1960s

TOPICS

Beginnings of Warabeya Nichiyo Group

In March 1964, Taro Otomo originally founded Nitto Oil Company in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, to sell fishing boat fuel oil and other products.


In 1966, Nitto Oil built a new plant in an effort to take the business in a different direction with the intent of more aggressively expanding the company, and began producing and selling salads.

March 1964

Established Nitto Oil Company, and began selling chemicals and fuel oil for fishing boats

October 1964

Changed the company name from Nitto Oil Company to Nichiyo Sangyo Company

November 1966

Built a salad processing plant in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and began producing and selling salads

September 1967

Built the new Shinjuku Plant in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and began producing and selling bread products

1970s

TOPICS

Encounters with SEVEN-ELEVEN JAPAN

Nichiyo Sangyo began doing business with SEVEN-ELEVEN JAPAN CO., LTD., in 1978. After starting out by delivering products to nearly 300 stores, we now deliver to outlets nationwide.

Storehouse-style mini stores selling rice balls along the roadside became the talk of the town

Hand-made rice balls are produced using a packaging technique that separates the roasted seaweed with film

July 1971

Established Nichiyo Foods Co., Ltd. (currently Nichiyo Co., Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary), and began importing and selling ingredients

June 1974

Relocated the headquarters to Kodaira City, Tokyo

May 1975

Established Nichiyo Delica Co., Ltd. (formerly Warabeya Honten Co., Ltd.), and began producing and selling cooked rice products

March 1976

Built the new Nichiyo Delica Co., Ltd., Murayama Plant in Tokyo

October 1976

Built the new Yokohama Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture

June 1978

Began doing business with SEVEN-ELEVEN JAPAN CO., LTD.

January 1979

Established Nichiyo Facilities and Equipment Co., Ltd. (currently Prosystas Co., Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary), and began selling food production machinery and equipment

1980s

TOPICS

Overseas Expansion

In 1982, the Company expanded into Hawaii in the US with the aim of making bento meal boxes more popular overseas.
The products sold at our directly-managed stores took root in Hawaii as a result of rearranging them to suit the local food culture and flavors.

January 1981

Warabeya Honten Co., Ltd., established Hotaka Co., Ltd., in Nagano Prefecture, and began producing and selling cooked rice products and bread products

June 1982

Established Tokyo Bento Nichiyo, Inc. (currently Warabeya U.S.A., Inc., a consolidated subsidiary), as an affiliate in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A., and began producing and selling cooked rice products

March 1984

Absorbed and merged with Warabeya Honten Co., Ltd., and changed the company name to Warabeya Nichiyo Co., Ltd.

November 1984

Built the new Gunma Plant in Gunma Prefecture

August 1987

Established Nichiyo Logistics Co., Ltd. (currently Bestrans Co., Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary), and began food-related delivery services

January 1988

Built the new Chiba Plant in Chiba Prefecture

1990s

TOPICS

Transition to a Public Company

The Company was first listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1999. Becoming a public company through this stock listing allowed us to make significant progress in strengthening the organizational structure. (Listed on the First Section in 2003, and transitioned to the Prime Market in 2022)

Our lineup of Seaweed Wrapped Onigiri Ball, Steamed Red Rice Onigiri Rice Ball, and other types of rice balls has expanded

January 1992

Absorbed and merged with Hotaka Co., Ltd.

July 1992

Built the new Omiya Plant in Saitama Prefecture

June 1993

Nichiyo Co., Ltd., established Nichiyo Fresh Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary), and began producing salmon fillets

February 1995

Built the new Ibaraki Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture

July 1995

Registered as an over-the-counter company with the Japan Securities Dealers Association

October 1995

Established Warabeya Fukushima Co., Ltd., in Fukushima Prefecture, and began producing cooked rice products for sale in the Fukushima area

May 1996

Established Warabeya Kansai Co., Ltd., in Osaka Prefecture, and began producing cooked rice products for sale in the Kansai area

July 1997

Warabeya Kansai Co., Ltd., built the new Shiga Plant in Shiga Prefecture

November 1999

Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange

2000s

TOPICS

Tokyo Plant Operations

With the Company opening new plants almost every year, the flagship Tokyo Plant began operations in Musashimurayama, Tokyo, during 2007 as one of the industry’s largest.

