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Shiseido Women's Corporate Team to Shut Down


The Shiseido women's corporate team announced Oct. 14 that it will disband at the end of the fiscal year in March, 2027. A statement on the Shiseido site read, "In the midst of a rapidly changing society, to enhance both growth and profitability, Shiseido is focusing its global efforts on areas that hold a strong synergy with its core business. Given the major shifts in the environment since our founding and careful deliberation on our strategic direction, we have reached this decision."

The Shiseido women's team was founded the same year as the Tokyo International Women's Marathon in 1979 with an ambitious mission statement "aiming to make a mark at the international level." For nearly half a century since then it has been one of the leaders of women's athletics in Japan, with 2 Queens Ekiden national titles and marathon success including a 2nd-place finish at the 1993 Tokyo International Women's Marathon by Mari Tanigawa, 3-straight Olympic marathon appearances by Harumi Hiroyama, and Mao Ichiyama leading the Japanese team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Shiseido's current roster is led by road 10 km and women-only half marathon NR holder Rino Goshima, who set a new CR on the Queens Ekiden's Third Stage last year and has already qualified for next fall's MGC Race, the Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In April this year it recruited several new high-potential athletes after their graduation from university, making the suddenness of the announcement very surprising. With a solid 5th-place team finish at the Queens Ekiden last year, this year's race on Nov. 23 will be Shiseido's last.

Shiseido team management commented, "We prioritize the personal wishes of our athletes and staff above all else and will provide sincere support for each of them in securing their futures. We remain committed as always to providing all the support and peace of mind our company can offer in their pursuits as athletes up until the very end."

Translator's note: In 2021 Australian Melissa Duncan wrote about her experience running for the Shiseido team for 2 years.

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Anonymous said…
I was very surprised when I first heard this news. I never expected it. It's a shame for the newly recruited athletes who probably deliberated hard before deciding to join in April only to be greeted with this news 6 months later. I hope all the athletes and staff can find work elsewhere. I'm guessing Rino Goshima will either go solo or join another team or even possibly ponder retirement especially if her MGC race is unsuccessful next year. If she decides to go to another team they will be lucky to get her.
October 16, 2026 at 2:10 PM
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