20 Major Manufacturers, Technology Companies, and IT Firms in Kyoto (2026)

Key points

- This article lists 20 major IT and web-related companies in Kyoto Prefecture, including location, approximate employee scale, business field, and official URL.

- It uses six categories: major electronics and components; games and entertainment; apparel; web and internet; SaaS and AI startups; and research institutions or hubs.

- Companies include Nintendo, Kyocera, Murata Manufacturing, Nidec, OMRON, ROHM, Shimadzu, SCREEN Holdings, Hatena, LY Corporation, Money Forward, HACARUS, Baseconnect, and others.

- Compare employers across four dimensions: business field, working style, salary range, and growth stage.

- The perspective also reflects seven years, 165 events, and 615 members of the Kyoto IT engineering community Miyako de IT.

*Last updated July 2026. Companies, offices, and salary reference values are reviewed periodically.*

Overview of Kyoto's technology and web-company landscape

Kyoto is widely known for global manufacturers headquartered in the prefecture, including Nintendo, Kyocera, Murata Manufacturing, Nidec, OMRON, ROHM, Shimadzu, and SCREEN Holdings. Its web sector includes Hatena, Money Forward's Kansai development office, and LY Corporation's Kyoto development office. Kyoto-founded AI and SaaS companies include HACARUS and Baseconnect.

The broader landscape becomes easier to understand through six categories: major electronics and components; games and entertainment; apparel; web and internet; SaaS and AI startups; and research institutions or hubs. The list below includes companies headquartered in Kyoto or operating a major local development base. For the larger picture of companies, salaries, careers, communities, and work, see The Complete Guide to IT Engineers in Kyoto.

Miyako de IT has connected more than 615 members with local companies through 165 events over seven years. This article uses that operational context but organizes employer selection around verifiable facts.

Characteristics of Kyoto's technology industry

Kyoto combines global niche-leading manufacturers with web, SaaS, and AI startups. Although it has far fewer technology companies per capita than Tokyo, several Kyoto-founded businesses lead particular global product categories, creating options in R&D and international product development.

Games and entertainment

Nintendo has maintained its headquarters in Minami Ward since its founding in 1889. Contract game developer TOSE is headquartered in Oyamazaki. Kyoto is therefore one of Japan's major game-development bases alongside Tokyo and Osaka.

AI and Web3 startups

Innovation hubs including Kyoto Research Park (KRP), KOIN, and QUESTION support AI, SaaS, and Web3 activity. Examples include HACARUS, which works with sparse-modeling AI, and Baseconnect, which operates company-data SaaS. Kyoto Prefecture has also supported metaverse and Web3 communities.

Work and salary compared with Tokyo

Recruitment data and Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure generally place Kyoto IT engineering pay below Tokyo, around the same level as Osaka, and above many regional cities. Rent and living costs are roughly 60–70% of Tokyo levels, so disposable-income differences can be smaller than gross salary differences. Kyoto University, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Doshisha University, and other institutions also provide a large graduate-recruitment base.

Government and recruitment salary statistics

Public statistics and advertised-job statistics use different populations and definitions. They should be treated as reference points, not combined as if they measured the same thing.

In the 2024 Basic Survey on Wage Structure, Kyoto's “software creators” category—roughly systems engineers and programmers—had monthly cash earnings of ¥418,500 and annual bonuses of ¥1,120,800, implying approximately ¥6.14 million per year for a sample of 5,470 people with an average age of 38.8. The “systems consultants and designers” category implied approximately ¥7.53 million. Neither category maps perfectly to the broad term IT engineer used in this article.

As of June 2026, Kyujin Box's salary guide, calculated from advertised jobs, placed Kyoto systems engineers at an average of ¥5.23 million. Its nationwide reference values were ¥4.46 million for IT engineers and ¥5.23 million for game programmers. Advertised amounts can differ from actual compensation.

See The Complete Guide to IT Engineer Salaries in Kyoto for more detail.

Sources: Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2024 Basic Survey on Wage Structure by prefecture (e-Stat); Kyujin Box salary-guide pages as of June 2026. Values are periodically rechecked.

20 major technology and web-related companies in Kyoto

Numbers are identifiers, not rankings. Companies are grouped by category and then broadly by establishment date or name. Locations, business fields, employee scale, and URLs were checked against official sites, securities reports, and public company information as of May 2026. Employee figures mix consolidated and parent-company measures and should be treated as approximate.

