About Us
Our company, founded in 1805, started as a marine food products business in Yui, Shizuoka. Eventually, we began processing skipjack tuna caught off the coastal waters of Shimizu and Yaizu into dried bonito, or katsuobushi.
Early 1900s
In the early 1900s, INABA expanded into the harvesting of local mandarin oranges (mikan), which were exported to Canada. At the same time, our dried bonito business was gradually extending throughout Japan.
1936
In 1936, we constructed a canning factory near the Port of Yaizu, where a facility for freezing skipjack tuna was also scheduled for construction. This was an ideal choice, especially considering that the Port of Yaizu was well known for the best fish catches in Japan, and so it was here that Inaba started as a manufacturer of canned marine products.
1971
In 1948, after World War II, we made a fresh start as a stock corporation. At that time, Inaba was totally dependent on exports to the U.S., Germany, Italy and other countries. However, in 1971, we succeeded in developing a new brand called "Inaba Light Tuna," with a focus on yellowfin tuna production. Yellowfin was seldom processed in those days, but this innovation established Inaba as a solid competitor in the domestic market and was the precursor of many business successes to follow.
Inaba Light Tuna
Inaba Light Tuna was a highly innovative product, not only because of a shift in focus to yellowfin tuna, a new marine resource in those days, but also because it signaled a new era of canned tuna mass production in Japan. Of particular importance was a unique tuna flaking process and the adoption of a high-speed tuna filling system. Out of the approximately ten million cases of Japanese tuna produced to date, most are flaked yellowfin tuna products, that has clearly established Inaba Light Tuna Flakes as the top choice in the Japanese tuna market.
1958
In 1958, we started to engage in the production of pet foods and established ourselves as one of the earliest wet food manufacturers in Japan. In 1989, following twenty years of exports to Italy, we created the "CIAO" brand as a premium, domestically produced cat food. Then in 1997, we established INABA PETFOOD Co., Ltd. to market our pet food products and over the years have evolved into a top producer of premium wet cat foods. After nearly a half century of product achievements we are now producing and selling approximately 300 high quality items, including dog foods of the INABA brand. INABA PETFOOD Co., Ltd., a premium brand manufacturing company, is loved and trusted by customers around the world.
2013
In 2013, we began operations of our new, wholly owned factory in Saraburi, Thailand with the aim of maximizing our position in the pet food market. Production lines were installed not only for canned goods but also retort pouches.
Based on a background of proven production techniques in the Japanese market over the last 46 years, INABA PETFOOD Co. Ltd. is determined to have a major impact on the global market and will do its best to maintain a position of high-quality production and customer satisfaction.