Meiji to Reorganize Yogurt Production Sites in Japan

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Meiji Holdings Co. said Friday that it will reorganize its yogurt production sites in Japan to cut costs and improve efficiency.

The company’s Meiji Co. unit will close three factories in Miyagi, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures while building a new plant in Kanagawa.

Meiji will cease production at plants in the Miyagi town of Taiwa in November 2025, in the Kanagawa city of Chigasaki in March 2027 and in the Saitama city of Toda in July 2027. Their production will be relocated to other plants, including the new Kanagawa plant.

Regular workers at the three plants will be relocated to other positions while the status of contract workers there will be decided under employment contracts, an investor relations official at Meiji said.

The company will build the new ¥40-billion factory in the Kanagawa city of Atsugi. Construction will start in 2025 for production set to begin in March 2027. The factory will introduce new technology to extend product use-by dates.