History
Founding–
1912
November 10
Company founder Masaichi Miyamoto opened the Miyamoto Seika-jo in the Kiyoyama district of a village called Shimada in Kumage, Yamaguchi Prefecture—today the city of Hikari
1922
Constructed new plant in the Nijigahama area
1950
Reorganized into a joint-stock organization under the name Miyamoto Seika Co., Ltd. with capital of JPY 1 million
1955
Started automatic packaging operation with new wrapping machine
Kanro Ame
1959
Constructed Matsumoto Plant in the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture
1960
Kanro Ame became a huge hit, and the company changed its name to Kanro Co., Ltd.
1962
Relocated company head office to Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
1963
Constructed new head office building in Nakano-ku, Tokyo
1968
Nutbon
1969
Constructed Hikari Plant in the city of Hikari, Yamaguchi
Introduced new depositor line
1972
Establied Hikari Seika Co., Ltd. as a subsidiary in the city of Hikari, Yamaguchi
1973
Signed a sole sales agent contract with Mitsubishi Corporation
1974
Cutty Sark
1977
Introduced Corporate Identity
1980–
1981
Launched throat drops, a first in the confections and food businesses
Kenko Nodoame
1982
Relocated Matsumoto Plant to a new facility in the Sasaga district of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture
1986
Built a facility to make stick candies
1987
Established a joint venture in Taiwan called Taiwan Kanro Limited (dissolved in 1996)
Coffee Sakan
1988
Relocated head office to Shinjuku, Tokyo
1989
Kenko Ume Nodoame
1990
Built a new gummy facility
1991
Built a new sugar-free candy facility
Jushi Gumi
1992
Nonshuga Nodoame
1995
Relocated Hikari Plant to a new facility in Yamaguchi
1997
Established a joint venture called Kanro Four Seas Foods (Shantou) Company Limited in Shantou, China (dissolved in 2014)
Non-sugar Coffee Sakan
1998
Relocated its head office to a new building in Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Non-sugar Kajitu Nodoame
2000–
2000
Hikari Plant received ISO14001 certification
Crunchy Pickled Plum
2001
Matsumoto Plant received ISO 14001 certification
2002
Pure Gummy
Nori-to-Ume-no-Hasamiyaki
2003
Our head office and sales offices received ISO 14001 certification
2004
Marugoto-Oishii-Hoshiume
2010
New Asahi Plant was constructed in the village of Asahi in Higashichikuma, Nagano Prefecture
2011
The Japan Anniversary Association declared November 15 as “Throat Drop Day”
2012
Opened HITOTUBU KANRO, our first retail outlet, in Tokyo Station
Gummi-tzel
Kin-no-Milk
2013
Candemina Gummy
2015
Opened the Toyosu Institute to conduct R&D in Koto-ku, Tokyo
Asahi Plant received FSSC 22000 certification
2016
Developed candy in a compact packaging format
2017
Introduced a new Corporate Identity
2018
Relocated head office to Tokyo Opera City Building (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
Hikari Plant received FSSC 22000 certification
2019
Matsumoto Plant received FSSC 22000 certification
2020
Opening of the indoor herb farm Kanro Farm
2021
Selected for FY2020 New Diversity‑Management Companies 100 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Marosh
2022
Formulated corporate purpose: ‘Sweeten the Future – We Sweeten the Future Open Hearts.’
Transferred to the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market
2025
Established Kanro America Inc. in the United States