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Company Information
History of the Company 1920~1949
Bunji Shibata had established Kimura Shoten at Fukutomi-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama in August 24, and started the coffee roasting and processing business and selling grocery.
Started manufacturing and selling “coffee syrup” as first hit product.
Opened Tokyo Office at 2-4, Atagoshita-machi, Shiba-ku, Tokyo.
Established head office and factory, and started full-scale manufacturing of coffee syrup. It suddenly became a best seller because of excellent quality.
Opened Osaka office, in Osaka prefecture.
Completed Yokohama Factory, and started production of canned coffee, cocoa and tea, coffee syrup and soft drinks.
Changed company name from “Kimura Shoten” to “Kimura coffee store”, and adopted Key brand.
Store owner visited Taiwan to examine the plan of coffee cultivation.
Released canned coffee“Key Can”, adopting the symbol of a key and alphabetic letters. It brought out the opportunity to enjoy authentic flavor of coffee at home.
Opened Dalian office in China.
Opened Nagoya office, in Aichi prefecture.
Released Key Lactose (Fermented milk drink), as first non-coffee product branded key.
Opened Hakata office, in Fukuoka prefecture.
Started the business of Taidong coffee plantation in south-east of Taiwan. The first step toward the realization of a integrated coffee company.
Released “Key tea syrup”, “Key chocolate syrup” and “Key maple syrup”.
Opened Keijo branch office,in South Korea.
Started the business of Kagi coffee plantation in Taiwan.
Opened Kyoto office, in Kyoto prefecture.
Released “X’mas coffee” in December, strong roasted coffee flavored with unsalted butter and brandy.
Established Gesashi plantation in Okinawa prefecture, and started the business of coffee cultivation.
Opened Mukden branch office in China.
Inherited Café “Tricolore” in Ginza in Tokyo.
Store owner visited New York to receive quality appraisal of coffee harvested in Taiwan plantation from the worldwide coffee appraiser, W・H・Bennett.
Opened Changchun branch office in China.
Developed and released domestic Key drip percolator.
Started importing coffee made in Taiwan.
Opened Tianjing office in China.
Established Tricolore Co., Ltd.
Opened Shanghai office in China.
Opened Jinan branch office and Beijing office in China.
Established “Kimura coffee Haikou soft drink factory” in Haikou, and started manufacturing soda for the Japanese navy.
Opened three storied cafes,大可樂, in Nanjing Lu, China.
Unification of all branch offices in China under the name “Man-zhou Kimura coffee shop”.
Opened Harbin branch office in China.
Stop manufacturing coffee syrup due to shortage of raw ingredient.
Head office was burned down during the great Yokohama Air Raids. Overseas branch offices and plantations were requisitioned due to the defeat of Japan, also domestic head office and branch offices were burned down.
Moved Head Office from Yokohama to Tokyo (former Tokyo Office).
Established Kimura coffee industry Co., Ltd, which takes import business of coffee beans.
Relocated Hakata office and changed the name to Fukuoka office.
Released “Near Coffee” 300g Can, as substitute for coffee made by guaranteeing the taste and quality under the shortage of raw materials during the postwar period.
