After World War II, Kikkoman adopted a diversification strategy in response to the Westernization of the Japanese diet. In 1961, Kikko Foods Corporation was founded, and the production of tomato juice and ketchup started the following year.
In 1991, the company changed its name to Nippon Del Monte Corporation. From 2011 to the present, the Gunma plant has been dedicated to the production of tomato seasonings, while the Nagano plant focuses on the beverage production.
The new tomato ketchup “Lycopene Rich” was launched in August 2013, it is a product that abundantly uses ripe tomatoes and has since been developed as a series of products providing new value - tomato sauce, puree, pizza sauce, tomato beverages, and others.
As a division dedicated to the production and sales of fresh tomatoes and vegetable seedlings, Nippon Del Monte Agri Company was established in 2013. The company has increased harvest yields by incorporating advanced technology from the Netherlands and establishing the farming methods and technologies optimized for Japan.
It has been over half a century since the introduction of the Del Monte brand in Japan. The Del Monte brand will continue to enrich everyday meals and take on new challenges.

During the 1960s to the 1980s, Kikkoman operated the Del Monte business in Japan only. In 1990, Kikkoman gained the perpetual and exclusive trademark usage and marketing rights of Del Monte’s processed foods in Japan, as well as the Asia/Oceania region except Philippines. This milestone marks a full-scale entry into the Del Monte business abroad.
Over the past 30 years since then, Kikkoman has been delivering Del Monte products that brighten up dining tables for customers throughout the Asia and Oceania regions.
The current Del Monte business in Asia and Oceania is operated by Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd., a company based in Singapore. This division handles the development, production, and sales of high-value-added processed vegetable, fruit, and seafood products, as well as beverages and tomato seasonings, with a primary focus on tomato ketchup, tomato juice, whole corn, and canned pineapple.
At present, two plants are located outside Japan that operate solely under the Del Monte name. The one in Thailand focuses on corn products, and the other in China mainly produces tomato ketchup.