Kibun History
KIBUN Group Historical Summary
| 1938The history of company | Kunihito Hoashi, founder of Kibun, opens Yamagataya Rice Shop (now Kibun Foods Inc.) in Hatchobori, Tokyo. |
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| 1940The history of company | Kinokuniya Fruit Shop opens outside the Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market. The name is later changed to Kibun. |
| 1941The history of company | Kibun starts selling marine products as a wholesaler. |
| 1947The history of company | Kibun starts producing processed fish products. |
| 1949The history of products | Age-ball（fried fish ball) is launched. Kibun-Tsumire is launched. |
| 1950The history of company | Kibun opens a retail shop in Matsuzakaya Department Store, and later opens retail shops at other major department stores. |
| 1950The history of products | Hanpen is launched. |
| 1951The history of products | Ingredients for oden are branded with the Company's name. |
| 1955The history of products | Kibun starts selling packaged satsuma-age. |
| 1956The history of products | Kibun develops production of shiokara.(Shiokara is a food made from salted and fermented fish entrails.) |
| 1959The history of company | Kibun is commissioned to prepare special dishes for the wedding ceremony of the Crown Prince, the current Emperor Emeritus. Thereafter, Kibun becomes a purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency. Kibun starts installing automatic packaging machines. |
| 1959The history of products | Grilled Chikuwa is launched. |
| 1963The history of company | Kibun completes the Yokohama Factory, a fully automated plant that breaks new ground in the industry. |
| 1964The history of products | Kibun develops retort-pouch oden, a precursor of today’s Oden Ichinin Mae. |
| 1965The history of products | Sales of New Year’s osechi products start to take off around this time. Goma-tofu is launched. |
| 1966The history of company | The design of Kibun products is standardized, and full-scale advertising is rolled out. |
| 1966The history of products | Tamago-tofu is launched. Preparations for making Soup of Oden(Liquid type) is launched. |
| 1967The history of products | Sasakama is launched. |
| 1970The history of company | Construction of the Shizuoka Factory, an industry-standard model plant for Kibun, is completed. |
| 1971The history of company | Kibun receives an order to provide shisen-ryori (dishes for celebratory banquets) to the Imperial Household Agency. |
| 1972The history of company | Hosho Shoji (now Kibun Trading Inc.) is established. Kibun sets up base in Thailand. A distribution center equipped with refrigerated distribution is completed at the Tokyo Ryutsu Center. |
| 1972The history of products | Sozai Kamaboko (kamaboko as a side dish) is launched, which leads to the increasing popularity of kamaboko on dining tables. (This was the precursor of today’s Iki: Kamaboko Containing Sea Bream.) Preparations for making Soup of Oden（granule type) is launched. |
| 1973The history of company | The Kibun Foods Research Center is completed. |
| 1973The history of products | Takebue (chikuwa) is launched. |
| 1974The history of company | Kibun Foods (U.S.A.), Inc. is established in Seattle. |
| 1975The history of company | Kaiyo Foods, Inc. is established in Okinawa. |
| 1976The history of products | Chikuwabu is launched. |
| 1977The history of company | Kibun starts producing and marketing soy milk. Kibun establishes a base in Singapore. International Computer Systems Co., Ltd. (now Kibun Fresh Systems Co., Ltd.) is established. |
| 1977The history of products | Soy milk is launched. |
| 1978The history of company | The Funabashi Factory is completed. |
| 1979The history of products | Unagiya is launched. |
| 1980The history of products | Niku-gyoza is launched. |
| 1982The history of company | Kibun establishes a base in Hong Kong. |
| 1982The history of products | Odenya (assortment of Oden) is launched. New Year's Products of assortment "OJUZUME" set is launched. |
| 1984The history of company | Kibun Fresh Supply Co., Ltd. (now Kibun Fresh System Inc.) is established. |
| 1984The history of products | Chinese-style buns series is launched. |
| 1985The history of company | Kibun introduces its corporate identity program. |
| 1985The history of products | Uogashi-age is launched. |
| 1986The history of products | meat-wonton is launched. |
| 1986The history of products | Sakanayose ,the precursor of products such as Nabedane, is launched. |
