Maruto Hasegawa Kosakujo Inc. grew in the local tradition of blacksmiths in the city of Sanjo. Dating back from the Edo period (approx. 350 years ago), Sanjo city has been one of the major productions centers of metal goods in Japan. Especially known for the production of high quality cutlery products, currently "Sanjo Japan Brands" are highly praised around the world. The tradition of making fine cutlery products is thoroughly alive and present at Maruto Hasegawa Kosakujo Inc.

In 1924, at the age of 23, Mr. Tozaburo Hasegawa created his own company. This was around the time when radio broadcasting in Japan began and was just a few years before the Great Depression. In the beginning, the main item produced by Tozaburo Hasegawa was a carpenter's gluing clamp.

Impressed by the availability of more modern pliers and other hand tools, in 1932 Mr. Hasegawa was the first in Niigata prefecture to purchase a spring hammer to begin the production of similar hand tools himself. Up until this time, manually forging steel was the norm, but with the introduction of mechanization, productivity rose dramatically.

Before long, with the distinctive horse logo, Hasegawa's KEIBA brand played an active role as a pioneer in Sanjo city, where many hand tool manufacturers later gathered.

After the war, KEIBA hand tools went abroad in search of new markets. In America, "Do-It-Yourself" home improvement retailers selling tools and home building materials were rapidly growing. To meet this market, hand tools aimed at home improvement centers were exported in large quantities by KEIBA. KEIBA Diagonal cutting pliers (diagonal cutters or side cutters) for plastic were especially praised for their characteristically Japanese sharpness and acquired the largest market share in the North American market. Since then, KEIBA products expanded to markets in Europe, Asia and around the globe. Currently KEIBA products are valued by customers in more than 20 countries.

Production of cutting pliers and nippers grew to be one of the largest in Japan, and Maruto was the only Japanese manufacturer of cutting pliers which held a large market in both the European and North American markets.

With a long history of honing and improving its technological competence, Maruto continues to seek new challenges instead of being satisfied with current successes.

As a hand tool manufacturer, Maruto has led the industry by anticipating the importance of design, and from 1960 onwards Maruto has summoned famous designers to accumulate valuable expertise. Since then, Maruto have continued the legacy to pursue new ideas and beautiful shapes in hand tools.

In 1967, Maruto was commissioned by a major cosmetics manufacturer to produce pliers-style nail clippers (nail nippers). Over 300,000 pliers-style nail clippers were manufactured per year. From the knowledge amassed during this experience, in the early 2000s the Maruto brand was launched, creating the category of beauty care products which include pliers-style nail clippers (nail nippers). The website "Nail Scissors Culture Institute" (Japanese only) was created to support this new market. Building on this successful entry into a new market, Maruto continues to seek new fields and new customers with whom to provide quality products.