Japan Tobacco Inc. (日本たばこ産業株式会社 Nihon Tabako Sangyō Kabushiki-gaisha, JT) is a cigarette manufacturing company. It is part of the Nikkei 225 index.

History

The company traces its origins to 1898. Incorporated in 1949 as the Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation, Japan Tobacco was a state monopoly until 1985, when it became a public company. It was two-thirds owned by the Japanese Ministry of Finance until June 2004, and the Japanese government share is presently 50%.

The group

JT International (JTI), acquired from R.J. Reynolds, is an operating division of Japan Tobacco Inc., handling the international production, marketing and sales of the group's cigarette brands. It sells Camel, Salem, and Winston brands outside the USA.

Japan Tobacco also operates in foods, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, engineering, and real estate.

Market

Japan Tobacco controls more than 70% of the cigarette market in Japan.

It is the world's third largest tobacco company, after Altria and British American Tobacco.

Brands include

• Cabin
• Mild Seven
• Hi-Lite

See also:

• Tobacco industry