With the perfection of a new molding method, onigiri rice ball fillings consistently sit in the center

Non-sticky fried rice and charcoal-grilled sparerib bento meal boxes were realized through the development of new cooking equipment

Advances in technologies that enable great tasting refrigerated foods led to the emergence of chilled products

June 2000

Warabeya Kansai Co., Ltd., built the new Sakai Plant in Osaka Prefecture

March 2002

Built the new Sagamihara Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture

July 2002

Established Warabeya Tokai Co., Ltd., in Aichi Prefecture, which started operations at the newly built Nagoya Plant in December, and began producing cooked rice products for sale in the Tokai area

August 2003

Listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange

March 2005

Acquired Delicaland Co., Ltd., as a subsidiary through a share purchase, renamed it Warabeya Hokkaido Co., Ltd., and began producing cooked rice products for sale in the Hokkaido region

March 2005

Established Warabeya Co., Ltd. (formerly Delimor Co., Ltd.), in Saitama Prefecture, which started operations at the newly built Saitama Plant in February 2006, and began producing and selling cooked rice products for Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd.

October 2006

Warabeya Kansai Co., Ltd., began operations at the Miki Plant in Hyogo Prefecture

April 2007

Built the new Tokyo Plant in Tokyo

September 2009

Built the new Minami Alps Plant in Yamanashi Prefecture

December 2009

Warabeya Tokai Co., Ltd., built the new Hokuriku Plant in Ishikawa Prefecture

2010s

TOPICS

Expansion of Overseas Operations

In 2011, the Company established a joint venture and began operations in China. Similarly, we began supplying a full line-up of products in Texas, U.S.A., in 2017, spurring on activity overseas.

Plants dedicated to chilled products went into operation in response to growing demand for these items

September 2010

Absorbed and merged with Delimor Co., Ltd.

March 2011

Invested in Beijing Want-Yang Foods Ltd. in Beijing, China, based on a joint venture agreement with SEVEN-ELEVEN JAPAN Co., Ltd., and Row Want Holdings Ltd., part of the Want Want China Holdings Limited group

March 2013

Built the new No. 2 Sagamihara Plant (currently the Dessert Plant) in Kanagawa Prefecture

December 2013

Warabeya Kansai Co., Ltd., built the new Kagawa Plant in Kagawa Prefecture

June 2014

Built the new Urawa Plant in Saitama Prefecture

March 2015

Absorbed and merged with Warabeya Fukushima Co., Ltd.

May 2015

Built the new Iwate Plant in Iwate Prefecture

September 2016

Split off and merged the Company’s operating divisions with Warabeya Kansai Co., Ltd., and changed the company name to Warabeya Nichiyo Holdings Co., Ltd. (transition to a holding company structure)

Warabeya Kansai Co., Ltd., absorbed and merged with Warabeya Tokai Co., Ltd., and Warabeya Hokkaido Co., Ltd., at which point the company name was changed to Warabeya Nichiyo Co., Ltd.

March 2017

Warabeya Nichiyo Co., Ltd., built the new Dessert Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture (split off from the No. 2 Sagamihara Plant)

November 2017

Prime Deli Corporation of Texas, U.S.A., (currently Warabeya North America, Inc., a consolidated subsidiary), became a subsidiary

November 2017

Established Warabeya Heartful Co., Ltd.

January 2018

Relocated the headquarters to Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo (the current location)

May 2019

Transitioned to a company with audit and supervisory committee

2020s

September 2020

Nichiyo Fresh Co., Ltd., is converted to a direct subsidiary of the Company through a dividend in kind executed by Nichiyo Co., Ltd.

November 2020

Relocated the headquarters and plant of Warabeya U.S.A., Inc., to Waipahu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

May 2021

Established Trust K Porter Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary)

June 2021

Established Warabeya Nichiyo Foods Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary)

September 2021

The domestic Food Production Business operated by Warabeya Nichiyo Co., Ltd., was split off and succeeded by Warabeya Nichiyo Foods Co., Ltd. Warabeya Nichiyo Co., Ltd., was designated as the company in charge of the overseas Food Production Business, and the company name was changed to Warabeya Nichiyo International Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary)

April 2022

Transitioned from the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange to the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market

September 2022

Established Warabeya Co., Ltd. (currently Warabeya Delica Co., Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary)

September 2023

Warabeya North America, Inc., built the new Virginia plant in Stafford, Virginia, U.S.A.