Japan Tobacco Inc. (日本たばこ産業株式会社, Nihon Tabako Sangyō Kabushiki-gaisha?, TYO: 2914), JT for short, is a cigarette manufacturing company. It is part of the Nikkei 225 index.
History
The company traces its origins to 1898. Incorporated in 1949 as the Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation (日本専売公社, Nippon Senbai Kōsha?), Japan Tobacco was a state monopoly until 1985, when it became a public company.
It was two-thirds owned by the Japanese Ministry of Finance until June 2004, and the Japanese government share is presently 50%. JT International (JTI), acquired in 1999 from R.J. Reynolds, is an operating division of Japan Tobacco Inc., handling the international production, marketing and sales of the group's cigarette brands. It sells Camel, Salem, and Winston brands outside the USA.
Japan Tobacco also operates in foods, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, engineering, and real estate. Japan Tobacco completed the largest ever foreign takeover in Japanese history through acquisition of Gallaher Group plc in April 2007.[1]
Japan Tobacco runs the Tobacco and Salt Museum in Tokyo.
Market
Japan Tobacco controls 66.4% of the cigarette market in Japan and will seek more takeovers from 2009 to build on the 7.5 billion pound (USD 15 billion) purchase of Gallaher Group, with President Hiroshi Kimura commenting that further acquisitions would be appropriate after the full integration of Gallaher by 2009.[2][3]
Brands
The Japan Tobacco headquarters building in Tokyo
Flagship brands
Other brands
JTI Smoking Etiquette Posters
JTI runs a series of surreal posters designed to educate smokers about the finer points of smoking etiquette.
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Cigarettes can damage bare arms.
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The Winter 2006 Collection
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Environmental Record
Japan Tobacco had recent health issues involving their company. Contaminated dumplings made by the company poisoned ten people, including a five year old girl who has now recovered. Thousands of other Japanese people were going to the hospital because of stomach issues as well. The dumplings are called gyoza. They are small snacks made from pork. A number of them were found containing dichlorvos and methamidophos from pesticide.[4] The health minister of Japan has said the contamination was possibly purposeful, and the police are investigating attempted homicide.[4] The dumplings were made in China, but Japan Tobacco has said it does not plan on stopping its manufacturing in China. Frozen food sales went down by 60% for the business since this health scare.[5] Japan Tobacco’s stock price fell 7.1% after they were forced to recall their products, and the company also lost a $500 million merger deal with Nissin Food Products Co because of this occurrence.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Gallaher agrees £7.5bn Japan Tobacco takeover - Scotsman.com News
- ^ JT holds approximately two-thirds of the domestic cigarette market share, which is built on its best-selling brands: Mild Seven, Cabin, Caster, Seven Stars, Peace, Camel, and Salem." Japan Tobacco website, 2006
- ^ Hoover's business report, 2006, on Japan Tobacco Inc. "Japan Tobacco has plenty to puff about. The company controls more than 70% of the cigarette market in a country where about half of the male population smokes."
- ^ a b Dumpling scare thwarts Japan Tobacco's merger plan - International Herald Tribune
- ^ Japan Tobacco to Stay in China Despite Dumpling Scare - Food Industry News
- ^ After Bad Dumplings, Nissin Loses Appetite For Japan Tobacco Deal - Forbes.com
External links
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