Kikkoman キッコーマン

Soy sauce brewing in the town of Noda dates back to the 17th century, with the Mogi and Takanashi families among the leading producers for generations. In 1917, eight of these family-run breweries merged to form Noda Shoyu Co., pooling their brewing know-how and capital to become Japan's largest soy sauce maker.

The company adopted the Kikkoman brand name — already used on its soy sauce since the Edo period — for the business itself, formally renaming to Kikkoman Shoyu Co. in 1964 and to Kikkoman Corporation in 1980. It opened its first overseas soy sauce plant in Walworth, Wisconsin, in 1973, and has since become the world's best-known soy sauce brand, sold in more than 100 countries.