What Central Forest Group does

Central Forest Group (セントラルフォレストグループ株式会社, TYO: 7675) is a publicly listed joint holding company headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, formed in April 2019 through the joint stock transfer of Tokan Co., Ltd. (founded 1949) and Kokubu Chubu Co., Ltd. (founded 1954). The company controls two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries that collectively generated approximately ¥365.1 billion in FY2025 sales: Tokan, which wholesales food, processed/manufactured goods, and daily consumer products, and Kokubu Chubu, which wholesales alcoholic beverages, food, and related consumer goods. Both subsidiaries serve food retailers, restaurants, and commercial food service businesses across the Chubu (Central Japan) region, leveraging a combined 70+ year heritage and overlapping distribution networks.

The group's go-to-market is a B2B wholesale distribution model with revenue generated primarily through product margin on transactions (the disclosed revenue stream type is "transaction fee") rather than subscription or platform fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Central Forest Group also develops a small portfolio of branded proprietary products (e.g., Atami Citrus Cheese Cake, Nagoya Hayashi, Aka-kara Monja-yaki Set) and has pursued tuck-in acquisitions — Sankyu and Hikari (2021), Shokuzai (2026) — to densify its regional footprint. Kokubu Group Holdings is the largest shareholder with a 41.12% stake, giving the group ecosystem-level commercial ties to one of Japan's major food wholesalers.

The business model is operationally a regional distribution roll-up with modest top-line growth (revenue declined slightly from ¥369B in FY2021 to ¥365B in FY2025) but improving unit economics — EBITDA grew ~61% over the same period from ¥15.1B to ¥24.2B, reflecting margin expansion rather than volume growth. The 2026 launch of the 2nd long-term strategy under the "Changing Wholesale" (『卸』を変える) vision indicates a strategic pivot toward business model transformation over the 2026-2030 horizon, though no technology or AI capabilities have been disclosed to support this repositioning.

Name

Central Forest Group

Legal name

セントラルフォレストグループ株式会社

Website

https://centralforestgroup.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Central Forest Group is a publicly listed Japanese joint holding company (TYO: 7675) that operates food and beverage wholesale distribution through subsidiaries Tokan and Kokubu Chubu, serving food retailers, restaurants, and commercial customers primarily in the Chubu (Central Japan) region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food and liquor wholesale distribution: The company operates as a holding company managing food and liquor wholesale businesses through subsidiary companies Tokan and Kokubu Chubu. Revenue is generated from wholesale distribution of food, alcoholic beverages, and related products to retailers, restaurants, and other businesses in the Chubu region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Central Forest Group is a joint holding company that wholesales and distributes food products and alcoholic beverages in the Chubu (Central Japan) region through its two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries: Tokan Co., Ltd. (food wholesale, manufacturing/processing, daily consumer goods) and Kokubu Chubu Co., Ltd. (alcoholic beverages, food, and related consumer goods wholesale). Combined subsidiary sales reached approximately 365.1 billion yen in FY2025. The group also develops proprietary regional food products and serves as a regional distribution consolidator through acquisitions.

Product overview

Central Forest Group is a joint holding company established in April 2019 through the integration of Tokan Co., Ltd. and Kokubu Chubu Co., Ltd. The company operates as a food and alcoholic beverage distribution group serving the Chubu (Central Japan) region. Its core business involves wholesale distribution of food products, alcoholic beverages, and related consumer goods through its two main subsidiaries: Tokan Co., Ltd. (174.2 billion yen sales) and Kokubu Chubu Co., Ltd. (190.9 billion yen sales). The group also develops proprietary food products including regional specialties and disaster preparedness items. Central Forest Group does not offer technology products or software services; it is a traditional distribution/wholesale business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tokan Co., Ltd. Food Wholesale Distribution (株式会社トーカン) Food wholesale distribution service specializing in food products, manufacturing/processing, and daily consumer goods sales, offered to food retailers, restaurants, and commercial food service businesses in the Chubu region. Operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Forest Group.
• Kokubu Chubu Co., Ltd. Alcoholic Beverage and Food Wholesale Distribution (国分中部株式会社) Wholesale distribution service covering alcoholic beverages, food, and related consumer goods, offered to food retailers, restaurants, and commercial food service businesses in the Chubu region. Operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Forest Group.
• Atami Citrus Cheese Cake (熱海産だいだいチーズケーキ) Disaster-prevention reserve food product (cheese cake) developed jointly with Atami City using local Atami citrus ingredients, distributed through Tokan Co., Ltd.
• Aka-kara Monja-yaki Set (赤からもんじゃ焼セット) Ready-to-prepare Japanese savory pancake (monja-yaki) set launched by the Central Forest Group.
• Nagoya Hayashi (名古屋ハヤシ) Proprietary Nagoya-style Hayashi rice product launched by the Central Forest Group.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 株式会社トーカン (Tokan)coreOthers · 1 April 2019Tokan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Forest Group, established October 1949, engaged in food wholesale, manufacturing, and daily goods sales. Sales revenue was 174.2 billion yen (fiscal 2025).
• 国分中部株式会社 (Kokubu Chubu)coreOthers · 1 April 2019Kokubu Chubu is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Forest Group, established April 1954, engaged in alcoholic beverages, food, and related consumer goods wholesale. Sales revenue was 190.9 billion yen (fiscal 2025).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nippon Access: Major Japanese food wholesaler affiliated with Itochu, with end-to-end cold chain distribution to retailers, restaurants, and convenience stores nationwide. Highly comparable to Tokan's food wholesale operations at larger national scale.
• Kato Sangyo: Japanese processed food wholesaler (TSE: 9869) serving retailers, restaurants, and the food industry across Japan with a comparable B2B distribution model and SKU breadth. Operates at similar scale to Central Forest's combined subsidiaries.
• Mitsubishi Shokuhin: One of Japan's largest food wholesalers (TSE: 7451), distributing processed, frozen, and chilled foods nationwide. Most directly comparable to Central Forest in business model and customer base (retailers, restaurants, foodservice), though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Yamaya Corporation: Japanese alcoholic beverage wholesaler and retailer with a portfolio of imported and domestic beer, wine, and spirits. Most directly comparable to Kokubu Chubu's alcoholic beverage wholesale business.
• Itochu-Shokuhin: Wholesale distributor of alcoholic beverages and processed foods, subsidiary of trading house Itochu. Direct competitor in the alcoholic beverage wholesale segment where Kokubu Chubu operates.
• Kokubu Group Holdings: The strategic 41.12% shareholder of Central Forest Group and Japan's largest food wholesaler by sales. Kokubu Group Holdings operates the same B2B food and beverage wholesale model across Japan, making it the most natural parent-equivalent peer despite also being a major shareholder.

Broad incumbents

• Maruha Nichiro: Large Japanese seafood and food company with wholesale, processing, and cold chain operations. Comparable in distribution scale and end markets (retail/foodservice), though seafood-focused.
• Nissui Corporation: Japanese food company with wholesale and logistics operations across marine products, processed foods, and fine chemicals. Comparable end markets and B2B distribution model to Central Forest.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Forest Group