About Kagome
Research of Lycopene of Kagome has a history more than 40 years. Since Kagome started, Kagome has focused on tomatoes and vegetables regularly for over a century. In the Meiji era, tomatoes were imported to Japan for used as ingredients in cooking. At that time, the person who was interested and pioneered in planting the tomatoes was Ichitaro Kanie who was the founder of Kagome in 1899 (32nd Meiji). After retiring from military, Ichitaro Kanie, a descendant of the farmer, sowed the several of non-native seeds including tomatoes in his land in Aichi, and he brought their harvested vegetables sold in restaurants. But only the tomatoes were denied due to uniqueness of tomatoes as small size and red, it was worrisome as the tomatoes were unsalable, not even the one. Therefore the development of tomato sauce was started by using tomato sauce which imported by sea transport as the prototype, and tomato sauce No.1 (“Tomato Puree” in present) was completed in 1903 (36th Meiji). The products were processed tomato products, domestic first Japan. Then later, the ketchup which Ichitaro produced was more popular along with the expansion of business in the 1908. After 5 years later, he started manufacturing ketchup and Worcester Sauce as well.
However, from the research of team of DiMascio in 1989, make us know that the efficiency of the antioxidant Lycopene was considered in the top of the substances of carotenoids. When the result of this research was found, Lycopene was caught the eye from all over the world as a compound that helps promote health. Kagome who involved in the production of tomatoes for many years was interested in Lycopene in the same way and devoted to research of potential of Lycopene. In 1993, the researches which Kagome reported such as the academic articles that researched with National Food Research Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (at that time) were interested to all researchers all over the world. The amount of academic articles about Lycopene which Kagome has participated in until the present is 37 issues, and his articles were presented in the conference for 122 times (December 2012). The Central Kagome Research Institute dedicated to research of Lycopene with universities and institutes all over the world to find more potential of it.
The amount of tomato cultivars which is Kagome's possession is the greatest of the world in private business. Also, in the Central Kagome Research Institute which is located in Nazu shiobara, Tochigi Province, they set a secret place which strictly prohibits people not involved enter; that is "archives of genetic resources", which maintains the tomato seeds collected from each different area of worldwide as the seeds have limited life, so people couldn’t take it back again when losing genetic resources at least 1 time. Because of this, Kagome tried to plant tomato cultivars which he had continuously collected and kept it, until now, there are outnumbered 7,500 strains. This is the pride that we are one of the world in the private business, moreover, the genetic resources available in abundance were used as the benefit, including the development of their own at the same time. Also some parts of genetic resources were taken to research institute of the national agencies.