History

History
History of the founder, Takeo Sakata

1913～1945
1946～1973
1974～1985
1986～2000
2001～2012
2013-

1913～1945

1913: After the founder, Takeo Sakata, came back from the West, he established Sakata Noen in Shirosato Village, Tachibana District, Kanagawa (currently Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa).
1914: Changed the name from Sakata Noen to Asahi Noen.
Started exporting lily bulbs to the West.
1916: Started selling seeds as exporting young plants became difficult.
1920: Issued the first catalog for exportation.
1921: Established the first germination laboratory in the history of private companies in Japan.
Opened a branch in Chicago.
1922: Reorganized Asahi Noen and renamed it Sakata shokai after concluding an anonymous partnership.
1923: The company building in Yokohama burned down due to the Great Kanto Earthquake, and the Chicago branch was closed due to deterioration in business performance caused by the earthquake.
1930: Established Chigasaki Breeding Station (currently Chigasaki City, Kanagawa) and started research and development over a wide range of species.
1939: Opened a branch in Shanghai and exported seeds to North America.
1942: Dissolved Sakata shokai and merged five companies to establish T.Sakata & Company (Capital: 195,000 JPY).

Sakata shokai (To the right: Takeo Sakata)

The germination laboratory

Chigasaki Breeding Station

Catalog for overseas

1946～1973

1951: Established a retail section (currently Garden Center Yokohama) in the headquarters, which was a forerunner to gardening shop in Japan.
1959: Opened Misato Research Station in Misato Village (currently Azumino City) , Minamiazumi District, Nagano.
1960: Established Chogo Research Station in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa and launched it as a vegetable breeding farm.
1961: Established Nakai Research Station in Nakai Town, Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa.
1966: Established Hazawa Warehouce (currently Hazawa office) in Yokohama City, Kanagawa as a base for packaging and shipping products.
1967: Established Fukuoka Satellite Office (currently Kyushu Branch) in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka.
1968: Established Sakata seed, Xi Bei Farm in Taiwan and commenced the first post-war overseas production.
1971: Established Kimitsu Research Station in Hirakawa Town (currently Sodegaura City) , Kimitsu District, Chiba and aimed to expand the vegetable seed breeding program.
Established Sendai Satellite Office (currently the Tohoku Branch) in Sendai City, Miyagi.
1973: Held a field day in Misato Research Station to celebrate the 60th anniversary of foundation.

Headquarters building (1948, Kiribatake, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama City)

Retail section (currently Garden Center Yokohama) in the 1950s

Hazawa Warehouce

Misato Research Station

1974～1985

1974: Established Shirakawa Satellite Office in Shirakawa City, Fukushima.
1975: Established the USA Representative Office inside the San Francisco branch of Nissho Iwai Corporation (currently Sojitz Corporation).
Acquired the shares of Jiffy Pot Products Co., of Japan, Ltd.
1976: Moved the former head office building to Minami-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Established Okayama Satellite Office in Okayama City, Okayama.
1977: Established Sakata Seed America, Inc. in California, USA.
1979: Established Kyoei Noji Co., Ltd. (currently Sakata Logistics Co., Ltd.) in Yaita City, Tochigi.
1980: Established Florist Sakata in Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Established the Sapporo Sales Office (currently the Hokkaido Branch/Higashikagura Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido) in Sapporo City, Hokkaido.
1982: Established Nakai Horticulture Co., Ltd. in Nakai Town, Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa.
1983: Held a commemorative ceremony and a flower show in Odakyu Mukogaoka-Yuen, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa to celebrate the 70th anniversary of foundation.
1985: Established the Nagoya Sales Office in Komaki City, Aichi.

Shirakawa Satellite Offices (Later became Shirakawa Sales Office)

The former headquarters building relocated to Idogaya, Minami-ku, Yokohama City in 1976

Sakata Seed America, Inc.

