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Morinaga & Company

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Not to be confused with Moringa (genus) or Morina.

Morinaga & Co., Ltd.
Native name
森永製菓株式会社
Company typePublic (K.K)
TYO: 2201
ISINJP3926400007
IndustryFood
FoundedAugust 15, 1899; 125 years ago (1899-08-15) as Morinaga’s Western Confectionary Shop
FounderTaichiro Morinaga
Headquarters
Shiba, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8403
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Eijiro Ota[1]
(President)
Products
RevenueIncrease JPY 205 billion (FY 2017) (US$ 1.9 billion) (FY 2017)
Decrease JPY 10.2 billion (FY 2017) (US$ 97 million) (FY 2017)
Number of employees
3,170 (consolidated, as of March 31, 2018)
SubsidiariesMorinaga Milk Industry (10.34%)
WebsiteOfficial website
Footnotes / references
[2][3][4]

Morinaga & Company, Ltd. (森永製菓株式会社, Morinaga Seika Kabushiki-gaisha) is a global confectionery company in Tokyo, Japan, in operation since 1899.[5] Their products include candy and other confectioneries.[4]

Morinaga is loosely affiliated with Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., a public company in which Morinaga & Company holds 10.34% of the stock.

Brands

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Major Morinaga brands include:[6][7]

  • Hi-Chew
  • In Jelly / Chargel
  • Choco Monaka Jumbo
  • Ice Box
  • DARS
  • Morinaga Biscuits
  • Morinaga Milk Cocoa
  • Morinaga Amazake
  • Morinaga Chocoball
  • Packncho (license manufacturer)
  • Werther's Original (Japan distributor)
  • Pez (Japan distributor)

History

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The company was founded in 1899 by Taichiro Morinaga, who opened a Western confectionery shop in Tokyo after returning from the United States. It was incorporated as Morinaga & Co., Ltd. in 1912.[8]

In 1944, during World War II, Morinaga created Japan's first domestically produced penicillin.[9]

In 1960, the company advertised that women should give chocolates to men on Valentine's Day. This action strongly influenced the present culture of Valentine's Day in Japan.[9] Moreover, in 2009, the company made chocolates for men to give women, which are called Gyaku-choco. (Gyaku means reverse in Japanese.)

Morinaga began selling its popular Hi-Chew candy in the US market in 2008. The candy quickly became popular among baseball players, a fad started by Japanese baseball player Junichi Tazawa of the Boston Red Sox. Morinaga signed a sponsorship deal with the Red Sox in 2012 and Hi-Chew's popularity spread quickly in the 2010s. Morinaga began reverse imports of American Hi-Chew flavors to Japan in 2023.[10][11]

Morinaga has had Ayumi Hamasaki and Mao Asada appear in their commercials, and in the past has used stars such as the Carpenters to advertise their products.

Locations

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Morinaga is headquartered in the Shiba district of Minato, Tokyo, adjacent to Tamachi Station, and has production facilities in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Oyama, Tochigi, Mishima, Shizuoka, and Anjo, Aichi.[12]

Morinaga began manufacturing Hi-Chew candy in Mebane, North Carolina in 2016. Morinaga announced plans for a second Mebane factory in 2024, scheduled to begin manufacturing in 2027.[11][13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Message from the President". Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  2. ^ "Corporate Profile". Morinaga & Company. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "Company Profile". Nikkei Asian Review. Nikkei Inc. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "About the company". Financial Times. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  5. ^ Picken, Stuart D.B. (December 19, 2016). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Business. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 282. ISBN 978-1-4422-5589-0.
  6. ^ "Group Network | About Us | Morinaga＆Co., Ltd". www.morinaga.co.jp. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "Introduction of Business Fields | About Us | Morinaga & Co., Ltd". www.morinaga.co.jp. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "Corporate Development and History | About Us | Morinaga & Co., Ltd". www.morinaga.co.jp. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Showa Era | Corporate Development and History | About Us | Morinaga & Co., Ltd". www.morinaga.co.jp. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  10. ^ "Dream come chew: Japanese candy fans to get reverse imports of US Hi-Chew flavors". Mainichi Daily News. July 25, 2023. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "How North Carolina became the home of Japan's #1 candy". The Counter. March 28, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  12. ^ "Business Office Guide | About Us | Morinaga＆Co., Ltd". www.morinaga.co.jp. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  13. ^ "Maker of HI-CHEW candy is building a 2nd NC plant. Here's what it plans for Mebane site". Yahoo Finance. July 16, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
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