Turning Small Businesses' Histories into Sellable Cultural Capital: Company History Publication Crowdfunding Achieves 1,000 People & 10 Million Yen!

Sobajima Seikan Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Oharu Town, Ama District, Aichi Prefecture; Representative Director: Takaya Ishikawa, hereinafter "Sobajima Seikan"), a can manufacturer founded in 1906, is pleased to announce that its crowdfunding campaign for the publication of its company history commemorating its 120th anniversary, launched on April 21, 2026, has achieved support from 1,137 individuals and 10.31 million yen.

A Challenge for a New Anniversary Approach Called "Open History"

Typically, a company's "company history" is a record compiled of the company's history and achievements, mostly distributed free of charge to employees and stakeholders. Its contents are rarely widely known. However, Sobajima Seikan, upon reaching its 120th anniversary, has re-examined the nature of this company history and aims to create "an interesting and cool book that people would want to buy even if they had to pay for it." This company history is not just a commemoration of a long-established small business's 120th anniversary, but a challenge called "Open History" to transform company history into sellable cultural capital.

Over 4,000 People Watch Live Stream on the Final Day of Crowdfunding

As a basis for creating a new culture of "Open History," Sobajima Seikan set a goal of delivering the company history to 1,000 people through crowdfunding. Since the launch of the crowdfunding campaign, the company has engaged in steady promotional activities using all available means to make the company history sellable cultural capital, including posting on various social media, appearing in various media outlets, giving presentations and lectures nationwide, and distributing flyers at major terminal stations. On the evening of June 30, 2026 (Tue), the final day, an online countdown live stream was held. Over 4,000 people watched the live stream, and the final goal of 1,000 people and 10 million yen was achieved around 11:30 PM.

From Internal Records to Social Memory

Following this project, efforts will be made towards the general distribution of this book. By publishing and widely disseminating "company histories" that have been confined within companies, we aim to enhance their significance and value by defining corporate and industry norms and customs as culture and making them sellable capital. By creating a new culture of "publishing company histories" among small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan, we will enable these companies to articulate the meaning and significance of their businesses, widely convey the culture of their companies and industries, which were previously internal, and connect industry and culture to the future by bringing them to the attention of many people. We will present this as "Open History" to the world from now on.

To preserve the culture of cans for the future, not just as internal records, we want to deliver it to 1,000 people.

Takaya Ishikawa, Representative Director

"A small company publishing its company history" is an unprecedented challenge. Many people sympathized with this crowdfunding campaign, and we completed this project believing that a new culture would begin if it reached 1,000 people. We believe that by opening up the history and culture of small and medium-sized enterprises, which were previously unknown to anyone, from "internal records" to "social memory," we can change the future for the better.

Project Overview

・Project Page

"Sobajima Seikan 120th Anniversary Company History Book Project. Delivering the story of the cans we've made for 120 years to those who love cans."

https://motion-gallery.net/projects/SOBAJIMAcanCOMPANY-120th

・Fundraising Period

April 21, 2026 (Tue) 12:00 - June 30, 2026 (Tue) 23:59 (Period Ended)

・Project Results Number of Supporters: 1,137

Amount of Support: 10,308,900 yen

・Main Rewards

Company History "Sobajima Seikan" 1 Copy Course: 6,000 yen

Company History "Sobajima Seikan" 1 Copy & Sample Print Poster 1 Sheet Course

Company History "Sobajima Seikan" 1 Copy & Sobajima 120th Anniversary Goods Course: 16,000 yen

Company History "Sobajima Seikan" 10 Copies & Production Behind-the-Scenes Talk Event Course: 125,000 yen

・Future Stretch Goals and Additional Rewards

4 Million Yen Additional original sticker for all supporters 6 Million Yen Additional postcard using alternate cuts from the company history production for all supporters 8 Million Yen Offline review event for supporters to read the company history together 10 Million Yen Names of all supporters printed on an iron plate made of can material and displayed at Sobajima Seikan 120th Anniversary embossed can distributed to all supporters

*Additional rewards are subject to change.

Table of Contents (Partial)

From Mr. Matsunaga's Workshop / "People" and "Machines" Working in the Factory Touring the Place Where Cans Are Born - Thinking About Cans with Kenya Hara Getting to Know Cans Better (Can Encyclopedia / Can Catalog / Can Trivia) Stories of Cans from Creators and Employees Julien Birban Levy / Sayaka Botanic / Chisato Seino / Funny Dress-up Lab The Deep World of Cans - Puu Nakata Tanka - Machi Tawara Complete Breakdown of Sobajima Seikan! Tomonori Yonemura / Sobajima Seikan Glossary Stories of People Who Make Cans Sobajima Seikan Town Walk The History of Sobajima Seikan Inheriting 120 Years of Can Making - Chie Yamano, Takaya Ishikawa

Credits

[Production]

Kaori Okamura, Aya Kanamori (Design) Tomonori Yonemura (Illustration) Hikaru Degawa (Editing, Photography, Text) Kayoko Hibino (Text) Tomoko Umemoto (Proofreading) Seikoh Printing Co., Ltd. (Printing)

Specifications

[Specifications] Number of Pages: 120 pages Hardcover, perfect binding Full-color printing

Reference Press Releases

We want to deliver to everyone who loves cans. A publication project by a long-established can manufacturer celebrating its 120th anniversary.

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000020.000097482.html

From Internal Records to Social Memory. 120-year-old can manufacturer Sobajima Seikan achieves its goal in crowdfunding for company history publication. Next challenge: connecting "can culture" to the future with 1,000 people.

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000022.000097482.html

About Sobajima Seikan Co., Ltd.

Company Name: Sobajima Seikan Co., Ltd.

Location: 89 Saijo Aza Tsukida, Oharu Town, Ama District, Aichi Prefecture

Representative: Takaya Ishikawa, Representative Director

Business Activities: Manufacturing and sales of general cans, press processing

Founded: April 1906

Incorporated: July 28, 1942

Corporate Site: https://sobajima.jp/

120th Anniversary Special Site: https://sobajima.jp/120th-anniversary/