# AJINOMOTO CO INC

Summary updated: 2026-10-02T10:53:11.13665Z
Canonical: https://finbar.com/research/companies/ajinomoto-co

## Overview

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. is a Japanese food and bioscience company whose businesses include seasonings and foods, frozen foods, healthcare-related products, amino-acid ingredients, and other AminoScience-based solutions. Its best-known product is AJI-NO-MOTO® umami seasoning. [1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P134462326)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T15374358)

The Group’s stated purpose is to contribute to the well-being of people, society, and the planet with “AminoScience,” and its 2030 vision is to create social and economic value through AminoScience. [3](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/group)[4](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/what-the-ajinomoto-group-will-be-in-2030)

Founded in 1909, Ajinomoto operates across five continents; a company brochure reported operations in 31 countries and regions as of March 31, 2025. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, consolidated sales were ¥1,583,719 million, and the Group had 34,787 consolidated employees. [5](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history)[6](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/global_network)[7](https://www.ajinomoto.com.my/sites/default/files/Aji%20Corporate%20Brochure_Eng_Jul25_v2%20%281%29_compressed_compressed.pdf)[8](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf)[9](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/overview)
[1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P134462326)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T15374358)[3](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/group)[4](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/what-the-ajinomoto-group-will-be-in-2030)[5](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history)[6](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/global_network)[7](https://www.ajinomoto.com.my/sites/default/files/Aji%20Corporate%20Brochure_Eng_Jul25_v2%20%281%29_compressed_compressed.pdf)[8](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf)[9](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/overview)

## Products & services

Ajinomoto’s consumer and food-service portfolio includes AJI-NO-MOTO® umami seasoning, HONDASHI® dried-bonito dashi, Cook Do® cooking sauces and Knorr® Cup Soup. It also supplies seasonings and ingredients to food-service and food-manufacturing customers, including through its Solution & Ingredients business. [10](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/seasonings-and-foods) [11](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/library/factbook/main/01/teaserItems1/00/linkList/0/link/Factbook%202025_E.pdf) Frozen-food products include gyoza, with Japanese offerings including standard and microwave-prepared varieties. [12](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods) [13](https://www.ffa.ajinomoto.com/products/detail/id/433) [14](https://www.ffa.ajinomoto.com/products/detail/id/353)

Healthcare and specialty products include pharmaceutical and food amino acids; CELLiST™ cell-culture media for animal-cell biopharmaceutical production; StemFit® media for iPS/ES-cell culture; ABF insulation material for high-performance semiconductor CPU package substrates; and AjiPro™-L, a rumen-protected lysine product designed to deliver lysine to cattle’s small intestine. [15](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/healthcare-and-others) [16](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/event/business_briefing/main/01113/teaserItems1/01/linkList/01/link/4_Culture%20Media_E.pdf) [17](https://www.ajinomoto.com/innovation/our_innovation/buildupfilm) [18](https://www.ajinomoto.com/innovation/our_innovation/ajipro-l) Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services provides contract development and manufacturing, including process development and GMP manufacturing for pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates. [19](https://ajibio-pharma.ajinomoto.com/)

For FY2025, reported segment sales were ¥936.9 billion for Seasonings & Foods, ¥290.3 billion for Frozen Foods and ¥341.5 billion for Healthcare & Others. Relative to consolidated sales of ¥1,583.7 billion, these are approximately 59.2%, 18.3% and 21.6%, respectively; percentages are calculated from reported figures. [20](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2026/ASV_Report_2026_A4_en_014-015.pdf) [8](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf)
[10](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/seasonings-and-foods)[11](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/library/factbook/main/01/teaserItems1/00/linkList/0/link/Factbook%202025_E.pdf)[12](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods)[13](https://www.ffa.ajinomoto.com/products/detail/id/433)[14](https://www.ffa.ajinomoto.com/products/detail/id/353)[15](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/healthcare-and-others)[16](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/event/business_briefing/main/01113/teaserItems1/01/linkList/01/link/4_Culture%20Media_E.pdf)[17](https://www.ajinomoto.com/innovation/our_innovation/buildupfilm)[18](https://www.ajinomoto.com/innovation/our_innovation/ajipro-l)[19](https://ajibio-pharma.ajinomoto.com/)[20](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2026/ASV_Report_2026_A4_en_014-015.pdf)[8](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf)

## Geographic presence

In FY2025, ended March 31, 2026, Ajinomoto reported consolidated sales of ¥1,583.7 billion. By region, sales were ¥571.7 billion in Japan (36.1%), ¥464.6 billion in Asia (29.3%), ¥382.4 billion in the Americas (24.1%), and ¥165.0 billion in EMEA (10.4%); percentages are calculated from the reported regional sales and total. [21](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html)

As of March 31, 2026, the group had 121 affiliated companies across 40 countries and regions and 126 factories; the company also reports that its factories operate in 32 countries and regions. [22](https://ajinomoto-ir.swcms.net/company/en/ir/library/factbook/main/00/teaserItems1/00/linkList/0/link/Factbook%202026_E.pdf) Its global directory lists entities across Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe. [23](https://www.ajinomoto.com/locations)

