, Francfranc stores, selling interior goods and sundries, offers urban and sophisticated lifestyle proposals. 

A pie chart: (In Fiscal Year ending on April 30, 2024) Total net sales was ¥399,824 million. Within this figure, the Cosmetic and Drug Store Business accounted for only 7.8% of total, with ¥31,111 million.

Scale of Business

Promoting More Than 1,200 of Dispensing Pharmacy Business and Cosmetic and Drug Store Business

We operate dispensing pharmacy business and cosmetic and drug store business nation wide.
In 2016, the total number of our store exceeded 1,000. We aim for more expansion to be an infrastructure of local healthcare service.

Number of Dispensing Pharmacies

Japan map in Fiscal Year ending on April 30, 2024. It shows the distribution of the number of our stores across Japan. Hokkaido with 114 stores, Tohoku with 163 stores, Kanto/Koshinetsu with 466 stores, Hokuriku with 30 stores, Tokai with 87 stores, Kinki with 146 stores and Chugoku/Shikoku/Kyushu/Okinawa with 225 stores.
Japan map in Fiscal Year ending on April 30, 2024. It shows the distribution of the number of our stores across Japan. Hokkaido with 114 stores, Tohoku with 163 stores, Kanto/Koshinetsu with 466 stores, Hokuriku with 30 stores, Tokai with 87 stores, Kinki with 146 stores and Chugoku/Shikoku/Kyushu/Okinawa with 225 stores.

Japan's Dispensing Pharmacy Sector


Japan’s dispensing pharmacy market was worth roughly ¥7.9 trillion in fiscal 2023 (April 2022 to March 2023), but the market remains fragmented. While the market has matured, deregulation such as the start of online pharmaceutical guidance and a new pharmacy certification scheme are likely to lead to wider gaps in performance between dispensing pharmacy companies. The AIN Group aims to increase market share by responding to these changes in the operating environment.

Dispensing pharmacy market value

A bar chart: Increase sharply from 1989 until 2006 (rising from ¥0.47 trillion to ¥4.75 trillion) and continues to increase until 2015. Afterward, the value fluctuates around approximately ¥7.80 trillion, ultimately reaching ¥7.88 trillion in 2022.

Non-hospital dispensing ratio/Ratio of elderly people

A line graph: [Non-hospital dispensing ratio] Rapidly increased from 1989 to around 2005 (rising from 11.0% to 56.0%). Subsequently, its growth slows down until around 2020 (rising from 56.0% to 76.6%). [Ratio of elderly people] From 1989 to 2020, steadily increased over the years. It rose from 11.5% (in 1989) to 20.8% (around 2005) and then reached 29.0% (around 2020)

Source: Japan Pharmaceutical Association, Trends in Dispensing Pharmaceutical Expenditure (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), White Paper on Ageing Society (Cabinet Office)

Difference between Japan and US

  Japan US
Medical insurance (patient cost) Universal healthcare (0-30%)  Private health insurance (depends on contract terms)
Freedom to select hospitals by patients No restrictions Affiliated service providers
Non-hospital dispensing ratio 76.6% (fiscal 2023 (April 2022 to March 2023) 100%
Drug prescriptions Repeat ○ hard copy / patient data Repeat ○ hard copy / patient data
Drug prices Set by the government (Revised regularly) Market price