About Us

President's
Message

Kazuhiko Yokota

Company Information

Management Philosophy
/ Brand Vision

Company Data /
Access

The History of
the Starzen Group

Officers

Facilities / Group Companies

Management Philosophy / Brand Vision

Management Philosophy

Connecting people and food
around the world through
inspirational experiences

Be a Company with Which
Customers Feel Fortunate
to Do Business

Become a Company Where
Our Employees Are Happy
to Work

Grow through Our Work

Brand Vision

Itadakimasu—appreciate the food
that gives you strength and energy;
Arigato—express appreciation to
bring happiness

Since our founding, we have always valued efforts to make a difference in the world and to always give our best with honesty and integrity in all endeavors.

With the desire to make meat accessible, we have continued to take on unprecedented challenges and devoted ourselves to the development of the industry.

Believing in new possibilities, we have shifted our focus from meat to food.

Starzen desires to become a star that shines brilliantly in the world, like the stars that dazzle in the night sky.

Our mission and commitment to connecting food has brought us to where we are today through the support of our stakeholders.

  • Our promise is to value the life of every human and animal
  • Our responsibility is to create safe and secure products
  • Our ability is to provide a stable farm-to-table approach

We believe that “food” has the power to inspire creativity in everyday life with:

  • The power to bring well-being to our loved ones
  • The power to heal and motivate us for tomorrow
  • The power to connect people in the places where we gather
  • The power to bring a smile to people’s faces

Appreciating food by expressing “Itadakimasu” and being thankful will lead to a brighter and more vibrant society that will bring smiles and happiness to the world.

Starzen will continue to inspire and create new possibilities through food.

Company Data

Trade Name Starzen Co., Ltd.
Established June 17, 1948
Headquarters Starzen Shinagawa Building, 2-4-13 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0075
Capital 11,658.27 million yen
Shares Listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 8043)
Representative Representative Director, President & CEO Kazuhiko Yokota
Employees 2,723 (as of the end of March 2024)
Business description Processing and sale of meat, manufacture and sale of meat products, food stuffs, etc.
Sales 410billion yen (consolidated) (fiscal 2023)
Clients Supermarkets, meat specialty stores, department stores,
family restaurants, fast food chains,
convenience stores, co-operatives, food processing manufacturers,
meat wholesalers, and others
Suppliers Group companies (production processing factory, etc.), economic organizations, agricultural cooperatives, Japanese meat wholesale markets, overseas packers, and others

Access

Headquarters Access

Starzen Shinagawa Building, 2-4-13 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0075

The History of the Starzen Group

A refrigerator truck
Jun.
1948
Established National Livestock Co., Ltd. based on the National Livestock Cooperative (capital: 7.5 million yen) and started the buying and selling of cattle
Oct.
1955
First trial import of Frozen Beef from Australia
Mar.
1958
Take the leadership of Industry in introducing the first refrigerated truck transport of pork carcass
Chiba Frozen Foods Plant
Chiba Frozen Foods Plant
Matsuo Plant
May.
1972
Contracted with McDonald's Japan Co., Ltd., and opened Chiba factory in July of the same year and started manufacturing hamburger beef patties.
Sep.
1972
Established Zenchiku Australia (currently Starzen Australia PTY LTD) and started full-scale overseas business development.
Sep.
1977
Listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Jul.
1979
Established Zenchiku U.S.A.
Dec.
1995
Invested in Australian Meat Packer G & K O'Connor.
Oct.
1998
Opened a processing center in Kawasaki and expanded the processing business.
Ribbon cutting ceremony for the first shipment of exported beef
Feb.
2000
Capital and business alliance with LM Foods Co., Ltd. (currently LOHMEYER CORPORATION).
Jun.
2009
Established Starzen Europe ApS.
Jan.
2010
Started to export Japanese Wagyu to Macau.
Mar.
2011
Started to export Japanese Wagyu to Hong Kong.
Sep.
2012
Started to export Japanese Wagyu to U.S.A.
Jan.
2014
Started to export Japanese Wagyu to EU.
May.
2016
Capital and business alliance with Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Dec.
2017
Capital and business alliance with ADiRECT Singapore.
Apr.
2019
Started to export Japanese Wagyu to Australia.
May.
2019
Started to export Japanese Wagyu to Russia.
Kaseda Plant
Feb.
2020
Installed solar power generation equipment at AKUNE plant and KASEDA plant.
Apr.
2022
Launch our WAGYU brand “AKUNE GOLD”.
Sep.
2022
“AKUNE GOLD” crowned World’s Best Steak in 2022 World Steak Challenge.
Jun.
2022
Expansion of AKUNE plant completed.
Jul.
2023
Obtained export license from Sannohe plant to Taiwan and started exporting.

Officers

Kazuhiko Yokota

Kazuhiko YokotaRepresentative Director, President & CEO
Direct supervisor of Quality Assurance Division, Audit Department and Compliance Promotion Department

Masao Uzurahashi

Masao UzurahashiManaging Director
Supervisor of Sales Division, Overseas Division, McDonald’s Division

Masamichi Takahashi

Masamichi TakahashiManaging Director
Supervisor of Production Division,
STARZEN MEAT PROCESSOR Co.,Ltd.

