Food and drink
Kikkoman キッコーマン
Soy sauce from Noda to the world
Families in Noda, Chiba, brewed soy sauce from the 17th century and shipped it down the river to Edo (Tokyo). In 1917 eight of them merged to form the company that became Kikkoman, now the world's best-known soy sauce brand.
- Founded
- 1917
- Taishō 6
- Founder
- The Mogi and Takanashi families
- Started in
- Noda, Chiba
- Status
- Still trading
- Age 109 years
Timeline
-
1917 (Taishō 6)
Eight brewing families in Noda merge to form Noda Shōyu.
-
1957 (Shōwa 32)
Sets up a sales company in San Francisco.
-
1964 (Shōwa 39)
Renames itself after its Kikkoman brand.
-
1973 (Shōwa 48)
Opens a brewery in Walworth, Wisconsin, one of the first Japanese food factories in the United States.
Years in brackets are the Japanese era year. Japanese era converter →
Did you know?
The name comes from kikkō (a tortoise shell) and man (ten thousand), both symbols of long life.
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Dates follow the companies' own published histories where available. Trademarks belong to their owners; this page is not affiliated with any company listed.