ZOZOTOWN
A Japanese online fashion marketplace operated by ZOZO, Inc.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
ZOZOTOWN is a Japanese online fashion marketplace operated by ZOZO, Inc. It brings together apparel, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, and related lifestyle products from a broad selection of fashion labels, while also providing logistics, merchandising, customer-service, and digital commerce services to participating brands. The service is primarily aimed at Japanese consumers and is one of the country’s best-known specialist fashion-commerce platforms. The platform’s roots are connected to Yusaku Maezawa’s earlier mail-order music business and to the company that became Start Today, the predecessor of ZOZO, Inc. ZOZOTOWN launched in 2004 as an online fashion destination at a time when many Japanese apparel companies were still cautious about selling through the internet. Its growth was supported by a strong catalogue of brands, an editorial presentation intended to resemble a fashion magazine, frequent promotional activity, and the convenience of consolidating products from many stores in a single online venue. ZOZOTOWN’s role is broader than that of a conventional retailer. Depending on the arrangement with a brand, ZOZO may sell inventory, operate a marketplace listing, provide fulfilment and logistics, or support digital merchandising and customer acquisition. The platform has therefore served both consumers looking for fashion variety and brands seeking access to Japanese online shoppers. Its business has also included private-label and technology initiatives, although the core identity of the brand remains the multi-brand fashion marketplace. The company has used measurement and recommendation technologies to pursue more personalized apparel commerce. ZOZOSUIT, introduced as a body-measurement system, was promoted as a way to improve online sizing and fit. ZOZOMAT later focused on foot measurement and shoe recommendations. These initiatives attracted international attention and demonstrated ZOZO’s interest in combining fashion retail with data and hardware, but they did not replace the central marketplace business. In 2019, Yahoo Japan Corporation agreed to acquire a controlling interest in ZOZO, Inc. Maezawa left his position as chief executive during the transaction, while ZOZO continued to operate as a distinct company and ZOZOTOWN remained its principal consumer-facing service. Yahoo Japan subsequently became part of LY Corporation. ZOZOTOWN remains an active Japan-focused fashion platform, with its proposition centered on assortment, brand discovery, convenience, and technology-assisted shopping.
History
ZOZOTOWN developed from the broader business founded by Yusaku Maezawa. Before entering fashion commerce, Maezawa operated a mail-order business associated with imported music products. The company that became Start Today used this experience in catalogue and direct-to-consumer sales to build an internet business. Start Today was established in 1998, and ZOZOTOWN was launched in 2004 as a dedicated online fashion marketplace. The service entered a Japanese market in which established fashion companies had strong physical retail networks but were still developing effective online channels. ZOZOTOWN differentiated itself by aggregating many brands in one destination and presenting products through a visually led interface. This allowed shoppers to compare styles and categories while giving participating labels access to a growing digital audience. The platform expanded its catalogue beyond clothing to include shoes, bags, accessories, beauty products, and other lifestyle categories. As the business matured, Start Today developed marketplace, retail, logistics, and technology capabilities around ZOZOTOWN. The company changed its corporate name to ZOZO, Inc. in 2018, aligning the legal entity more closely with the ZOZO brand family. ZOZO also pursued international visibility through fashion-technology projects. ZOZOSUIT used a specially designed suit and a smartphone camera process to estimate body measurements for apparel-related applications. Although the initial concept attracted considerable attention, the company adjusted its approach as it evaluated practicality, cost, and the reliability of measurement in ordinary consumer use. ZOZOMAT extended the measurement concept to footwear. Users placed a printed mat on the floor and used a smartphone to capture images of their feet. The resulting data could be used to show foot characteristics and support shoe recommendations. These initiatives illustrated ZOZO’s strategy of using data to reduce uncertainty in online fashion purchases, particularly around fit and sizing. In September 2019, Yahoo Japan Corporation announced an agreement to acquire control of ZOZO, Inc. through a tender offer and related share transaction. The transaction was completed later that year, and ZOZO became a consolidated subsidiary while remaining a separately listed company. Maezawa resigned as chief executive and was succeeded by a new management team. The deal linked ZOZOTOWN with Yahoo Japan’s broader internet ecosystem, payments, traffic, and advertising capabilities. Yahoo Japan later became part of Z Holdings and subsequently LY Corporation through corporate reorganizations. ZOZO continued to operate its own marketplace and corporate organization, with ZOZOTOWN remaining the principal consumer-facing brand. Its continuing business is centered on Japanese online fashion retail, brand partnerships, fulfilment, digital merchandising, customer data, and tools intended to improve discovery and fit. The platform’s history therefore combines the expansion of specialist e-commerce in Japan with a continuing effort to apply technology to the practical problems of fashion shopping online.