Ajinomoto reported 34,787 consolidated employees as of March 31, 2026; the available figure is not broken down by geography. [9](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/overview)
[21](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html)[22](https://ajinomoto-ir.swcms.net/company/en/ir/library/factbook/main/00/teaserItems1/00/linkList/0/link/Factbook%202026_E.pdf)[23](https://www.ajinomoto.com/locations)[9](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/overview)[21](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html)[22](https://ajinomoto-ir.swcms.net/company/en/ir/library/factbook/main/00/teaserItems1/00/linkList/0/link/Factbook%202026_E.pdf)[23](https://www.ajinomoto.com/locations)[9](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/overview)

## Business segments

For FY2025, ended March 31, 2026, Ajinomoto reported consolidated sales of ¥1,583,719 million. Its IFRS business segments were Seasonings and Foods, with sales of ¥936,926 million (about 59.2% of consolidated sales), and Frozen Foods, with sales of ¥290,308 million (18.3%). Seasonings and Foods includes seasonings and food products such as umami seasoning, soup, mayonnaise and cooking sauces; Frozen Foods focuses on frozen food products tailored to local eating habits and markets. [21](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html) [8](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf) [10](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/seasonings-and-foods) [12](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods)

Healthcare and Others reported sales of ¥341,504 million (about 21.6%), covering healthcare-related amino-acid materials, pharmaceutical ingredients and technologies, supplements, and functional materials such as electronic materials. The separate Other segment reported ¥14,979 million (about 0.9%); the cited segment disclosures do not provide a more specific focus description for it. [21](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html) [15](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/healthcare-and-others)

Ajinomoto also presents a geographic sales breakdown, distinct from its business segments: Japan 36%, Asia 29%, Americas 24%, and EMEA 11%. [20](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2026/ASV_Report_2026_A4_en_014-015.pdf)
[21](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html)[8](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf)[10](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/seasonings-and-foods)[12](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods)[15](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/healthcare-and-others)[20](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2026/ASV_Report_2026_A4_en_014-015.pdf)[21](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html)[8](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf)[10](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/seasonings-and-foods)[12](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods)[15](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/healthcare-and-others)[20](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2026/ASV_Report_2026_A4_en_014-015.pdf)

## Company history

Ajinomoto’s origins date to Dr. Kikunae Ikeda’s research on umami and glutamate in 1907–1908, which entrepreneur Saburosuke Suzuki II commercialized as AJI-NO-MOTO®, first sold in 1909. The company’s predecessor, S. Suzuki & Co. Ltd., was established in 1917; it adopted the name Ajinomoto Honpo S. Suzuki & Co., Ltd. in 1925. After wartime name changes, it became Ajinomoto Co., Inc. after World War II and was listed on the stock market in 1949. [5](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history)[24](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history/ajinomoto-group-history)[25](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/En_09.pdf)

The company expanded internationally from the 1950s, including entry into Brazil in 1956 and the start of production at its Thailand factory in 1961. In 1972, it industrialized amino-acid fermentation, began producing amino acids for infusion solutions, and entered Japan’s frozen-food business. Later milestones included acquiring Belgian fine-chemicals company S.A. OmniChem in 1989 and launching its Ajinomoto Build-up Film electronic-materials business in 1999. Ajinomoto spun off its frozen-food business in 2000 and expanded it through acquisitions in the United States in 2014 and France in 2017. [6](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/global_network)[25](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/En_09.pdf)[26](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2025/ar2025en_026-027.pdf)[12](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods)
[5](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history)[24](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history/ajinomoto-group-history)[25](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/En_09.pdf)[6](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/global_network)[26](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2025/ar2025en_026-027.pdf)[12](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods)

## Sources

1. [AJINOMOTO CO INC — Presentation (2025 Y), p1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P134462326)
2. [AJINOMOTO CO INC — Presentation (2025 Y), p1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T15374358)
3. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/group)
4. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/what-the-ajinomoto-group-will-be-in-2030)
5. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history)
6. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/global_network)
7. [www.ajinomoto.com.my](https://www.ajinomoto.com.my/sites/default/files/Aji%20Corporate%20Brochure_Eng_Jul25_v2%20%281%29_compressed_compressed.pdf)
8. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2026_05_07_03E.pdf)
9. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/overview)
10. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/seasonings-and-foods)
11. [www.ajinomoto.co.jp](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/library/factbook/main/01/teaserItems1/00/linkList/0/link/Factbook%202025_E.pdf)
12. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/frozen-foods)
13. [www.ffa.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ffa.ajinomoto.com/products/detail/id/433)
14. [www.ffa.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ffa.ajinomoto.com/products/detail/id/353)
15. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/business/healthcare-and-others)
16. [www.ajinomoto.co.jp](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/event/business_briefing/main/01113/teaserItems1/01/linkList/01/link/4_Culture%20Media_E.pdf)
17. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/innovation/our_innovation/buildupfilm)
18. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/innovation/our_innovation/ajipro-l)
19. [ajibio-pharma.ajinomoto.com](https://ajibio-pharma.ajinomoto.com/)
20. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2026/ASV_Report_2026_A4_en_014-015.pdf)
21. [www.ajinomoto.co.jp](https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/ir/financial/ifrs_segment.html)
22. [ajinomoto-ir.swcms.net](https://ajinomoto-ir.swcms.net/company/en/ir/library/factbook/main/00/teaserItems1/00/linkList/0/link/Factbook%202026_E.pdf)
23. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/locations)
24. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/history/ajinomoto-group-history)
25. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/cms_wp_ajnmt_global/wp-content/uploads/pdf/En_09.pdf)
26. [www.ajinomoto.com](https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/pdf/2025/ar2025en_026-027.pdf)

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