Sojitz Forms Capital and Business Tie-Up with K Access

－Entering the Rapidly Expanding Camper Market in Japan－

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Feb. 12, 2021
Sojitz Corporation
K Access Corporation

Sojitz Corporation (“Sojitz”) has concluded a business tie-up with K Access Corporation (“K Access”), a company engaged in the manufacture and sale of campers, to establish a joint partnership in Japan’s camper industry. Sojitz has acquired stake in K Access through third-party allotment of shares.

■Purpose of the Tie-up
Under this strategic partnership with K Access, Sojitz will make its first foray into a new field: the camper market. Sojitz and K Access aim to bring new energy to the camper industry, which has demonstrated rapid growth in recent years, through development of campers that provide new value. Both companies will also encourage use of roadside rest stops for camper parking to revitalize regional communities across Japan. In addition to offering a new lifestyle, campers can provide solutions to social issues through non-traditional forms of use, including campers utilized as emergency evacuation facilities and remote office spaces.

■Japan’s Camper Market
Campers are drawing attention as a form of mobility that provides a private living space, and demand is on the rise for these vehicles with shipments of campers increasing by approximately 30% over the past three years from 2016 to 2019. Campers are not limited to outdoor activities such as camping or family vacations; recently, campers have been rented out by local governments as safe evacuation sites during natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Additionally, due to recent lifestyle changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, campers are gaining recognition for their wide range of applications, such as campers that double as remote offices for avoiding population-dense work conditions and medical vans that can be used to provide hospital beds and serve as mobile clinics.

■Overview of K Access
K Access is engaged in the manufacture and sale of campers, and the company’s “Camper Kagoshima” brand is a widely recognized name in the industry. K Access handles top camper models such as the “rem” and “Boss,” which not only include luxurious interior designs, but can be charged while the vehicle is running. These revolutionary campers are characterized by new value and high functionality, including a new power system pioneered by K Access which it developed and installed in its campers to ensure electric appliances can be used for long periods of time even while the vehicle is parked.

The representative of K Access, Koichiro Kawasaki, also serves as the chairman of the Japan Car Tourism Promotion Association (JCTA). Through this business alliance, K Access seeks to create synergy with Sojitz as both organizations are actively engaged in providing solutions to social issues such as regional revitalization.


[Related Information]

Company Overview – Sojitz Corporation

Company Overview – K Access Corporation