Florist Sakata, established in the underground mall next to Yokohama Station

1986～2000

1986: Changed trade name to SAKATA SEED CORPORATION.
1987: Established Yamagata Vegetable Center Co., Ltd. (currently Yamagata Celltop Co., Ltd.) in Yamagata City, Yamagata.
Listed on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the first time in the seed industry.
1988: Established Sakata Kosan Co., Ltd. in Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Established Higashimura Seed Co., Ltd. (currently Brolead Co., Ltd.) in Ueno City, Mie.
Established the European Representative Office in Holland.
1990: Established Yuma Research Station in Arizona, USA.
Upgraded the European Representative Office into a local subsidiary and established Sakata Seed Europe B.V. (currently Sakata Holland B.V.).
Established Kakegawa Research Center in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka.
Established Nagano Celltop Co., Ltd. in Tomi City, Nagano.
Established Kanto-Kita Sales Office in Kazo City, Saitama.
Listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Established Hokkaido Research Station in Higashikagura Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido.
Established Hida Celltop Co., Ltd. in Takayama City, Gifu.
1991: Established Florida Research Station in Florida, USA.
Established Yokohama Sales Office (currently the Kanto Branch) in Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Established Sakata Seed Chile S.A.in V Región, Chile.
1992: Established Fukuoka Celltop Co., Ltd. in Kurume City, Fukuoka.
1993: Established Grupo Sakata Seed de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. in Jalisco, Mexico.
Held a dream show at Kakegawa Research Center to celebrate the 80th anniversary of foundation.
1994: Established Yamagata Kyukon Center in Nakayama Town, Higashimurayama District, Yamagata.
Established Kazo Center in Kazo City, Saitama.
Established Kakegawa Research Center, Shiga Branch in Yasu Town, Yasu District, Shiga.
Acquired the shares of the afforestation, agriculture, and livestock company, Agroflora S.A. (currently Sakata Seed Sudamerica Ltda.).
Established Bragança Paulista Research Station in Brazil.
1995: Relocated the headquarters and headquarters building to the current location (Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa).
1996: Acquired the shares of Yurix Co., Ltd.
Acquired the shares of Samuel Yates Ltd. (currently Sakata UK Ltd.), UK.
Established Sakata Seed France S.A.R.L. (currently Sakata Vegetables Europe S.A.S.) in Uchaud, France.
Established Osaka Sales Office (currently the Kansai Branch) in Ikeda City, Osaka.
Established Sakata Siam Seed Co., Ltd. in Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Established Sakata Seed Iberica S.L.U in Valencia, Spain.
Established YCC Logistics Center in Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Acquired the shares of Flora Feliz S.A. (currently Sakata Centroamerica, S.A.), Costa Rica.
1997: Acquired the shares of Chung Won Seed Co., Ltd. (currently Sakata Korea Co., Ltd.), Korea and opened the Korea Office.
Established Khon Kaen Research Station in Thailand.
Acquired the shares of Nishio Shokubutsu, Co., Ltd., Nishio City, Aichi.
1998: Established Sakata Seed (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. in Jiangsu, China.
Established Sakata Seed France S.A.R.L., Nimes Research Center (currently Uchaud Research Center) in Uchaud, France.
Established Garden Center Shonan in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa.
Established Sakata Middle East Regional Office in Jordan.
1999: Acquired the shares of MayFord Seeds (Pty) Ltd. (currently Sakata Seed Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd.), South Africa.
Acquired the shares of Wilgro Nurseries Limited (currently Sakata Ornamentals UK), UK.
2000: Established Yoju Research Station in Yeoju City, Korea.

Sakata Holland B.V. (Established as Sakata Seed Europe B.V. in 1990)

Kakegawa Research Center

The dream show that was held to celebrate the 80th anniversary of foundation (at Kakegawa Research Center)

A panoramic view of the headquarters building that was moved to Nakamachidai, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama City

2001～2012

2001: Established European Sakata Holding S.A.S. in Montpellier, France as a European-African holding company.
Established Chiba Sales Office (currently Higashikanto Branch/Chiba city, Chiba) in Narita City, Chiba.
Established European Sakata in France.
Established Sakata Vegenetics RSA (Pty) Ltd. in Lanseria, South Africa.
Established Sakata Techno Service Co., Ltd. in Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Established Mount Vernon Research Station in Washington, USA.
2002: Acquired the shares of Alf Christianson Seed Co., Washington, USA.
Changed the name of Samuel Yates Ltd. to Sakata UK Ltd. in the UK.
Established Okayama Logistics Center in Okayama City, Okayama.
2003: Acquired the flower division of L.Dæhnfeldt A/S, Denmark and established Sakata Ornamentals Europe A/S.
Certified by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) accredited Seed Testing Dept. for the first time in the history of private companies in Japan.
Established Odense Research Station in Odense, Denmark.
2005: Established Sakata Seed Oceania Pty Ltd. in Australia.
Acquired the shares of Qualiveg Seed Production, Inc. in the USA.
2006: Established Yaita Logistics Center in Yaita City, Tochigi.
2008: Established Sakata Seed India Pvt. Ltd. in Gurgaon, India.
Acquired the Potted Gerbera Breeding Division of the Dutch seed company, Varinova B.V.
2009: Sakata Ornamentals Chile Ltda. acquired by Sakata Seed Chile S.A.
2010: Established Sakata America Holding Company Inc. in California, USA.
2011: Established Sakata Turkey in Izmir, Turkey.
2012: Established the Nagoya Sales Office of the Nishi-Nihon Branch (currently the Chubu Branch) in Nagoya City, Aichi.

Mount Vernon Research Station

Sakata Ornamentals Europe A/S

Certificate by the ISTA accredited Seed Testing Dept.

Yaita Logistics Center, which acts as the center of logistics

2013～

2013: Created the company history compilation “Sakata Seed Corporation 100 Years of Progress” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of foundation.
Established Taneto Farm Co., Ltd. in Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Concluded an agreement with JICA for a BOP business project in Africa.
Alfco, LLC. acquired three companies: Seaward Investments, Inc., Quincy Investments, LLC., and Bayview Ridge Properties, LLC.
2014: Headquaters green area certified as a SEGES urban oasis by the Organization for Landscape and Urban Green Infrastructure.
Sakata Seed America, Inc. acquired the shares of Alf Christianson Seed Co.
2015: Reached an agreement with the Indonesian government on the use of SunPatiens genetic resources in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity.
2017: Acquired the shares of Al Mourog Al Kasbah for Agri & Vet Co. (McAVET) , Jordan.
2018: Established Sakata Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Established Woodland Innovation Center in California, USA.
Established Sakata Green Service Co., Ltd. in Yokohama City, Kanagawa.
Established Sakata Seed Argentina S.A. in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2019: Established Bengaluru Innovation Center in Karnataka, India.
2020: Established Sakata Huacai Horticultural (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd. in Zhejiang, China.
2022: Established Culiacan Innovation Center in Sinaloa, Mexico.
2023: Established Israeli branch office in Rehovot City, Israel.
Acquired the shares of Sana Seeds, The Netherlands.
Acquired the shares of Isla Sementes LTDA., Brazil.
2024: Established Sakata Colombia S.A.S. in Bogota, Colombia.