Hattori Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Hattori Kogyo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of commercial kitchen equipment headquartered in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture. Founded in 1885 when the first-generation president Taroichi Hattori inherited the foundry business of the Ando family, who were official casters to the Okazaki domain, the company began as a casting business and gradually shifted toward kitchen equipment manufacturing. It is known for its rotating kettles (kaiten-gama), rice cooking equipment, and automated large-scale cooking machines, and its products are used in school lunch centers, hospitals, food processing facilities, kindergartens, nursery schools, welfare facilities, restaurants, and bakeries. The company describes itself as a long-established kitchen equipment manufacturer with over 140 years of history and claims the world's largest cumulative shipment volume of rotating kettles. The company's product lineup includes the OMNI robotic rotating kettle, which automates everything from seasoning input to cooking; the Vesta rotating kettle with agitator, which automates stirring for even cooking of stir-fries and stews; and the HTK W-Cut gas rotating kettle, which uses patented technology to reduce gas consumption and CO2 emissions by more than 40%. Hattori Kogyo also offers gas rice cookers, commercial microcomputer gas rice cookers, pressure cookers, and other equipment for food processing and food service. The company operates six sales offices nationwide in Japan and provides free consultations for kitchen improvement, including support for subsidy applications. Hattori Kogyo is part of the Hattori Group, a corporate group that traces its origins to the 1885 manufacturing business in Okazaki. The group has expanded into diverse fields including food and kitchen services, education and childcare, Japanese language education, culture, sports, and local media. Group companies include Artec Co., Ltd. (kitchen support), Okazaki Cook Chill Center (meal production), Megumi Kindergarten, EGAO International School, YAMASA Language and Culture Institute, FM Okazaki (FM EGAO), and the Hattori Public Interest Foundation. The group's philosophy is to solve social challenges through business. In recent years, Hattori Kogyo has received recognition for its energy-efficient products. In 2020, the low-radiation high-efficiency super gas kettle HTK-140 (now the W-Cut gas rotating kettle) received the Japan Gas Association Gas Technology Department Technology Award. In 2023, the company won the Energy Conservation Grand Prize (Energy Conservation Center Chairman's Award) for a commercial compact pressure cooker that balances energy savings with reduced work time. The company also operates the Okazaki Cook Chill Center, a school lunch center using the cook-chill system, which opened in 2011 and was expanded in 2021, and a cafe called Kama to Kurumi that opened in 2022, displaying historical kettles and sharing the company's food philosophy.

Hattori Kogyo traces its origins to 1885, when the first-generation president Taroichi Hattori inherited the foundry business of the Ando family, who served as official casters to the Okazaki domain, and began operating a casting business. In 1909, the company built a new foundry near JR Okazaki Station at its current location, moving from the previous foundry in Kosei-cho near Okazaki Castle. Taking advantage of the station-front location convenient for nationwide shipping, Hattori's kettles spread across Japan. In 1919, Hattori Chuzo Co., Ltd. was established, and the Hattori Public Interest Foundation was founded. In 1920, the company succeeded in manufacturing and distributing Japan's first aluminum large kettle. The Hattori kettles, named Sanshu-gama, reached overseas markets and became one of Okazaki's major products. During the Showa era, from 1930 to 1935, the company expanded its machine casting factory, mainly supplying ship castings to both private and public sectors. It also established a precision machinery factory and began manufacturing precision screws for aircraft, mines, and torpedoes. From the late Taisho to early Showa periods, the company won awards at many exhibitions. In 1940-1941, the company changed its name to Hattori Kogyo Co., Ltd., which continues to this day, and established Hattori Shoji Co., Ltd. In 1945, the company gradually shifted from casting to kitchen equipment manufacturing, and Hattori Kogyo kettles were used for Okazaki's local specialty, Hatcho miso. In 1953-1954, the company developed new products such as gas rotating kettles, gas appliances, and automatic gas rice cookers, and with the enforcement of the School Lunch Act in 1954, these were widely delivered to schools. In 1966-1968, responding to changing market needs, the company developed new products such as gas fryers and gas grills, which were widely delivered to school lunch centers. In 1974, Nihon Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd. (now Azukizaka Sheet Metal Factory) was established. From 1975 to 1986, the company developed timer-type automatic gas rice cookers and Japan's first commercial microcomputer gas rice cooker, entering the food industry field. In the Heisei era, in 1990, Artec Co., Ltd. was established as a group company to solve kitchen problems beyond simply selling Hattori Kogyo products. From 1995 to 2005, the company built a new cupola and developed and manufactured the ultimate kettle "Hit" and IH rotating kettles. In 2006, the Hattori Public Interest Foundation established the Kurashi no Gakko (School of Living) as a culture center for learning about heart, health, and wisdom of daily life. In 2007, jointly with Osaka Gas, the company won the Japan Gas Association Technology Award for "cool gas kitchen equipment." In 2011, the Okazaki Cook Chill Center, a school lunch center using the cook-chill system, opened to experience customers' kitchen challenges firsthand; it cooks about 2,500 meals daily for kindergartens, nursery schools, and meal delivery services, and Hattori Kogyo and Artec salespeople undergo one-month training there. In the Reiwa era, in 2020, the low-radiation high-efficiency super gas kettle HTK-140 (now W-Cut gas rotating kettle) received the Japan Gas Association Gas Technology Department Technology Award. In 2021, the Okazaki Cook Chill Center was expanded due to increased meal delivery. In 2022, a cafe was opened to showcase Hattori Kogyo's history and the food commitment of the Okazaki Cook Chill Center, displaying large kettles from the founding era. In 2023, the company won the 2023 Energy Conservation Grand Prize (Energy Conservation Center Chairman's Award) for a commercial compact pressure cooker that balances energy savings and work time reduction.