| 1987The history of products | Marine(Crab-Flavored Seafood) is launched. Kibun-no-Kisetsu (assortment of Oden) is launched. |
| 1988The history of products | Isokobachi (Noodles which is made from seaweed and konjac) is launched. |
| 1989The history of products | Hosonuki-tofu , the precursor of products such as Noodle-like tofu, is launched. Paripari-Potato (This product is the cheese, corn and mashed potatoes fried wrapped in the skin of wheat.) is launched. |
| 1991The history of products | Yasai-tempura(Satsuma-age containing vegetables) is launched. |
| 1993The history of company | A production base for Southeast Asia is completed in Thailand. |
| 1995The history of company | The Eniwa Factory is completed. |
| 1996The history of products | Chee-chiku is launched. Salad-Shitaraba (Crab-Flavored Seafood) is launched. |
| 1997The history of company | The Tokyo Factory is completed as a supply base of East Japan. Hokushoku Co., Ltd. joins the Kibun Group. |
| 1998The history of company | The Tokyo Factory is awarded certification as a seafood exporter to the United States and the European Union (EU). Kibun (Thailand) Co., Ltd. receives HACCP certification. |
| 1998The history of products | Kamaboko in the shape of Hello Kitty is launched. |
| 1999The history of company | The Tokyo Factory receives HACCP certification (comprehensive sanitation management and production process) and ISO 9002 certification (switching to ISO 9001 in 2003). |
| 2000The history of company | The Company's Headquarters and the Yokohama Factory receive ISO 9001 certification. |
| 2001The history of company | Kibun (Thailand) Co., Ltd. receives ISO 9002 certification (switching to ISO 9001 in 2008). The Tokyo Factory receives ISO 14001 certification. |
| 2001The history of products | Gelatin prepared foods is launched. Kuntama (smoked egg) is launched. |
| 2002The history of company | A business tie-up is formed with Maruha Corp. (now Maruha Nichiro Holdings, Inc.). |
| 2003The history of products | Soup-gyoza (Dumplings which boils in soup) is launched. Preparations for making soymilk nabe is launched. |
| 2004The history of company | A capital and business tie-up is formed between Kikkoman Corp. and the Kibun Group. |
| 2004The history of products | Kireteru-Atsuyaki-Tamago(pre-cut Japanese omelet) is launched. Hamburg made of bean curd and chicken is launched. |
| 2005The history of company | The Yokohama Factory receives HACCP certification. Kaiyo Foods, Inc. receives ISO 9001 and HACCP certification. |
| 2006The history of company | The Shizuoka Factory receives HACCP certification. |
| 2006The history of products | Mini tofu which is made from high concentrations of soy milk is launched. |
| 2007The history of products | Tamanegi-tempura(Satsuma-age containing onions) is launched. |
| 2007The history of company | The Okayama Soja Factory is completed as a supply base for West Japan. |
| 2007The history of products | Nagoya-style assortment of Oden is launched. |
| 2009The history of company | The Eniwa Factory and The Okayama Soja Factory receives HACCP certification. |
| 2009The history of products | Kibun begins launching Disney character-themed products. |
| 2010The history of company | The Okayama Soja Factory receives ISO 9001 certification, and the Funabashi Factory receives HACCP certification. |
| 2010The history of products | Salad de Noodle(Noodles made from soybean curd refuse), the precursor of Zero Carbohydrate Noodles, is launched. Kibun develops a paper matt for rolling Date-maki for New Year’s celebrations. |
| 2012The history of products | Delicious up to the skin chikuwa is launched in Hokkaido. |
| 2013The history of products | Zero Carbohydrate Noodles is launched. |
| 2014The history of company | A business tie-up is formed with Kanetetsu Delica Foods Inc.. A switch is made from ISO 9001 to ISO 22000. The Eniwa Factory, Funabashi Factory, Yokohama Factory, Shizuoka Factory, and Okayama Soja Factory receive ISO 22000 certification. |
| 2015The history of company | A business tie-up is formed with Horikawa Co., Ltd. Nishi Nihon Kibun Foods Inc. is established. |
| 2016The history of company | The Okayama Soja Factory of Nishi Nihon Kibun Food is awarded certification as a seafood exporter to the EU. Kibun Foods Safety Center Inc. is established. |
| 2017The history of company | The Yokohama Factory is awarded certification as a seafood exporter to the EU. The Kibun Food Safety Center Inc. has acquired ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 certification for microorganism testing. |