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Milestones

Company Information

KOKUBU's 300 years of progress are the very history of Japanese dietary life.

General historical events

KOKUBU's history

1712
    • Founding of the KOKUBU GROUP CORP.
    • Kanbei Kokubu IV opens retail store ”Daikokuya” in Edo Nihombashi and launches a soy sauce brewing operation to supplement involvement in the kimono fabrics trade at this time.
    • The wise Ooka Tadasuke appointed as town magistrate of Edo
1756
    • Soy sauce products brewed at the Tsuchiura plant were labeled with the logo ”Kikkodai” consisting of a hexagon with a Chinese character meaning ”big” at its center.
    Soy sauce products brewed at the Tsuchiura plant were labeled with the logo 'Kikkodai' consisting of a hexagon with a Chinese character meaning 'big' at its center
1853
    • A squadron of four ships arrives at Uraga Bay under the command of Commodore Perry
1859
    • Kanbei Kokubu VIII starts tea trading
1868
    • Meiji Restoration
1880
    • Soy sauce brewery closed; wholesaling business starts in a wide variety of foodstuffs
1885
    • The cabinet system established（Hirobumi Ito becomes the first prime minister）
1887
    • Sales of foodstuffs and canned products start
    • Electric lights installed in Tokyo
1888
    • Sales of beer start
1889
    • Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kenpo（Constitution of the Empire of Japan）was proclaimed.
1894
    • The paulownia mark registered as a trademark
    • Outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War
1904
    • Outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
1908
    • K&K registered as a trademark
1909
    • Sales of ”AJINOMOTO” start. Sales of ”CALPIS” and synthetic alcohol ”Rikyu” also start in 1919 and 1926, respectively.
1910
    • Publication of industry newsletter, Kokubu Market Report, starts
    Publication of industry newsletter, Kokubu Market Report, starts
1917
    • Sales of 1.8 liter bottled soy sauce start, using Kokubu bottles
1923
    • Store destroyed in the earthquake; reconstruction work starts immediately; efforts made to supply soy sauce as a daily necessity
    • Great Kanto Earthquake
1928
    • Yokohama Office set up.
1931
    • The first building（The old：Nihombashi headquarters building）was completed.
    The first building(The old: Nihombashi headquarters building)was completed.
1938
    • Osaka Brauch Office established.
1941
    • Outbreak of the Pacific War
1945
    • Sapporo Branch Office established.
    • End of the Pacific War
1947
    • KOKUBU TSUKEMONO CO., LTD. which serves as the basis for KOKUBU GROUP CORP established
    • The Constitution of Japan comes into force
1950
    • KOKUBU & Co. and KOKUBU TSUKEMONO CO., LTD. merged to form KOKUBU SHOTEN CO., LTD.
1953
    • Start of TV broadcasting by NHK and private broadcasting companies
1957
    • Fukuoka Liaison Office established.
1961
    • Nagoya Branch Office established.
1962
    • Sendai Branch Office established.
1964
    • Tokyo Olympic Games held
    • Tokaido Shinkansen launched
1965
    • Computer system introduced（IBM1440）
1967
    • Hiroshima Branch Office established.
1970
    • Osaka World Exposition held
1971
    • The First Long-Term Management Plan commenced.
    • Company name changed from KOKUBU SHOTEN CO., LTD. to KOKUBU & CO., LTD.
    First Long Term Business Plan
1973
    • Switch to a floating exchange rate for the yen
    • The first oil crisis
1975
    • Construction of the Nihombashi headquarters building completed
1978
    • KOKUBU GROCERS CHAIN（KGC）, a convenience store chain, launched
1981
    • Own physical distribution of chilled food products starts
1989
    • A national consumption tax imposed
    • Fall of the Berlin Wall
1991
    • Collapse of the ”bubble economy”
1994
    • The 3OD（One Order, One Delivery）System constructed as a logistics system for consolidated ordering / delivery operations
1995
    • Introduced a company-wide E-mail.
    • Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
1999
    • Information system ”KOMPASS” launched across the KOKUBU GROUP
