05 Corporate information

We contribute to the growth of Japanese food culture through coffee and food business

Since establish of our company in 1947, we have steadily grown for more than 70 years as a specialized trading company that mainly imports green coffee beans and also handles a wide range of coffee-related equipment and food products.

The demand for coffee attracted by the founder Mr. Wataru Nishibayashi increased dramatically due to the subsequent westernization of food and beverage and the coffee shop boom. In the 1970s, high-class foods and coffee called the “Gourmet Market” emerged, meanwhile, we have started importing Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee and have contributed to the development of Japanese coffee culture and the food service industry.

After year 2000, the specialty coffee market was born, and we were the first to start importing high-grade green coffee beans directly. We are now importing hundreds of types of coffee beans from major producing countries in the world, and that makes us one of the best specialty coffee importers in the industry.

In the food business, we will continue to make efforts to contribute to the development of food culture by promoting global ingredients in response to the diversification of food culture, the needs and tastes of the times, regardless of whether it is for professional/home use.

Company Profile

Founded November 1947
Established February 1973
Representative Yutaka Nishibayashi, President and CEO
Capital 90 million yen
Fiscal year January
Sales 21 billion yen (Financial results in January 2024)
Number of employees 72
Business Outline Import and wholesale of coffee, tea, cocoa,
food for professional/home use,
and other coffee related machinery and equipment
Affiliated company PSI Co., Ltd.
Business partner banks Mizuho Bank Toranomon Branch,
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Toranomon Central Branch

Office

Tokyo Headquarters
2-11-9 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003
Phone: 03-3503-8351 / FAX: 03-3503-8357
Nagoya Branch
1F, Toyokunitori 3-18, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya 453-0834
Phone: 052-419-6518 / FAX: 052-419-6519
Osaka Branch
3rd floor, Umeda Ogimachi Dori Building, 9-13 Nozaki-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0055
Phone: 06-6312-4371 / FAX: 06-6311-6668

History

1947.11
Established Nishibayashi Shoten
1953.11
Reorganized as a joint-stock company and changed the company name to Wataru Shokai Co., Ltd.
1967.12
Opened Nagoya branch
1971.5
Opened Osaka branch
1973.2
Company name changed to Wataru Real Estate Co., Ltd.
Established Wataru Co., Ltd. with a capital of 75 million yen, and succeeded the sales department of Wataru Shokai Co., Ltd.
1974.5
Completion of Wataru Building
1976.12
Increased capital to 90 million yen
1981.10
Established the Association of Japanese Importers of Jamaican Coffee
2000.10
Joined Specialty Coffee Association of America/SCAA (currently SCA)
2002.2
Underwrote capital increase of PSI Co., Ltd. and made the company into a subsidiary
2002.10
Registered as an importer of FLO International (International Fairtrade Label Organization)
2004.06
Started dispatching overseas representative to Guatemala (in Costa Ricaas of 2022)
2012.9
Awarded for achievements in COE by ACE (Alliance for Coffee Excellence)
2013.2
Started green coffee beans online shop “SPECIALTY COFFEE WATARU”
2020
Start participating in the “Costa Rica Casa de la Alegria Fund”

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