- 2019
Yahoo Japan takes control of ZOZO
[1]Yahoo Japan acquires a controlling interest in ZOZO, Inc.; Yusaku Maezawa leaves the chief executive role.
- 2019
ZOZOMAT introduced
[2]ZOZO launches a foot-measurement service intended to support online footwear recommendations.
- 2018
Start Today changes its corporate name to ZOZO
[1]The listed operating company adopts the name ZOZO, Inc.
- 2017
ZOZOSUIT announced
[2]ZOZO introduces a body-measurement technology initiative for online apparel sizing and personalization.
- 2004
ZOZOTOWN launches
[1]ZOZOTOWN begins operating as an online fashion marketplace in Japan.
- 1998
Predecessor company established
[1]Yusaku Maezawa established the business that developed into Start Today and later ZOZO, Inc.
Products and positioning
A large, multi-brand Japanese fashion-commerce platform combining brand discovery, online retail, marketplace services, fulfilment, and technology-assisted sizing.
Online fashion marketplace · 2004
ZOZOTOWN
ZOZOTOWN is ZOZO’s principal consumer marketplace. It aggregates products from a wide range of fashion brands and presents apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products, and lifestyle goods through a Japanese-language e-commerce experience. The service combines product discovery, ordering, delivery, returns, promotions, and brand storefronts, with the exact commercial and fulfilment arrangement varying by participating seller.
Fashion measurement technology · 2017
ZOZOSUIT
ZOZOSUIT was a body-measurement system created to capture a user’s dimensions with a smartphone camera. It was designed to address fit and sizing uncertainty in online apparel shopping and to support personalized recommendations. The initiative became one of ZOZO’s most internationally visible technology projects, although the company’s main business remained the ZOZOTOWN marketplace.
Foot-measurement technology · 2019
ZOZOMAT
ZOZOMAT is a printed measurement mat and smartphone-based service intended to map aspects of a user’s feet. Its purpose is to provide information that can help shoppers select footwear sizes and styles online. It reflects ZOZO’s broader effort to use consumer measurement data to make fashion e-commerce more useful and personalized.
Brand decisions
2019
Accept controlling investment from Yahoo JapanM&ABackground
ZOZO sought a partner that could support continued growth and provide access to a broader internet ecosystem while preserving the development of its fashion-commerce business.
Action taken
Yahoo Japan conducted a tender offer and related share transaction that gave it control of ZOZO, Inc. ZOZO became a consolidated subsidiary, while its shares continued to trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
Yusaku Maezawa left the chief executive position. ZOZO continued operating ZOZOTOWN as a distinct fashion-commerce platform within the wider Yahoo Japan and later LY Corporation group.
2018
Rebrand the corporate entity as ZOZOStrategyBackground
The company had expanded beyond the original Start Today identity and was increasingly associated with the ZOZO brand and its technology initiatives.
Action taken
Start Today changed its corporate name to ZOZO, Inc.
Aftermath
The corporate name aligned the listed company with ZOZOTOWN and the wider ZOZO brand family.
Recent events
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