Approximate company scale

Among the listed companies, approximate employee scale is largest at Nidec (104,000 consolidated), Kyocera (79,000), and Murata Manufacturing (78,000), followed by Nintendo (8,600), SCREEN Holdings (6,200), OMRON (5,400 parent-company), Nissha (4,500), and ROHM (4,400 parent-company). This is not a formal ranking because consolidated and parent-company figures are mixed. Check current securities reports.

Kyoto's defining feature is the concentration of major electronics and components manufacturers. At the same time, smaller web, SaaS, and AI businesses such as Hatena, HACARUS, and Baseconnect create a choice between large-company stability and startup autonomy.

Major manufacturers versus web companies

Major electronics and components companies often build technology over decades under long-term employment. Their recruitment can include research, embedded engineering, firmware, and internal DX, while equipment and prototypes can require more office or laboratory presence.

Web, SaaS, and AI companies more commonly support remote or hybrid work and greater career mobility. Their stacks may include TypeScript, Ruby on Rails, Go, Scala, and React, depending on the company. Neither model is universally better: decide whether you prioritize long-term technical depth or autonomy and speed. People beginning their learning can also read How to Learn Programming in Kyoto.

Options by professional interest

Games

Nintendo develops its own intellectual property, hardware, and software for the global market. TOSE specializes in contract development and reports experience across more than 2,300 titles. The choice reflects whether you prefer building a single company's own IP or gaining cross-genre experience for multiple publishers.

Web and internet services

Hatena operates long-running services including blogs and bookmarking. LY Corporation's Kyoto office has worked on LINE Pay, Clova, and related services. Money Forward's Kansai office develops cloud-accounting SaaS. Their technology choices differ by organization.

Research and development

OMRON recruits in sensing, AI, and robotics; Murata in basic electronics and materials research; Shimadzu in analytical and medical instruments; ATR in telecommunications, neuroscience, brain–machine interfaces, and natural-language processing; and SCREEN in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Graduate study and academia–industry projects are common routes in these fields.

Startups

Representative Kyoto startups include HACARUS, Baseconnect, and Netsujo. KRP also houses roughly 500 organizations and 6,400 people across AI, biotechnology, healthcare, mobility, and other fields.

Major electronics and components

Kyocera, Murata Manufacturing, Nidec, OMRON, ROHM, Shimadzu, SCREEN Holdings, Nissha, and Nichicon are global companies headquartered in Kyoto. Current IT-related openings may include research, embedded systems, firmware, and internal DX.

Apparel and technology

Wacoal recruits internal IT and DX talent for subjects such as 3D measurement data, e-commerce, and store digitalization, creating an option for people interested in apparel and technology.

Four criteria for choosing a Kyoto employer

Working style and compensation vary by opening. Always confirm the current official careers page before applying.

Location and commuting

Technology offices concentrate around Shijo-Karasuma, Kawaramachi, Kyoto Station, KRP, Fushimi, and Minami Ward. Many city commutes can be completed by bicycle. JR Kyoto and the Hankyu Kyoto lines are important for Murata Manufacturing in Nagaokakyo and TOSE in Oyamazaki.

Academia–industry collaboration

Kyoto University, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Doshisha University, Ritsumeikan University, and other institutions create opportunities for research projects and internships. Miyako de IT also documents collaboration with universities and educational institutions.

Community connections

Miyako de IT has held 165 events over seven years and has more than 615 members. It provides a way to meet IT engineers outside one's own employer through mokumoku sessions, study groups, and technical events.

Freelancing

Kyoto's coworking spaces and communities also support people working independently. See The Advantages of Working as a Freelance IT Engineer in Kyoto.

Conclusion

Kyoto has fewer employers than Tokyo but a distinctive ecosystem in which global niche-leading companies coexist with growing AI, SaaS, and Web3 startups. Lower living costs, universities, and a close community network make it a credible base for an IT engineering career.

Use the salary guide, the career-change guide, and the complete Kyoto engineer guide alongside the company map above.

Miyako de IT holds regular mokumoku sessions, lightning talks, and career conversations at temples and traditional townhouses. See the event calendar. Organizations interested in technical branding, recruiting communication, and community sponsorship can read the sponsor guide.