MAHO COLD FOODS

MAHO COLD FOODS (株式会社真秀コールド・フーズ) is a Japanese frozen food manufacturer headquartered in Gojo City, Nara Prefecture. The company produces frozen fried rice (chahan) and frozen onigiri (rice balls), and also operates commercial refrigerated and frozen warehousing. Its official website describes it as a company engaged in commercial refrigerated warehousing and the production of frozen cooked rice, delivering tasty frozen rice meals from Nara, the 'land of many leaves' (Manyo no Sato), across Japan. The original company was established in May 2015, with the purpose of taking over the business of Nara Ichiba Reizo, a third-sector company funded by Nara Prefecture and others that operated refrigerated and frozen warehouses at the Nara Prefectural Central Wholesale Market. In March 2017, with support from Nara Prefecture and financial institutions, the company completed a frozen food factory with an attached commercial frozen warehouse near the Gojo-Kita Interchange of the Keinawa Expressway, at a total cost of approximately 3.6 billion yen. It was described as one of the largest frozen food factories in Nara Prefecture, and operations began in April 2017. However, the company faced difficulties. Its manufacturing contract contained a clause prohibiting orders from food manufacturers other than one specific company, making it an exclusive contract with a single food manufacturer, and orders struggled to grow. The factory equipment suffered frequent malfunctions, and the business developed a chronic deficit. Management became unstable with successive changes of representatives. Despite efforts to rebuild, including obtaining repayment extensions from financial institutions and expanding direct transactions with frozen food manufacturers and major restaurant chains, the old company filed for civil rehabilitation proceedings (民事再生法) with the Nara District Court on March 2, 2020, and received a supervision order the same day. Its total liabilities were 5 billion yen. Tajima Dori, a company headquartered in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, was selected as the civil rehabilitation sponsor. Tajima Dori established a new company, also named MAHO COLD FOODS, on May 22, 2020, to take over the business. Sanpo Foods, headquartered in Higashinada Ward, Kobe City, also participated in the management of the new company. The new company took over the business from the old company (which changed its name to MCF Saisei Gaisha on the same day) on June 1, 2020. The new company's registered head office was initially in Higashinada Ward, Kobe, same as Sanpo Foods, but was moved to Gojo City simultaneously with the business transfer. The president of the new company is concurrently the president of Sanpo Foods. The old company, MCF Saisei Gaisha, continued its civil rehabilitation proceedings but its corporate personality was dissolved on July 1, 2021. Today, MAHO COLD FOODS continues to operate as a frozen food manufacturer and refrigerated warehousing company under the Tajima Dori group, producing frozen rice dishes from its base in Nara.

The history of MAHO COLD FOODS involves two corporate entities: the original company founded in 2015 and the new company established in 2020 after civil rehabilitation. **Old company (2015–2021)** The original MAHO COLD FOODS was established in May 2015. Its purpose was to take over the business of Nara Ichiba Reizo, a third-sector company funded by Nara Prefecture and others that operated refrigerated and frozen warehouses at the Nara Prefectural Central Wholesale Market. In August 2016, the company moved its head office from Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture, to Gojo City, Nara Prefecture. In March 2017, a frozen food factory with an attached commercial frozen warehouse was completed in Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, near the Gojo-Kita Interchange of the Keinawa Expressway, at a total cost of approximately 3.6 billion yen. It was one of the largest frozen food factories in Nara Prefecture. Operations at the factory began in April 2017. The company produced frozen fried rice and frozen onigiri. However, its manufacturing contract contained a clause prohibiting orders from food manufacturers other than one specific company, making it an exclusive contract with a single food manufacturer, and orders struggled to grow. The factory equipment suffered frequent malfunctions, and the business developed a chronic deficit. Management became unstable with successive changes of representatives. The company sought to rebuild by obtaining repayment extensions from financial institutions and expanding direct transactions with frozen food manufacturers and major restaurant chains, but these efforts were insufficient. On March 2, 2020, the old company filed for civil rehabilitation proceedings (民事再生法) with the Nara District Court and received a supervision order the same day. Its total liabilities were 5 billion yen. Tajima Dori, headquartered in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, was selected as the civil rehabilitation sponsor. On June 1, 2020, the old company transferred its business to a new company established by Tajima Dori and ceased operations. Simultaneously, it changed its name to MCF Saisei Gaisha (株式会社MCF再生会社). The old company continued its civil rehabilitation proceedings but its corporate personality was dissolved on July 1, 2021. **New company (2020–present)** The new MAHO COLD FOODS was established on May 22, 2020, by Tajima Dori, with its registered head office in Higashinada Ward, Kobe City. Sanpo Foods, headquartered in Higashinada Ward, Kobe City, also participated in the management. On June 1, 2020, the new company took over the business from the old company and began operations. Simultaneously, it moved its head office to Gojo City. The president of the new company is concurrently the president of Sanpo Foods. The new company continues to operate as a frozen food manufacturer and refrigerated warehousing company, producing frozen fried rice and frozen onigiri from its base in Nara, under the Tajima Dori group.

• 2021

  MCF Saisei Gaisha (old company) dissolved.

• 2020

  Old company filed for civil rehabilitation proceedings with Nara District Court; received supervision order same day.

• 2020

  New MAHO COLD FOODS established by Tajima Dori.

• 2020

  New company took over business from old company; old company renamed MCF Saisei Gaisha.

• 2017

  Frozen food factory with attached commercial frozen warehouse completed in Gojo City, Nara Prefecture.

• 2017

  Factory operations began.

• 2016

  Head office moved from Yamatokoriyama City to Gojo City, Nara Prefecture.

• 2015

  Original MAHO COLD FOODS established.

A Nara-based frozen food manufacturer and refrigerated warehousing operator, producing frozen rice dishes for nationwide distribution in Japan.

• Frozen fried rice (chahan)

• Frozen onigiri (rice balls)

• Commercial refrigerated and frozen warehousing

1. 1万葉の里・奈良から美味しい冷凍米飯を！株式会社 真秀コールド・フーズmaho.co.jp
2. 2会社概要｜株式会社 真秀コールド・フーズmaho.co.jp
3. 3MAHO COLD FOODS - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4真秀コールド・フーズ - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org