Kao Corporation
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| Kao Corporation 花王株式会社 |
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| Type | Public (TYO: 4452 ) |
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| Founded | June 1887 |
| Headquarters |  Chūō, Tokyo, Japan |
| Key people | Motoki Ozaki, President and CEO |
| Industry | Personal care, Fabric and home care, Feminine hygiene, Chemicals, Professional-use cleaning products |
| Revenue |  $605.6 million USD (2006) |
| Employees | 5,652 (direct) 29,908 (consolidated) |
| Website | Main Corporate, US Site |
Kao Corporation, or Kaō Kabushiki-gaisha is a chemical and cosmetics company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Kao was begun as a domestic toiletry soap in 1890 by Tomiro Nagase. Until 1940, they were known as Nihon Yuki Company, changing their name then to Kao Soap Company, and finally in 1985 to Kao Corporation. Kao entered the North American and European markets in 1986-1989, purchasing the Andrew Jergens Company. A research project on face powders resulted in the discovery of a dispersing system that was ideal for the management of magnetic particles spread over floppy discs, and Kao in 1985 established a U.S. subsidiary called Kao Infosystems Company to manufacture such discs. Their U.S. brands operations are based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the Canadian subsidiary is based in Mississauga, Ontario.
Their products include Jergens lotions, Bioré skin care/beauty products, John Frieda haircare products, and Ban deodorant.
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