BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

of agriculture-related business models. It also acted astheOEMsupplierofavarietyoffrozenfoods.4 Strengthening Alliances with DomesticJapanese CompaniesIn 2009, Toyota Tsusho formed a capital and businessalliance with First Baking Co., Ltd., from which ithad purchased raw materials. The aim was to furtherstrengthen the grain value chain by reinforcing thebusiness relationship and utilizing the synergy generatedwith Toyota Tsusho’s global raw material procurementcapabilities and information networks with First Baking’sproduct development and manufacturing and saleschannels.In November 2013, Toyota Tsusho and the nation’slargest food distributor, Kokubu Group Corp., formed abusiness tie-up. In conjunction with the alliance, ChubuSyokuryo K.K. shares were transferred to the KokubuGroup so that Chubu Syokuryo became Toyota Tsusho’ssubsidiary, integrating Chubu Syokuryo’s know-howconcerning the sale of industrial food ingredients withthe Kokubu Group’s sales and procurement network,logistics, and system infrastructure capabilities to furtherimprove service levels in the Chubu area.In March 2014, Toyota Tsusho purchased an 88.49%equity ratio of shares of Fuji Sangyo Co., Ltd., whichhad a proven track record of providing catering servicesin industry, schools, hospitals, and welfare facilities,signaling the company’s debut in the food serviceindustry.5 Growing the Food Business in AsiaIn cooperation in October 2011 with the majorMalaysian food corporation, Malayan Flour Mills Bhd.(MFM), Toyota Tsusho decided to invest in a flourmilling company owned by Indonesia’s major foodgroup, FKS Capital (FKS). The growth and expansionof the middle class and the progressing urbanizationthat accompanied economic growth and the expansionof consumption created a population with diverseconsumer needs in Indonesia, where flour consumptionhas increased steadily. Toyota Tsusho decided to enterthe flour mill market in Indonesia, believing it wouldinevitably become the largest wheat importer of thecountriesofAsia.6 Collaboration with Kindai University inFull-Cycle Cultured Bluefin TunaThrough a 2010 business partnership with KindaiUniversity, which produced the first full-cycle culturedbluefin tuna in the world, Toyota Tsusho beganintermediate breeding projects for fully farmed bluefintuna. Toyota Tsusho established its wholly owned TunaDream Goto Seedling Center on the Goto Islands ofNagasaki Prefecture to work on intermediate breeding inwhich fry are raised until they become young fish. In July2014, Toyota Tsusho concluded a Memorandum on thePromotion of Aquaculture Business in collaboration withthe university to enter the field of bluefin tuna productionby artificial insemination. Receiving certification asKindai Tuna, Toyota Tsusho began to sell the adult fish inDecember 2014. Toyota Tsusho subsequently establishedTuna Dream Okinawa in September 2015 and startedan intermediate breeding business for bluefin tuna inOkinawa.As wild bluefin tuna resources continue to decrease,eggs are harvested from cultured fish with the aim ofsecuring the fully farmed cycle and to ensure a stablesupply of young bluefin tuna to convey the Japanese tunafood culture to the next generation.Full-cycle cultured bluefin tuna preserveHistory145