K. Kobayashi & Co., Ltd.

Our company was founded in Yokohama in 1883 by Keisuke Kobayashi. Japanese mint from Hokkaido was first exported, marking the beginning of our history. After some time, we also began exporting additional Japanese-grown raw ingredients, such as ginger from Shizuoka Prefecture and red peppers from Tochigi Prefecture.

We also relocated our headquarters to Kobe as a result of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.

Since such goods from Japan were no longer available at the outbreak of World War II in 1939, we switched our company's focus from exports to imports.

The business evolved into a wholesale trade firm that brought in food items from all over the world, including spices, herbs, nuts, and dried fruits.

We have so far maintained our position as the industry leader in spice imports.

In order to realize quality-first processing and create a system that permits high-mix, low-volume production, the Kobe Spice Center was constructed in 2011. As a result, we have been able to further solidify our clients' trust.

We also began working with retail goods like wine and olive oil that same year.

In order to address the increasingly diverse needs for food, we are discovering and launching high added value items from all over the world as the economic situation changes regularly.