CO・OP

Looking Back on the History
of Japanese Consumer Co-ops

"For peace and better life."
It has been 70 years since JCCU was
established
with this desire,
and we have come this far
guided by your voices.
Together with member co-ops,
we have been
promoting people's connections
all over Japan to realize
wishes of our livelihoods.

Even though we are materially affluent,
we still
face many challenges
in the modern society.
Although the power of
each individual is small,
we do know the strength of
connections
between people.

We will continue to work with you
and
create a more vibrant future
with the power of
connections.

In 2021, Japanese
Consumers' Co-operative
Union
celebrates its
70th anniversary.

Early History: From the late 19th
century to the establishment of JCCU

  • ・Consumer co-ops established by
    intellectuals in Tokyo and Osaka in
    the midst of modernization
  • ・Consumer co-ops developed under
    the liberal movement
  • ・Consumer co-ops devastated by the
    Pacific War
  • ・Consumer co-ops re-established and
    newly organized during the post-
    war reconstruction period

1950s: Economic reconstruction
and
expansion of activity
areas of consumer
co-ops

  • ・Transition from postwar
    reconstruction to the period of
    rapid
    economic growth
  • ・Manufacturers' control over
    distribution and price
  • ・Consumer co-ops campaigning
    against price hikes with labor
    unions
    and consumer groups

1960s: Advances and evolution in
the consumer co-op movement

  • ・Rapid economic growth (1955-1973)
  • ・Revolution in consumption and
    distribution (expansion of
    supermarket chains)
  • ・Environmental pollution such
    as air and water pollution
    becoming social issues
  • ・Expansion of social movements
    such as the consumer movement

1970s: "Citizen Co-operatives"
developed with the participation
of housewives

  • ・Food safety issues such as
    harmful food additives and
    contamination of Poly
    Chlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)
  • ・Shortage of goods and
    price hike due to oil crisis

1980s: Overcoming
restrictions
on consumer
co-ops and achieving
dramatic development

  • ・Trade friction, rapid increase
    in imported food, probrems
    over pesticide residue
  • ・International leveling and
    deregulation of food additives
  • ・Bubble economy from late 1980s

1990s: Challenges at a turning
point and
business restructuring for
development

  • ・Collapse of the bubble
    economy and
    recession
  • ・Global standardization,
    deregulation
  • ・Diversification of consumer
    values
    and changes in
    consumer behavior
  • ・O-157, dioxin, Endocrine-
    Disrupting
    Chemicals (EDC),
    genetically
    modified food

2000s: Advancement of
business
solidarity and
revision of the
Consumer
Cooperatives Act

  • ・Creating a social system for
    food safety
  • ・Global recession caused by
    Lehman
    shock (global
    financial crisis)

2010s-: Supporting post-
earthquake reconstruction
and
participating in
community building

  • ・Super-aged society with
    declining
    population
  • ・Growing economic disparity

2021

JCCU Celebrates
70th Anniversary

Kyodo-sha in Tokyo, a retailing
co-operative of workers,
celebrating the International
Day of Co-operatives (1927)

1945

The Japanese Co-operative Alliance, the
predecessor of JCCU, is established with
the presidency of Toyohiko Kagawa

Toyohiko Kagawa addressing at a meeting
to demand
the enactment of the
Consumer Cooperatives Act (1947)

1948

The Consumers' Livelihood Cooperative
Society Law
(hereafter Consumer
Cooperatives Act) is enacted
and enforced

Poster by the Ministry of Health and
Welfare announcing
the enforcement
of the Consumer Cooperatives Act

1951

Japanese Consumers' Co-operative
Union
(JCCU) is established

Inaugural General Assembly of JCCU
at the University of Tokyo
on March 20, 1951

1958

Japan Consumer Cooperative Business
Union
is established as a joint
purchasing business
federation of
consumer co-ops to supply key
products with the "CO-OP" mark

Inaugural General Assembly of Japan Consumer
Cooperative
Business Union in November 1958

