Itochu is a Japanese corporation with operations in chemicals, energy and mining, financial services, and retailing. Its history can be traced back to 1858, when founder Chubei Itoh commenced linen trading operations. Today, they have operations in 67 countries, with 130 offices and some 500 subsidiaries and affiliated companies around the world. The company is based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo.