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Morinaga & Company facts for kids

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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
Public (K.K)
Traded as TYO: 2201
ISIN ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=JP3926400007 JP3926400007]
Industry Food
Founded August 15, 1899; 125 years ago (1899-08-15) as Morinaga’s Western Confectionary Shop
Founder Taichiro Morinaga
Headquarters
Shiba, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8403
,
Japan
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Eijiro Ota
(President)
Products
Revenue Increase 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)
Subsidiaries Morinaga Milk Industry (10.34%)

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. 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:

  • 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.

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

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.

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.

Morinaga began manufacturing Hi-Chew candy in Mebane, North Carolina in 2016.

See also