• 2023

  Won 2023 Energy Conservation Grand Prize (Energy Conservation Center Chairman's Award) for commercial compact pressure cooker.

• 2022

  Cafe 'Kama to Kurumi' opened, displaying historical kettles.

• 2021

  Okazaki Cook Chill Center expanded.

• 2020

  HTK-140 super gas kettle received Japan Gas Association Gas Technology Department Technology Award.

• 2011

  Okazaki Cook Chill Center opened.

• 2007

  Won Japan Gas Association Technology Award jointly with Osaka Gas for 'cool gas kitchen equipment'.

• 1990

  Artec Co., Ltd. established as a group company.

• 1975

  Developed timer-type automatic gas rice cooker and Japan's first commercial microcomputer gas rice cooker.

• 1954

  Developed gas rotating kettles and automatic gas rice cookers; widely delivered to schools following the School Lunch Act.

• 1940

  Company name changed to Hattori Kogyo Co., Ltd.

• 1920

  Succeeded in manufacturing and distributing Japan's first aluminum large kettle.

• 1919

  Hattori Chuzo Co., Ltd. established; Hattori Public Interest Foundation founded.

• 1909

  New foundry built near JR Okazaki Station at the current location.

• 1885

  First-generation president Taroichi Hattori inherits the foundry business of the Ando family and starts a casting business.

Long-established manufacturer of commercial kitchen equipment specializing in large-scale cooking, emphasizing labor-saving, quality stabilization, and energy efficiency.

• OMNI robotic rotating kettle

  Automates from seasoning input to cooking, standardizing cooking quality and addressing labor shortages.

• Vesta rotating kettle with agitator

  Automates stirring for even cooking of stir-fries and stews, reducing workload and stabilizing quality.

• HTK W-Cut gas rotating kettle

  Patented technology reduces gas consumption and CO2 emissions by over 40%, saving energy and improving kitchen environment.

• Hit rotating kettle

  Developed as the ultimate kettle in the late 1990s to 2000s.

• IH rotating kettle

  Induction-heated rotating kettle developed in the 2000s.

1. 1服部工業株式会社｜累計出荷台数世界一の老舗厨房機器メーカーhattorikogyo.com
2. 2服部工業株式会社｜沿革・140年の歴史hattorikogyo.com
3. 3服部工業株式会社｜服部グループについてhattorikogyo.com
4. 4事業承継・M&Aのご相談hattorikogyo.com
5. 5Hattori Kogyo - Wikidatawikidata.org