2000
    • Annual sales figure for KOKUBU & CO., LTD.（excluding group companies）surpasses one trillion yen
    • Long-term Care Insurance System introduced
2001
    • Confection wholesale business starts toward the goal of constructing a full-line distribution system setup
    • 9/11 terrorist attacks
2002
    • To celebrate its 290th anniversary, KOKUBU introduces ”Heisei no Chomoku”, a new KOKUBU Credo（serving as both an action charter and a behavioral code）
    • The Euro, adopted as single EU currency, goes into circulation
2005
    • Capital increased to 3.5 billion yen
    • The Yashio Distribution Center, the biggest mother ship-type general-purpose center in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, starts operation in the city of Yashio, Saitama Prefecture
    • The Kyoto Protocol for the prevention of global warming enters into force
2006
    • ”KMS”, a business and accounting system, installed for business process standardization throughout the KOKUBU GROUP
2007
    • Entered into business tie-ups with pharmaceutical wholesalers, to bolster the foundation for intermediate distribution in the fields of food products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and general merchandise
2008
    • Entered into a business tie-up with a seafood wholesaler to bolster business in the field of processed seafood
    • The collapse of Lehman Brothers causes a world-wide financial and economic crisis
2010
    • Established the joint venture San tong Kokubu Trading（Qingdao）Co., Ltd. to undertake logistics and wholesaling business in China
    • Entered into a business tie-up with Sojitz Corporation in the field of food distribution in Vietnam
2011
    • Opend ”ROJI Nihombashi” on the 1st floor of the headquarters building
    • Great East Japan Earthquake
2012
    • Marked its 300th anniversary
    • Grouped Huong Thuy Manufacture Service Trading Corporation, and started the wholesale business in Vietnam
2013
    • Grouped Weifang Sanhui Logistics&Co., Ltd. , and started the wholesale business in China
    • Mount Fuji and other sites registered as World Cultural Heritage.
2014
    • Commenced low-temperature logistics business in Myanmar
    • KOKUBU TRADING SHANGHAI CO., LTD. established in China
    • Consumption tax up to 8%
2015
    • Grouped SHANGHAI MINENI FOODS CO, LTD. in Shanghai, China
    • Adoption of the SDGs by the United Nations
2016
    • Reorganized the domestic wholesale business into seven area companies, two category companies, and a headquarters company
    • KOKUBU & CO., LTD. renamed KOKUBU GROUP CORP
    • Established a joint venture between Texchem Restaurant Systems to develop low temperature food logistics business in Malaysia.
    • Kumamoto earthquakes.
2017
    • Kanbei Kokubu was appointed as Representative Director Chairman and CEO.
    • Akira Kokubu was appointed as Representative Director President and COO.
    • Grouped ShenZhen YIFAN Foods Co.,LTD,an imported food wholesaler in China
    • Incorporated Focal Marketing Sdn. Bhd. as an affiliated company and and started the wholesale business in Malaysia.
    • Establish Kokubu Business Expert Corp.
2018
    • Established KOKUBU FRESH LINK CORP Ltd. to strengthen fresh wholesale business
    • Established Commonwealth Kokubu Logistics Pte Ltd, a joint venture with Commonwealth Capital Pte Ltd（Singapore）to develop the low-temperature food logistics business.
2019
    • The Kansai General Center is opened and a nationwide triple-temperature zone distribution network is completed.
    • Grouped Beijing Biaixi Foodstuffs Co.,Ltd, a food wholesaler in China
    • Consumption tax up to 10%
    • New emperor enthronement
2020
    • Issued Kokubu SDGs Statement Book
    • Kokubu Food Logistics Malaysia operates four temperature zone distribution center in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur
    • Outbreak of COVID-19.
2021
    • Started our 11th long-term management plan.
    • Launched the Environment Management Committee.
2022
    • Issued Kokubu Group Human Rights Policy and Kokubu Group Health Declaration.