LY Corporation

Category: Corporation / Brand

LY Corporation is a major Japanese internet and technology conglomerate, officially formed on October 1, 2023. It was created through the landmark merger of Z Holdings Corporation (the parent of Yahoo! Japan), LINE Corporation, and several other affiliated companies. This strategic consolidation established one of Asia's largest tech platforms, boasting over 320 million users across its diverse portfolio of services.

Corporate Profile

The Story Behind LY Corporation: A Merger of Giants

The creation of LY Corporation is a story of strategic consolidation aimed at dominance in the digital age. It represents the union of two of Japan's most influential internet pioneers:

1. Z Holdings (Yahoo! Japan): A titan of the "first internet era," Yahoo! Japan established itself as the country's primary web portal, offering everything from search and news to e-commerce (Yahoo! Shopping) and auctions. It built a massive and loyal user base over decades.

2. LINE Corporation: A champion of the "mobile era," LINE revolutionized communication in Japan and across Asia with its feature-rich messaging app. It expanded into a "super-app" ecosystem, integrating payments (LINE Pay), content (LINE Manga, LINE Music), and other lifestyle services.

The merger was driven by the vision to combine the extensive reach of Yahoo! Japan's media and commerce platforms with the deep user engagement of LINE's messaging and social services. The goal is to create a seamless, all-encompassing digital ecosystem that can effectively compete with global tech giants like Google, Meta, and Tencent, while driving future innovation in AI, Fintech, and E-commerce. The "L" from LINE and the "Y" from Yahoo! were combined to symbolize this powerful union.

Corporate Mission & Values

LY Corporation's core mission is to be an "All-Japan user-first company that creates an amazing life platform that brings WOW! to our users."

This mission is built upon a culture that emphasizes:

• User-First Principle: Placing the needs and experience of the user at the center of every product and service.
• Innovation and "WOW!": A relentless pursuit of groundbreaking ideas and surprising experiences that delight customers.
• Synergy and Collaboration: Leveraging the combined assets, data, and talent from both LINE and Yahoo! to create value that neither could achieve alone.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing a vast pool of data to understand user behavior and optimize services, with a strong commitment to privacy and security.

Core Business Pillars & Key Services

LY Corporation's operations are structured around three main business pillars:

1. Media Business

Focuses on information and content delivery, primarily through the powerful Yahoo! Japan brand.

• Yahoo! JAPAN: Japan's leading internet portal.
• Yahoo! News: A top news distribution platform.
• LINE VOOM: A video platform for user-generated content.

2. Commerce Business

Encompasses a wide range of e-commerce and retail services.

• Yahoo! Shopping: A major online shopping mall.
• ZOZOTOWN: Japan's largest online fashion retailer.
• ASKUL: A leading e-commerce platform for office and business supplies.
• Yahoo! JAPAN Auction: The country's largest online auction site.

3. Strategic Business

Includes the company's core communication, social, and fintech services.

• LINE: The flagship messaging application, a central part of daily life for millions.
• PayPay: A dominant QR code and barcode payment service in Japan.
• LINE Pay: A digital wallet and payment service integrated into the LINE app.
• LINE Manga, LINE Music: Digital content platforms.

Key Milestones

• 1996: Yahoo Japan Corporation is established.
• 2011: The LINE messaging service is launched by NHN Japan (later renamed LINE Corporation).
• 2019: Z Holdings (then known as Yahoo Japan Corporation) is established as an intermediate holding company of SoftBank.
• 2021: The business integration of Z Holdings and LINE Corporation is completed, with both companies operating under the Z Holdings umbrella.
• October 1, 2023: Z Holdings, its core subsidiary Yahoo! Japan, and LINE Corporation complete a major intra-group reorganization to officially form LY Corporation.