Shiseido

Shiseido was founded in 1872 by Arinobu Fukuhara, a former chief pharmacist of the Imperial Japanese Navy, who opened Japan's first private Western-style pharmacy in the Ginza district of Tokyo. He wanted to provide high-quality medicine so people could lead healthier lives, and he was the first in Japan to advocate separating medical practice from dispensing.

The name comes from a passage in the Chinese classic the I Ching, roughly 'How wonderful is the virtue of the earth, from which all things are born.' Fukuhara's idea of combining Western science with Eastern wisdom remains at the heart of the company. He launched Japan's first toothpaste in 1888 and the skin toner Eudermine in 1897, and added a soda fountain to the Ginza store in 1902, which grew into the famous Shiseido Parlour.

His son, Shinzo Fukuhara, then built a full-scale cosmetics business, laying the foundations for the global group Shiseido is today. The company now spans skincare, makeup, sun care, hair care and fragrance, and its Japanese everyday lines, such as Fino and TSUBAKI hair care and Anessa sun care, are favourites far beyond Japan.

For shoppers, our Shiseido edit focuses on Japanese hair care and sun care. Use the Fino or TSUBAKI hair mask once or twice a week after shampooing, finish with a few drops of hair oil on the ends, and keep Anessa on hand for daily SPF.