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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 big company from Tokyo, Japan. They make lots of yummy treats like candy and other sweets. Morinaga has been making these products since 1899.

Morinaga & Company is connected to another company called Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.. Morinaga & Company owns a small part of Morinaga Milk Industry.

Popular Morinaga Brands

Morinaga makes many popular products that you might know. Here are some of their main brands:

  • Hi-Chew
  • In Jelly / Chargel
  • Choco Monaka Jumbo
  • Ice Box
  • DARS
  • Morinaga Biscuits
  • Morinaga Milk Cocoa
  • Morinaga Amazake
  • Morinaga Chocoball
  • Packncho (made under license)
  • Werther's Original (they sell this in Japan)
  • Pez (they sell this in Japan)

Morinaga's Sweet History

How Morinaga Started

The company was started in 1899 by a man named Taichiro Morinaga. He had just returned from the United States. He opened a shop in Tokyo that sold Western-style sweets. In 1912, his business officially became a company called Morinaga & Co., Ltd.

Making History with Medicine

During World War II in 1944, Morinaga did something very important. They made Japan's first penicillin. Penicillin is a type of medicine that helps fight infections.

Valentine's Day in Japan

In 1960, Morinaga had a clever idea for Valentine's Day. They suggested that women should give chocolates to men. This idea became very popular and changed how Valentine's Day is celebrated in Japan today. Later, in 2009, Morinaga made special chocolates for men to give to women. They called these Gyaku-choco, which means reverse chocolate in Japanese.

Hi-Chew's Rise to Fame

Morinaga started selling their famous Hi-Chew candy in the United States in 2008. The candy quickly became a favorite among baseball players. This trend began with a Japanese baseball player named Junichi Tazawa, who played for the Boston Red Sox. In 2012, Morinaga even signed a deal to sponsor the Red Sox. Hi-Chew's popularity grew a lot during the 2010s. In 2023, Morinaga started bringing some of the American Hi-Chew flavors back to Japan.

Famous Faces in Commercials

Morinaga has used many famous people to advertise their products. Stars like Ayumi Hamasaki and Mao Asada have appeared in their commercials. In the past, they even used the popular music group Carpenters to help sell their sweets.

Where Morinaga Products Are Made

Morinaga's main office is in the Shiba area of Minato, Tokyo, close to Tamachi Station. They have factories in several other cities in Japan. These include Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Oyama, Tochigi, Mishima, Shizuoka, and Anjo, Aichi.

Morinaga also started making Hi-Chew candy in Mebane, North Carolina, USA, in 2016.

See also