Kikkoman: Japanese soy sauce world market leader
The Kikkoman Group's roots are in the production and marketing of soy sauce. Millions of people around the globe know and use our Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce. However, Kikkoman is also involved in various related and unrelated lines of business in Japan and overseas.
For example, Kikkoman has established subsidiaries and acquired shareholdings in companies in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, wines, liqueurs, fruit juices, tomato products and Asian food.
The JFC International Group, one of the biggest original Asian food wholesale companies, is also a full subsidiary of the Kikkoman Group.
Kikkoman’s global production facilities
Over 7,000 people shape the development of the Japanese corporation at sites in Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Australia, Canada, the USA and Europe. Kikkoman operates eleven soy sauce production facilities in Japan, the USA, Singapore, Taiwan, China, the Netherlands and Brazil.
Kikkoman in Europe
In 1973, Kikkoman established itself in Europe at the location Düsseldorf, Germany, where it opened a Japanese restaurant. Here, customers could see their food being cooked in front of them, smell and taste how well soy sauce goes with meat and local foods and ingredients, and learn how to use soy sauce at home. Sales were actively promoted, as in the U.S., through in-store sampling and suggesting recipes with soy sauce, and the resulting growth in sales was primarily driven by demand in Germany.
In October 1997 Kikkoman opened the first European Kikkoman production facility in Hoogezand-Sappemeer, the Netherlands, to meet increasing demand for soy sauce in Europe. This production facility still manufactures Kikkoman sauces for the entire European market.
