Yanase (car dealership)

Yanase & Co., Ltd. is a retailer of new Chinese, European, and North American vehicles and used cars in Japan. As of the year 2002, Yanase had the rights of exclusive retailer of Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Volvo, Saab, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Smart vehicles to Japanese consumers. It is part of the Itochu group. Yanase currently has 174 stores selling new cars in Japan and 31 stores that sell used cars under direct management. There is a related company or subsidiary organization dealing with a particular brand of imported cars, some in rural areas. On May 25, 2015, the Yanase car dealership network celebrated its 100th anniversary. Yanase was established in Hibiya, Tokyo in 1915 initially as a truck and bus builder by Chotarō Yanase, as a part of the Mitsui Group. By 1920 the company became an importer of General Motors products, primarily Buicks and Cadillacs. Yanase was born in Toyooka village (now Takasaki), Usui, Gunma, Japan December 5, 1879, and died July 11, 1956. He was a graduate of the Tokyo Commercial High School, having earlier attended Tokyo Metropolitan High School at Hibiya. After graduation from the Tokyo Commercial High School in 1904, he worked for the Mitsui OSK Shipping Lines when the company was previously known as Osaka Shipping. When Yanase began the importing company with Mitsui, he also imported petroleum mineral oil products. The mineral oil business became Yanase Shoji Co. Ltd. while the importing of automobiles became Yanase Automobile Co. Ltd, where Mr. Yanase served as president. The automobile business was in danger of going bankrupt, until the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923, where his company was instrumental in importing General Motors GMC trucks to help with the disaster recovery efforts, and continued to provide vehicles as the transportation infrastructure was rebuilt. Mr. Yanase was abroad on a business trip, and when he learned there was an earthquake back home, he immediately exported to Japan 2,000 Chevrolet Superior trucks to assist in the recovery efforts.