Tsunehiro Sana

Tsunehiro SanaDirector
Supervisor of Administrative Division and Finance and Group Controller Division

Ryoichi Takahama

Ryoichi TakahamaDirector
Supervisor of Corporate Division, IT & Communication Division and Logistics Division

Wataru Ohara

Wataru OharaDirector(external)

Kaku Yoshisato

Kaku YoshisatoDirector(external)

Mariko Eto

Mariko EtoDirector(external)

Shingo Ogoshi

Shingo OgoshiDirector(external)

Kouhei Kanno

Kouhei KannoFull-time Audit & Supervisory Board Member

Ryuso Sadanobu

Ryuso SadanobuFull-time Audit & Supervisory Board Member

Toshiaki Tada

Toshiaki TadaAudit & Supervisory Board Member(external)

Michitaro Wakayama

Michitaro WakayamaAudit & Supervisory Board Member(external)

Executive Officer

Takeo Wakamatsu Senior Executive Officer General Manager of Overseas Division
Takahiro Ikejiri Senior Executive Officer General Manager of Sales Division
Tatsuya Karasawa Executive Officer General Manager of Production Division
Yutaka Okudaira Executive Officer Deputy General Manager of Sales Division
Madoka Miyoshi Executive Officer Representative Director, President & CEO, STARZEN MEAT PROCESSOR Co., Ltd.
Shinichi Kawai Executive Officer Representative Director, President & CEO, LOHMEYER CORPORATION
Yukinaga Ishigami Executive Officer General Manager of Administrative Division
Hiroaki Okumura Executive Officer General Manager of IT & Communication Division
Masatoshi Tomita Executive Officer General Manager of Quality Assurance Division
Akihide Kitamoto Executive Officer General Manager, Assistant to General Manager of Overseas Division
Michisuke Morikami Executive Officer General Manager of Finance and Group Controller Division

Facilities / Group Companies

Overseas Facilities

STARZEN (AMERICA), INC.
370 Amapola Avenue, Suite 211, Torrance, CA 90501 USA
GoogleMap
STARZEN (AMERICA), INC.

STARZEN (AMERICA), INC. has its office in Los Angeles and delivers beef, pork, chicken and byproducts from North America and Latin America to Japanese households and restaurants. In addition to exporting to Japan, the company also sells its products domestically on the West Coast of the United States, where the food service industry is booming. By handling several breeds of livestock, it is able to address a wide range of food needs. As the globalization of meat procurement progresses, the company is working to increase its cost competitiveness and ability to provide a stable supply of meat in cooperation with group companies.

Leveraging its proximity to the production sites, it collaborates closely with local meat processors, jointly developing high-value-added products and providing guidance on quality management. In addition, in order to respond flexibly to the rapidly growing demand for Wagyu beef in the United States in recent years, it is working with the Japanese export department to expand the Japanese Wagyu beef business, focusing on local market research.
To deliver safe, reliable, and delicious meat to customers, the company will continue to pursue further improvements and provide high-quality meat based on the cornerstone of Starzen’s long-standing commitment to quality meat.

STARZEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
310 Edward Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, AUSTRALIA
GoogleMap
STARZEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

STARZEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD was established in 1972 and is located in Queensland, the heart of Australian Beef production.

Its initial mission was sourcing Australian Beef for the Starzen Group but more recently it has started importing and selling Japanese beef to the Australian marketplace.

STARZEN AUSTRALIA has developed and launched two of their own Australian Wagyu brands, Eight Blossom Beef and Imperial Blossom Beef. It actively engages in contract cattle fattening and processes all products locally. It has successfully developed a market in Australia and has begun exporting the two Australian Wagyu beef brands to China and in coming years, plans to expand to other countries around the world.
STARZEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD is committed to supplying safe and reliable products to customers around the world.

STARZEN EUROPE ApS
Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, DK-8200 Aarhus N. Denmark
GoogleMap
STARZEN EUROPE ApS

STARZEN EUROPE ApS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starzen Co., Ltd.
Located in Denmark and established in June 2009, its original mission was to export meat and processed meat products from Europe to Japan. In addition, it plays a key role in gathering market data on livestock production and other markets in the EU.

Starzen EUROPE works closely with companies that have export licenses for Japan and continues to develop new suppliers and sources. Currently, it sources and purchases from the UK and within the EU including Denmark, France, and Spain.

With increased globalization and diversification of current customers’ needs, the scope of its business has expanded. Currently, it exports from Europe to other Asian countries as well as importing Wagyu beef from Japan for the European market.

As a member of the Starzen Group, the company supplies Japanese meats to Europe and exports carefully selected European foods to Asia.

