The encyclopedia · Strategy & Leadership · Strategic decision · until 2026
Daishin Koki, a 53-year-old eyeglass frame maker, went under as production moved overseas
Sabae's Daishin Koki, an eyeglass frame maker founded in 1973, was ordered into bankruptcy on 2 February 2026 with about ¥50M in liabilities.
Daishin Koki · 2026-02-02
What happened
Daishin Koki was an eyeglass frame manufacturer founded in 1973 in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture — the heart of Japan's eyeglass industry. After 2005 it operated as a small piecework assembly processor for local eyeglass makers, with annual sales of around ¥30 million.
The work drained away as production shifted overseas. Frame making moved to lower-cost countries, and the piecework Daishin did for local makers disappeared with it. The company stopped operations around May 2009 but was never formally wound down.
The founder died in October 2025, and with no continuing business the estate was closed out through the courts. On 2 February 2026 the Fukui District Court issued a bankruptcy commencement order, with liabilities of about ¥50 million.
Why it happened
- Production shifted overseas, and a small piecework assembler had no brand or product of its own to sell when the work left.
- The company stopped operations in 2009 but lingered for years without closing formally, so small liabilities accumulated against a dead business.
- The founder's death in 2025 was the trigger that finally forced the dormant company through bankruptcy.
The lesson
A business that only assembles other people's work has nothing left when the work moves overseas. Stopping operations without formally closing still leaves liabilities that outlive the founder.
Aftermath
The Fukui District Court ordered Daishin Koki into bankruptcy on 2 February 2026, with liabilities of about ¥50 million. It is one of many small Sabae eyeglass parts and frame makers that closed as production moved to lower-cost countries.
Sources
- N-Seikei — Daishin Koki (Fukui) bankruptcy commencement order, ~¥50M liabilities (Feb 2026)
- 47NEWS — Sabae eyeglass maker Daishin Koki bankrupt, ¥50M liabilities (Feb 2026)
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