:Morinaga & Company
{{Short description|Japanese confectionery company}}
{{distinguish|Moringa (genus)|Morina}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Morinaga & Co., Ltd.
| native_name = 森永製菓株式会社
| native_name_lang = ja
| logo =
| logo_size = 200px
| image = Morinaga headquarters.jpg
| traded_as = {{TYO|2201}}
| ISIN = {{ISIN|sl=n|pl=y|JP3926400007}}
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1899|08|15}} as Morinaga’s Western Confectionary Shop
| founder = Taichiro Morinaga
| hq_location_city = Shiba, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8403
| hq_location_country = Japan
| key_people = Eijiro Ota{{Cite web |url=https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/about/message.html |title=Message from the President |accessdate=2024-01-08}}
(President)
| industry = Food
| products = {{unbulleted list |Confectionery|Beverages|Cocoa|Chilled desserts|Health food}}
| subsid = Morinaga Milk Industry (10.34%)
| revenue = {{increase}} JPY 205 billion (FY 2017)
(US$ 1.9 billion) (FY 2017)
| net_income = {{decrease}} JPY 10.2 billion (FY 2017)
(US$ 97 million) (FY 2017)
| num_employees = 3,170 (consolidated, as of March 31, 2018)
| area_served = Worldwide
| homepage = {{Official website|https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/}}
| footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/about/outline.html |title=Corporate Profile |publisher=Morinaga & Company |accessdate=January 9, 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Companies/Morinaga-Co.-Ltd |title=Company Profile |work=Nikkei Asian Review |publisher=Nikkei Inc. |accessdate=January 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005192059/https://asia.nikkei.com/Companies/Morinaga-Co.-Ltd |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/profile?s=2201:TYO |title=About the company |publisher=Financial Times |accessdate=January 17, 2019}}
}}
{{nihongo|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.{{cite book |first=Stuart D.B. |last=Picken |title=Historical Dictionary of Japanese Business |date=December 19, 2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-5589-0 |page=282}} Their products include candy and other confectioneries.
Morinaga is loosely affiliated with Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., a public company in which Morinaga & Company holds 10.34% of the stock.
Brands
Major Morinaga brands include:{{Cite web |title=Group Network {{!}} About Us {{!}} Morinaga＆Co., Ltd. |url=https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/about/group.html |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=www.morinaga.co.jp |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Introduction of Business Fields {{!}} About Us {{!}} Morinaga & Co., Ltd. |url=https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/about/business.html |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=www.morinaga.co.jp |language=en}}
- 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
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.{{Cite web |title=Corporate Development and History {{!}} About Us {{!}} Morinaga & Co., Ltd. |url=https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/about/history.html |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=www.morinaga.co.jp |language=en}}
In 1944, during World War II, Morinaga created Japan's first domestically produced penicillin.{{Cite web |title=Showa Era {{!}} Corporate Development and History {{!}} About Us {{!}} Morinaga & Co., Ltd. |url=https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/about/history02.html |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=www.morinaga.co.jp |language=en}}
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. 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.{{Cite news |date=2023-07-25 |title=Dream come chew: Japanese candy fans to get reverse imports of US Hi-Chew flavors |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230725/p2a/00m/0bu/021000c |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=Mainichi Daily News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2017-03-28 |title=How North Carolina became the home of Japan's #1 candy |url=https://thecounter.org/north-carolina-became-home-japans-1-candy/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=The Counter |language=en-US}}
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
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.{{Cite web |title=Business Office Guide {{!}} About Us {{!}} Morinaga＆Co., Ltd. |url=https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/english/about/office.html |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=www.morinaga.co.jp |language=en}}
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.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-16 |title=Maker of HI-CHEW candy is building a 2nd NC plant. Here's what it plans for Mebane site |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/japanese-candy-company-hi-chew-160005271.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US}}
See also
{{Portal|Tokyo|Companies|Food}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Morinaga & Company}}
- {{in lang|ja}} [http://www.morinaga.co.jp/ Morinaga & Company]
- {{in lang|en}} [http://www.morinaga.co.jp/english/ Morinaga & Company corporate profile]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morinaga and Company}}
Category:Food manufacturers based in Tokyo
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1899
Category:Japanese companies established in 1899
Category:Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Category:Confectionery companies of Japan
Category:1940s initial public offerings
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