Peach John


Peach John Co., Ltd. is a Japanese mail-order retailer of lingerie and women's apparel targeted at women in their teens and 20s.

History

The company was founded June 1, 1994 by Mika Noguchi and her now ex-husband, Shoji Noguchi, in Tokyo, Japan. Mika Noguchi, then 29 years old, established a small mail-order company importing American lingerie.
The name Peach John is inspired by the Japanese folktale hero Momotarō, with Momo translating as "peach", and Tarō being a masculine given name as common as John. Mika Noguchi desired a name beginning with the letter P as she found the pī sound to be "cute".
As the company continued to expand its product line, in 2001 Peach John nearly succumbed to bankruptcy. After restructuring, the company was able to pay back their 2 billion yen debt in 13 months. In May 2006, the Japanese lingerie maker Wacoal formed a capital alliance with Peach John which allowed Wacoal to hold 49 percent of the company's shares. Then on January 10, 2008, Wacoal bought Noguchi's remaining shares, giving Wacoal full control of Peach John Co., Ltd.