Japanese companies change names one after another, seeking greater visibility overseas with Latin letters and katakana, though their businesses may become harder to identify

An increasing number of Japanese companies are adopting names written in Latin letters or katakana as they look to expand overseas. While switching to names written in Latin letters can raise recognition in overseas markets, concerns have also been raised that the companies' businesses may become harder to identify. Data shows that, as of 2025, approximately one-quarter of companies that changed their corporate names opted to adopt Latin letters or increase their use of them.

Hitachi Construction Machinery, a major construction equipment manufacturer, has announced plans to change its corporate name to LANDCROS (ランドクロス) from April 2027. The name is a coined term combining “LAND,” referring to a place, with initials representing customers and trust, and is intended to strengthen the company's profile in overseas markets. At the event announcing the name change, the company also indicated that it planned to appoint Ohtani Shohei (大谷翔平) as a brand ambassador.

UMIOS (ウミオス), a subsidiary of major seafood company Maruha Nichiro, changed its corporate name in March. With plans to expand its business in North America and Europe on the premise of strengthening overseas sales, it set a target of raising the overseas share of operating profit to more than half. The name is a coined term combining “海,” meaning the sea, with “solutions,” signifying the resolution of social issues.

According to a survey by Teikoku Databank, 5,781 companies, or approximately 27% of those that changed their corporate names in 2025, adopted names using Latin letters or increased their use of them. For listed companies, corporate names written in Latin letters can make them more visible to overseas investors, but the difficulty of conveying what their businesses do has been identified as an issue.