Marukome, Inc. is the name of a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese miso

Miso

is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...

 soup paste producer. Its headquarters are located in the city of Nagano. Marukome accounts for about 13% of the amount of miso produced in Japan each year which makes them one of the top in production volume among 1,500 miso producers in Japan.

On December 5, 2007, Marukome USA, Inc.

Marukome USA, Inc.

Marukome USA, Inc. is the American subsidiary of Marukome Co., LTD, a 155-year-old producer of Japanese miso and miso products which are distributed worldwide. Its headquarters are located in the city of Nagano...

 opened its United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 headquarters and factory in Irvine, California

Irvine, California

Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...

.

As a commercial gimmick, Marukome has organized contests for kids to become "Marukome Boy" (マルコメくん) who subsequently represents the company in advertisement. To be a winner, the Marukome Boy should look similar to the company logo of a small boy with a bald head.

External links

• Marukome Inc - Japanese
• Marukome USA - English