Corporate philosophy and profile
The philosophy of S&B Foods Inc.
S&B Foods Inc. (initiated in 1923 and established in 1940) was established based upon its predecessor "Higashiya", a corporation in Asakusa Shichiken town in Tokyo founded on April 5, 1923, to sell the first 100% Japan-made curry powder which was successfully developed and produced by Minejiro Yamazaki, founder of the corporation.
S&B Foods has contributed to promote Japanese food culture by disseminating spices such as peppers and garlic and introducing the nation's first instant curry sauce through consistent creativity and development work grounded on an uncompromising stance in accordance with the company's motto "The
Quest for Good Taste" represented by the stamp mill.
As consumers' needs evolved with the times, we provided food products that embodied enchantment and the bounty of spices. We have led the market with a strategy focusing on the texture of freshness by introducing a variety of items including sterile cooked rice, developed with our advanced microorganism control technology, high-quality pasta sauce and a series of Chinese cooking aids.
Origin of the corporation's name and its history
On April 5, 1923, Minejiro Yamazaki, the founder of the corporation, established "Higashiya", the predecessor of S&B, in Asakusa Shichiken town in Tokyo when he successfully developed and produced the nation's first domestically-made curry powder. The name of the company Higashiya represents "Be grateful for the blessings of every day and willingly dedicate yourself to your duties".
In 1930, Hidori (the sun and a bird) became the trademark. The trademark embracing the sun and a bird symbolized the corporate wish that our fortune rise like the sun and the products reach every corner of the country like a bird flying freely in the sky. The initials of Sun and Bird "S&B" were incorporated into the trademark in the following year and the design of the trademark was completed. This was the origin of the S&B trademark. It is said that the design implied steady growth of the corporation and was based on increasing public familiarity with English and the nature of the products with global universality.
Then, as one of business modernization projects after World War II, Higashiya was renamed in 1949 to "S&B Foods Inc." as the S&B trademark, matching the trend of the times, had spread among the public by then.
Minejiro Yamazaki - founder of S&B Foods
Minejiro Yamazaki was the founder of S&B Foods Inc. (pictured on the left). He succeeded in developing and manufacturing the first 100% Japanese-made curry powder and opened "Higashiya", the predecessor of S&B Foods, on April 5, 1923. He was born on June 11, 1903 in Kanasugi village in Saitama prefecture and moved up to Tokyo and started working for a sauce manufacturer when he was 17 years old. When he ate curry and rice for the first time, it had a tremendous impact on him. His encounter with curry drove him to start devoting himself to making curry powder, a main ingredient of curry. After much frustration in making a food that no one ever had tried, he finally succeeded in making pure Japanese curry powder.
When he eventually made the curry, he established "Higashiya". Driven by his inexhaustible aspiration for spices, he made remarkable contributions to spread curry spices all over the country by introducing many types of spices.
Minejiro also publicly dedicated himself to developing the Japanese spice industry, before, during and after the war. His public contribution began with serving as the chairman of the Tokyo Metropolitan Association of Curry & Sauce Manufacturers in March 1963 and then he established the Japan Pepper and Milling Industry Association in June 1941 in the midst of the war to help the industry grow. After the war, when food and materials were extremely scarce, he created the Japan Curry Association and negotiated with the US Forces stationed in Japan to sell surplus commodities to help the curry and spice industry revive. He always led the industry and held many important roles in relevant organizations including Chairman of the Japan Curry Industry Association in May 1994 and Executive Director of the Japan Curry Cooperative Association in February 1954. In April 1958, he was granted the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon for his social contributions. Many other medals were also awarded to Minejiro including: the Medal with Blue Ribbon for his contribution to the curry industry in May 1960, the Medal with Purple Ribbon for developing spices especially garlic powder, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon for his untiring pursuit of research on spices for over 50 years which made a significant contribution to promote science and industry in Japan and national welfare.
He passed away on November 4, 1974 at the age of 71. Very few other people in the food industry had won all the medals and decorations that he received, reflecting Minejiro's incomparable passion, pioneering spirit and creativity toward the industry. His precepts for entrepreneurs are kept and the Yamazaki Spice Foundation and Spice Exhibition Hall in the S&B Spice Center (Itabashi ward, Tokyo) were established in line with the wishes of the founder, Minejiro Yamazaki, and the proprietor, Harue Yamazaki, to encourage awareness about, and the use of, spices.
Profile
| NAME OF COM | S&B FOODS INC. | |
|---|---|---|
| CORPORATE OFFICERS | Masaru Yamazaki CEO Ryutaro Edo COO |
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| CORPORATE ADDRESS | MAIN OFFICE:1-3-2 Hatchobori, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0032 JAPAN Tel:03-3555-1277 Fax:03-3537-2150 |
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| REGISTERED OFFICE: | 18-6 Nihonbashi, Kabuto-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0026 JAPAN Tel:03-3668-0551 |
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| FOUNDATION | April, 1923 | |
| DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT | April, 1940 | |
| MAJOR EXPORT DESTINATION | USA CHINA SINGAPORE EU CANADA S. KOREA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA TAIWAN SOUTH AMERICA | |
| SALES OFFICE | 19BUSINESS UNITS | |
| PLANTS | 3domestic manufacturing plants | |
| PAID-IN CAPITAL | 1,744,279 (in thousand yen) | |
| NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES | 1,179 persons (as of March 31, 2009) | |
| BUSINESS PERFORMANCEBUSINESS | Year ending | Sales (million yen) |
| March '05 | 101,558 | |
| March '06 | 105,353 | |
| March '07 | 106,954 | |
| March '08 | 109,801 | |
| March '09 | 113,297 | |