History

Corporate development from the former Sumida Bussan Co., Ltd.

1918: Tajiro Sumida returned home from Hawaii. He established Sumida Shokai in Kobe City and started trade business dealing in foods and sundry goods.
1922: Sumida Shokai established its Tokyo sub-branch and started wholesaling coffee beans.
Nanyo Coffee Co., Ltd. was established and cultivation of coffee was started in Saipan.
1927: Sumida Bussan Co., Ltd. was established in Kita-ku, Osaka City, and succeeded Sumida Shokai's businesses.
1930: Started running coffee farms in Taiwan.
1945: Coffee farms in Saipan and Taiwan were confiscated with the end of World War II.
1952: The head office was relocated to Ginza in Tokyo, and the former head office became the Osaka Branch.
1979: Issued new shares through third-party allotment, of which Mitsubishi Corporation acquired 95 percent.
1997: Sumida Bussan Co., Ltd. and MC Coffee Co., Ltd. merged to change name to MC FOODS Ltd. and convert Tredia Foods into a subsidiary.
2004: Acceded to the Association of Japanese Importers of Jamaican Coffee and started direct import of Blue Mountain Coffee.
2008: Started import and sale of Ravifruit products to expand the lineup of confectionery raw material products.
2011: Started dealing in fruit juice and black tea.
2012: Relocated the head office to Marunouchi in Tokyo.

1917: Japan Black Tea Co., Ltd. was established as the first tea manufacturing company in Japan.
1930: The former Mitsubishi Corporation obtained the exclusive distribution right of Japan Black Tea domestically and internationally and started export of black tea and green tea.
1962: Started licensed production of Brooke Bond brand tea in Japan.
1976: Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd., Japan Black Tea and Mitsubishi Corporation jointly established Shizuoka Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd.
1978: Brooke Bond made a capital participation in Japan Black Tea.
1981: Japan Black Tea took over Shizuoka Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd. and spun off the green tea division as Asahi Chagyo Co., Ltd..
2000: Following the expiration of license to use the Brooke Bond brand, Unilever and Mitsubishi Corporation jointly established BBL Japan Co., Ltd., to which Nippon Tea's tea business was transferred. MC Beverage & Foods Co., Ltd. was established and succeeded the green tea business (Asahi Chagyo).
2001: Mitsubishi Corporation converted MC Beverage & Foods Co., Ltd. into its wholly-owned subsidiary.
2002: MC Beverage & Foods Co., Ltd. integrated with MC Food Sales Co., Ltd.
2007: Canned foods and beverage business was transferred to Lead off Japan Co., Ltd.

2013: MC FOODS Ltd. and MC Beverage & Foods Co., Ltd. conducted business integration.
2014: Started import and sale of MABROC tea products.
2017: It became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Shokuhin Co., Ltd.
2021: Relocated the head office to Koishikawa in Tokyo.