Nitcho Corporation

Nitcho Corporation (日本調理機株式会社, NITCHO CORPORATION) is a Japanese manufacturer and seller of commercial kitchen equipment, headquartered in Higashi-Rokugō, Ōta-ku, Tokyo. The company was established in July 1947 as Nihon Chōriki Seizō Kabushiki Kaisha (日本調理機製造株式会社), beginning with the development and manufacture of slicers ordered by the occupying forces shortly after the Second World War. Over more than seven decades it has grown into a specialist supplier of institutional foodservice equipment, with dishwashers, disinfection and storage cabinets, rotary kettles, rice cookers and steam convection ovens as its main product lines. Nitcho's customer base is centred on operators of school lunch programmes, hospital foodservice and employee canteens. The company's history page records that it handled Tokyo's first school lunch centre in 1962, an experience that led to contracts for lunch centres across Japan. It also supplied kitchen facilities for the 1970 Osaka Expo, introduced a large computer for management in 1971, and adopted CAD/CAM in 1983. In 1979 it absorbed its sister sales company Nihon Chōriki Shōji and changed its name to Nihon Chōriki Kabushiki Kaisha. Manufacturing is carried out at the Tochigi Plant in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture, and the Ōita Plant in Bungo-Ōno, Ōita Prefecture, supported by a logistics centre in Tochigi and a nationwide branch network. In November 2021 the company listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and it is now described as listed on the TSE Standard Market. Its product range includes high-efficiency flight-type dishwashers, multi-purpose dishwashers, food-can washing systems, automatic soaking tanks, disinfection cabinets, heating equipment, rice-cooking equipment and general cooking machinery. A 2024 energy-saving award is cited on its website for the DWFT high-efficiency flight-type dishwasher. The company also operates a test kitchen at its head office, completed in 2015, where products are tested and cooking experiences and training sessions are held for customers, as well as social studies visits for local primary school pupils. Nitcho positions itself around user-oriented manufacturing — visiting sites, listening to customers and continuing product improvement — combined with environmental friendliness and support for a sustainable society. Its operations span sales offices and branches from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and it continues to pursue IoT-based services and common platforms as part of a transformation phase.

Nitcho Corporation was established in July 1947 as Nihon Chōriki Seizō Kabushiki Kaisha (日本調理機製造株式会社), a manufacturer of commercial cooking equipment. According to the company's history page, its origins lie in the development and manufacture of a slicer ordered by the occupying forces shortly after the Second World War, at a time of scarce materials. In 1953 it began manufacturing and selling dishwashers, and in 1957 it established a sister sales company, Nihon Chōriki Shōji Kabushiki Kaisha, to strengthen its service network and sales, starting a nationwide expansion of branch offices and sales offices. During the post-war growth period, the company benefited from the expansion of school lunch facilities. It released a medium-sized washing machine at this time and recorded major results, and in 1962 it handled Tokyo's first school lunch centre. This experience led to contracts for lunch centres across the country. In 1959 it had begun manufacturing and selling hot-air disinfection and storage cabinets, and in 1962 it started manufacturing and selling rice-cooking systems for lunch centres. Urban construction of large buildings, hospitals and hotels brought further deliveries of Nitcho products such as washing machines and disinfection cabinets. In the 1970s the company broadened its horizons and pursued new products and technologies. It supplied kitchen facilities for the 1970 Osaka Expo, and in 1971 it introduced a large computer ahead of others in the kitchen industry to mechanise management. It actively pursued joint development with overseas manufacturers and made its first overseas advance. The hotel construction boom brought equipment deliveries to hotels and projects such as in-flight meal factories, and the company continued to grow. In 1977 it opened the Ōita Plant in Bungo-Ōno, Ōita Prefecture. In October 1979 it absorbed Nihon Chōriki Shōji and changed its name to Nihon Chōriki Kabushiki Kaisha (日本調理機株式会社). It led the industry with products designed with the kitchen environment in mind and with lunch centres using dry systems. The Ōita and Tochigi plants were completed, strengthening production capacity, and in 1982 the Tochigi Plant was opened in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture. In 1983 it introduced CAD/CAM to stabilise quality and shorten lead times, and it expanded its CAP system pursuing rationalisation, safety and hygiene. In the challenge period, the company completed the Tochigi Logistics Centre as logistics expanded. In 2003 it obtained ISO 9001:2000 international quality assurance certification at its head office, branches, Tochigi Plant and Ōita Plant. It also actively promoted overseas inspections to the United States, Paris, Germany and China in response to globalisation in the industry. The Tochigi and Ōita plants received commendations from their respective prefectures, and the Tochigi Plant introduced a laser press machine, as the company continued to take up advanced technology. In 1995 it had begun manufacturing and selling steam convection ovens. In 2015 a new head office building was completed, including a test kitchen where the company's registered dietitians and developers test its products and where cooking experiences and training sessions are held for customers, as well as social studies visits for local primary school pupils. In 2016 it opened the Mishima Sales Office, expanding its sales network. In 2018 it opened the Kyoto Sales Office and in 2020 the Ōita Sales Office. In November 2021 the company listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and it is now described as listed on the TSE Standard Market. Its transformation phase involves IoT-based services and the construction of common platforms.

• Established as Nihon Chōriki Seizō Kabushiki Kaisha; began manufacturing and selling slicers.

• Began manufacturing and selling dishwashers.

• Established sister sales company Nihon Chōriki Shōji Kabushiki Kaisha and started nationwide branch expansion.

• Began manufacturing and selling hot-air disinfection and storage cabinets.

• Began manufacturing and selling rice-cooking systems for lunch centres; handled Tokyo's first school lunch centre.

• Supplied kitchen facilities for the Osaka Expo.

• Introduced a large computer ahead of the kitchen industry to mechanise management.

• Opened the Ōita Plant in Bungo-Ōno, Ōita Prefecture.

• Absorbed Nihon Chōriki Shōji and changed name to Nihon Chōriki Kabushiki Kaisha.

• Opened the Tochigi Plant in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture.

• Introduced CAD/CAM to stabilise quality and shorten lead times.

• Began manufacturing and selling steam convection ovens.

• Obtained ISO 9001:2000 certification at head office, branches, Tochigi Plant and Ōita Plant.

• New head office building completed, including a test kitchen.

• Opened Mishima Sales Office.

• Opened Kyoto Sales Office.

• Opened Ōita Sales Office.

• Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

User-oriented manufacturing of commercial kitchen equipment that is easy to use, safe and environmentally friendly, serving institutional foodservice such as school lunches, hospitals and employee canteens.

• DWFT high-efficiency flight-type dishwasher

• DWMEX high-efficiency multi-purpose dishwasher

• DWMNH system dishwasher

• CWEX high-efficiency food-can washing system

• DWRD dishwasher with soaking tank

• DWR dishwasher for dishes and trays

• DWA dishwasher

• DWTH dishwasher

• DWY dishwasher

• NBFJ dishwasher with Nitcho's original conveyor

• Tray back system

• SDW upward-flow soaking tank

• NBR rack-type washer

• ND utensil washer

• VDSJ automatic three-dimensional soaking tank

• BET automatic soaking tank

• Steam convection oven

• Rotary kettle

• Rice cooker

• Disinfection and storage cabinet

1. 1日本調理機 公式サイトnitcho.co.jp
2. 2歴史｜日本調理機nitcho.co.jp
3. 3製品 - 日本調理機nitcho.co.jp
4. 4洗浄機器 - 日本調理機nitcho.co.jp
5. 5日本調理機 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
6. 6Nitcho - Wikidatawikidata.org