Start of Sales of GEISHA
Canned King Crab Meat
Boston and Chicago had traditionally been large consumers of fresh lobster, so Nozaki Bros. &., Ltd began to develop mail order business in those areas.
GEISHA Trademark Registered
In deciding on the trademark, we took into consideration the fact that pictures and photos of Fujiyama and Geisha were sold at souvenir stores for foreigners in Japan and were well received, and decided to adopt GEISHA after discussions.
GEISHA Canned Mandarin
Orange Introduced
Canned mandarin oranges were manufactured in Hiroshima in 1928, and sample cans were sent to the United States, which led to the start of full-scale exports the following year.
First Export of GEISHA Canned
Tuna to the United States
Canned tuna was first exported to San Francisco in 1928 by a canner from Hiroshima, Japan, who exported 200 cases of tuna. However, when the cans were opened and inspected there, they were refused customs clearance because of the foul smell and the oxidation that irritated the tongue. Later, as a result of quality improvements by domestic companies, they succeeded in producing canned tuna in oil in 1930, and tuna cans with the GEISHA brand name were exported to the United States.
The GEISHA Brand Confiscated
by the United State
After the outbreak of the Pacific War, Nozaki Bros. &., Ltd was forced to close its doors. In addition, the U.S. bureau of enemy property control suddenly announced the confiscation of the GEISHA brand.
Resumption of Private Trade,
Starting Export of
GEISHA Canned Oyster
Even after the resumption of limited private trade, the label had to be printed with the words “Made in Occupied Japan”, and royalties had to be paid on the use of the GEISHA brand.
The GEISHA Brand
Officially Returned to Company
In October 1962, the U.S. notified us that the GEISHA brand would be returned to the company, and in January of the following year, the brand was officially returned to us. In 1984, some of the books and records confiscated by the Bureau of enemy property control were also returned to us.
Expanded GEISHA Business to
Frozen Seafood
In the 1990s, the company expanded sales of frozen foods under the GEISHA brand, such as prawns, squid, and imitation crab meat.
Vegetable Lineups Introduced
Chinese canned goods were supposed to use the trademark of the producer. However, as the production volume increased, the Chinese side became more flexible and began to allow the use of the buyer’s trademark(GEISHA), which led to an increase in the trade of canned vegetables from China.
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary
The year 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the GEISHA brand. Ever since 1911, when we launched GEISHA Brand King Crabmeat, we have continued to increase our reputation as high quality canned fruits, seafood, vegetables and mushrooms. We will continue to pursue quality and deliciousness and grow into a brand that will be loved for thousands of years.
Now
With the effects of the new coronavirus still lingering around the world and disrupting supply chains, our primary goal is to make the most of the knowledge and supply networks we have developed over the years and continue to deliver the products needed in the United States.
GEISHA is renowned for its high quality. In order to do this, we maintain a global production network and utilize advanced technology processing at our facilities around the world. We have offices in many countries to inspect and ensure that our product maintains the highest standards to meet our consumer’s expectations.
