Yamada Holdings and avatarin
Begin Development of the Kurashi-Marugoto (Total-Living) AI Agent
Interactive Campaign and Demo Exhibit at Retail Tech JAPAN 2026 — March 2026

YAMADA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. (“Yamada Holdings”) and avatarin Inc. (“avatarin”), a Tokyo-based AI and Robotics startup, have begun developing the Kurashi-Marugoto AI Agent.*1 This initiative is the next step in Yamada Holdings’ Kurashi-Marugoto (Total-Living) strategy, designed to provide comprehensive support for customers’ lives through diverse services.
Building on their collaboration in AI and robotics for the retail industry*2, the two companies will leverage avatarin’s a-commerce*3 platform to develop an AI agent that delivers seamless support across the full customer journey—from inquiry to purchase and into everyday life.

 

Personalized Support Through Advanced AI
Powered by multimodal AI, the Kurashi-Marugoto AI Agent understands both language and the context behind it. Going beyond standard chatbots, it addresses complex inquiries and provides highly personalized solutions.
Trained on the hospitality and expertise of Yamada Denki’s staff, the AI offers an experience that feels like authentic in-person service. Available 24/7 in multiple languages, it guides customers seamlessly from initial consultation to final purchase.

 

A Companion for Everyday Life
Yamada Holdings Group aims to integrate the AI agent and its customer data to offer even more personalized solutions for every customer. The goal is to support the Kurashi-Marugoto (Total-Living) strategy and stay close to customers in their everyday lives.

 

◼︎Kurashi-Marugoto AI Agent Interactive Campaign
Connect with the AI agent on your PC, tablet, or smartphone and enjoy more than a typical chat experience. The agent goes beyond answering questions—it understands your needs, anticipates your preferences, and guides you to the right products. This lab initiation aims to give the public a glimpse into the future of online commerce.

 

1. Online Interactive Campaign

Campaign Period:	10AM on Tuesday, March 3 to 12PM on Monday, March (Scheduled)
How to Participate:	Visit the promotion page on the Yamada Denki official website
URL:	https://www.yamada-denkiweb.com/mirai-ec-lab/
Important Notes:	To maintain high-quality responses, this service sets a fixed upper limit on overall system data processing capacity. If access becomes concentrated or usage exceeds expectations, new conversations may be temporarily unavailable, or the service may end earlier than scheduled. AI-generated responses are provided for reference only and may not be accurate, complete, or up to date. Please verify any important information independently before making decisions based on this service. Thank you for your understanding.

 

2. Demo Exhibition and Seminar at Retail Tech JAPAN 2026
The Kurashi-Marugoto AI Agent will be showcased at Retail Tech JAPAN, Japan’s largest and most influential trade show specializing in retail information systems.*4
In addition, at a co-located seminar*5, Tsuyoshi Nagano, Director of Yamada Holdings and Executive Officer & General Manager of the Integrated Corporate Planning Office overseeing this project, will be the speaker for a session regarding the collaboration between Yamada Holdings and avatarin in AI and robotics*2 specialized for the home appliance retail industry.

 

(1) Kurashi-Marugoto AI Agent Experience Demo

Date & Time:	1Tuesday, March 3 to Friday, March 6
Venue:	SoftBank exhibition booth at Retail Tech JAPAN 2026 (Tokyo Big Sight)
Overview:	Visitors can use on-site computers to interact with the AI agent and experience next-generation shopping for themselves.

 

(2) Seminar Presentation

Title:	Enhancing Customer Experience Through AI — Bringing the “Kurashi-Marugoto” Strategy to Life
Seminar:	The 36th Distribution Exchange Forum
Date & Time:	2:20 PM – 3:20 PM, Tuesday, March 3
Venue:	Reception Hall (A), 1F Conference Building (Tokyo Big Sight)
Speaker:	Tsuyoshi Nagano, Director, Executive Officer & General Manager, Integrated Corporate Planning Office, Yamada Holdings

Advance registration is required (paid).
Japan Retailers Association website: https://www.japan-retail.or.jp/jra_activities/26_3_3/

 

<< The 42nd RETAIL TECH JAPAN 2026*4 >>

Period:	Tuesday, March 3 to Friday, March 6, 2026
Venue:	Tokyo Big Sight

 

<< The 36th Distribution Networking Forum*5 >>

Innovation and Universality — Towards Further Growth of the Japanese Retail Industry

Date & Time:	1:00 PM – 4:30 PM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Venue:	Reception Hall (A), 1F Conference Tower, Tokyo Big Sight

 

※1	This is a lab initiative focused on product selection through AI conversation. It does not connect with the Yamada membership app or related customer data.
※2	Please refer to the related news release: https://about.avatarin.com/info-news/news-release/8706/
※3	a-commerce: A B2B solution that provides multi-AI agent software and related hardware for e-commerce businesses.
※4	Retail Tech JAPAN 2026: https://messe.nikkei.co.jp/rt/
※5	The 36th Distribution Exchange Forum: https://www.japan-retail.or.jp/jra_activities/26_3_3/

 

Corporate Profiles

YAMADA HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
Location: 　1-1 Sakaecho, Takasaki, Gunma 370-0841, Japan
Representative: 　Noboru Yamada, Representative Director, Chairperson and CEO
Established: 　September 1983 (In October 1 2020, Yamada Denki shifted to a holding company structure and changed its trade name to “YAMADA HOLDINGS CO., LTD.”)
Business Activities: 　Planning and formulation of Group management strategies, management and supervision of Group companies, provision of common Group services, etc.
URL:  https://www.yamada-holdings.jp/

 

avatarin Inc.
Location: 　5F Nihonbashi IT Building, 3-3-9 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022, Japan
Representative: 　Akira Fukabori, Co-Founder & CEO
Established: 　April 1, 2020
Business Activities: 　Research, development, sales, and leasing of AI and itsrelated products and services. Research, development, sales, and leasing of AI robot- related services.
URL:　 https://about.avatarin.com/

 

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Yamada Holdings and avatarin Begin Development of the Kurashi-Marugoto (Total-Living)AI Agent

 

 

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