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”