Starzen (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Room 704, 7th Floor, New Caoyang Science and Technology Building, No. 399 Nujiang North Road, Putuo District, Shanghai
GoogleMap
Starzen (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Starzen (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. was established in December 2021 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Starzen Co., Ltd. China has a population of 1.4 billion, and meat demand is growing amid economic development. At the same time, because the supply from domestic production is not sufficient to cover consumption, meat imports have increased rapidly in recent years. This trend is expected to continue in the future.
Meanwhile, the market in Japan is expected to shrink due to its aging and declining population, making the development of overseas consumer markets an urgent task.
To overcome these circumstances, the company will focus on sales of imported meats, such as Australian beef, and Japanese meats, such as Japanese Wagyu beef, as well as the manufacture and sale of processed products utilizing the expertise of the Starzen Group. It will strive to establish a meat supply base in the huge market of China.

STARZEN SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.

STARZEN SINGAPORE PTE. LTD. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starzen Co., Ltd. established in October 2013.

Starzen Co., Ltd. Bangkok Representative Office

The Starzen Co., Ltd. Bangkok Representative Office was established in November 2020. It provides product sales support in Thailand, a consumer market that is experiencing remarkable economic development. At the same time, it is working to strengthen Starzen’s relationship with Thailand, a country of origin that is expanding exports of chicken and processed products not only to Japan but also to the rest of the world as the world’s kitchen.

Domestic Processing and Manufacturing Facilities

Meat processing plants

Ishikari Plant
  • [Number of heads processed per day]
  • Beef:70 Pork:600
  • [Country of Export Certification]
  • Pork:Hong Kong
Misawa Pork Center
  • [Number of heads processed per day]
  • Pork:2300
  • [Country of Export Certification]
  • Pork:Hong Kong, Vietnam, Macau
Sannohe Beef Center
  • [Number of heads processed per day]
  • Beef:50
  • [Country of Export Certification]
  • Beef : Vietnam, Macau, Thailand, Myanmar
Koriyama Plant
  • [Number of heads processed per day]
  • Pork:900
  • [Country of Export Certification]
  • Pork : Macau
Akune Plant
  • [Number of heads processed per day]
  • Beef:90 Pork:1400
  • [Country of Export Certification]
  • Beef : 25 Countries and regions(US, Asia, EU etc.)
    Pork : Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, etc.
Kaseda Plant
  • [Number of heads processed per day]
  • Beef:35 Pork:830
  • [Country of Export Certification]
  • Beef : Vietnam, Macau, Thailand
    Pork: Hong Kong, Vietnam, Macau
Maruzen Co., Ltd.
  • [Number of heads processed per day]
  • Beef:40
  • [Country of Export Certification]
  • Beef : Vietnam, Macau, Thailand, Myanmar

Processed food and manufacturing plants

Starzen Co., Ltd.Chiba Plant
Manufacture of hamburger patties
Starzen Co., Ltd.Matsuo Plant
Manufacture of hamburg steaks
Starzen Co., Ltd.Motomiya Plant
Manufacture of hamburg steaks
Starzen Co., Ltd.Tagajo Processing Center
Manufacture of sliced roast beef, sliced roast pork, etc.
Starzen Co., Ltd.Koriyama Processing Center
Manufacture of sliced meats, portion cutting, seasoning, etc.
Starzen Co., Ltd.Kanto Processing Center(Akishima)
Manufacture of sliced meats, processing of ground meat, etc.
Starzen Co., Ltd.Kanto Processing Center(Kawasaki)
Manufacture of sliced meats, roast beef, roast pork, etc.
Starzen Co., Ltd.Kansai Processing Center
Manufacture of sliced meats, roast beef, roast pork, etc.
LOHMEYER CORPORATIONNasu Plant
Manufacture of ham, sausages, bacon, roast beef, etc.
STARZEN MEAT PROCESSOR Co., LtdAkune Plant Processed Food Production Center
Manufacture of beef and pork byproducts
King Shokuhin Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of processed meat products, processed fish products, delicacies, etc.
Aoki Foods Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of noodles

Group Companies

Information on group companies that support the supply chain of Starzen, an integrated food supplier.

Processing of meat

STARZEN MEAT PROCESSOR Co., Ltd

Processing and sale of domestic meats and Cattle and pig breeding and fatting, etc

Maruzen Co.,Ltd.

Processing and sale of beef raised in Japan

Meat Service Co., Ltd.

Processing and sale of domestic byproducts

Douou Meat Center Co., Ltd.

Processing and sale of domestic meats

Manufacture and sale of processed meat products and other food products
LOHMEYER CORPORATION

Manufacture and sale of processed meat products such as ham, sausage, and roast beef

King Shokuhin Co., Ltd.

Manufacture and sale of processed meat products, processed fish products, frozen foods, delicacies, etc.

Sales of meat and processed meat products, etc.

Nick Foods Co., Ltd.

Sale of meat, processed foods, etc. for restaurants

Logistics and storage

Starzen Logistics Co., Ltd.

Distribution of meat, processed foods, etc., and refrigerated/frozen warehousing business

Other businesses

Aoki Foods Co., Ltd.

Manufacture and sale of noodles