1960

JCCU launches its first CO-OP Brand
Product,
“CO-OP Butter,”
to break through
manufacturer-
controlled pricing

CO-OP products developed by
the business union
CO-OP Butter
Milk delivery by Kyoto Rakuhoku
Co-op
(currently Kyoto Co-op)
established in 1964

1965

JCCU and Japan Consumer
Cooperative Business Union
merge
and step up efforts to
develop
CO·OP Brand Products

1966

JCCU launches a new
type of synthesized
laundry detergent
"CO-OP Soft" in
response to
environmental
concerns,
which is
the first product
developed with
the
participation of
members

Detergent for
clothing
"CO-OP Soft"

1967~

Private brand products such as
milk and
soy sauce are
developed by consumer
co-ops
across the country in response
to price increases by
manufacturers

Hokkaido
CO-OP
Soy Sauce
Rallying housewife members in
aprons
against rising consumer
prices (1965)

1968

The joint purchasing system
(delivery to
Han groups on a regular
basis by
advanced orders) is started

Han members of Nagoya Working Citizen
Co-operative
(currently Co-op Aichi)
unloading and separating
products
(around 1970)

1969

JCCU develops an
alcohol
-based
laundry detergent
"CO-OP Sefter" and
invites
members to
name the
product

CO-OP Sefter which
has been
a
long-selling
product to date

1970

JCCU overhauls the safety
of CO-OP
Brand Products in
the wake of
safety issues
of sodium cyclamate
(artificial sweetener)
and begins to
develop
products without
unnecessary food
additives

JCCU launches CO-OP
Sake
developed without
salicylic
acid (preservative)

CO-OP Sake

The "Fukushima Resolution" is adopted
at the JCCU 20th General Assembly,
which emphasizes the importance of
developing member-centered businesses
and activities

JCCU 20th General Assembly held in
Fukushima
(May 1970)

1971

JCCU launches CO-OP
Color TV to break
through
manufacturer-
controlled
pricing

CO-OP Color TV

JCCU launches CO-OP
Unbleached Wheat
Flour

CO-OP Unbleached Wheat Flour

1972

JCCU establishes
the JCCU Laboratory

JCCU Laboratory

1973

Logos of consumer co-ops and JCCU are
chosen
from entries from the public

Logo of consumer co-ops
Logo of JCCU

JCCU launches
CO-OP Cod
Roe (unpigmented) and
CO-OP
Salted
Herring Roe
(unbleached)

CO-OP Salted
Herring Roe

1977

JCCU launches
CO-OP Basic Skin
Care Products
with information
on full ingredients
disclosed

CO-OP Basic
Skin Care Products

1978~

The joint purchase system of
"weekly delivery on
a fixed date"
is recognized with more fresh
products
available, which leads
to rapid development of
local
consumer co-ops

Event organized by Santama Citizen
Co-operative
(currently Co-op Mirai)
to promote membership
(1970's)

1979

JCCU develops CO-OP Italian
Spaghetti
in cooperation
with Coop Italia

CO-OP Italian Spaghetti

1980

JCCU starts its own "Labeling of
Nutrition and
Best-before Date of
Foods" based on data
collected in
the JCCU Laboratory

JCCU Laboratory

The total business
turnover
of consumer
co-ops nationwide
reached 1 trillion JPY

1981

The new logo of
JCCU as a corporate
identity is introduced

CO・OP Corporate Identity

JCCU launches CO・OP
Mixed Carrot Juice to
realize needs of
members
who want
their children
to eat
carrots

CO・OP Mixed
Carrot Juice

1982

JCCU steps up efforts to develop
CO-OP
Brand Products and
establishes its product
policy
which formally focuses on quality
control and members'
participation in the
development
and improvement of
CO-OP
Brand Products

JCCU starts a new initiative to
conduct product assessment
at the JCCU Laboratory

Product assessment at the
JCCU Laboratory

1984

JCCU starts supplying CO·OP
Core-non Roll
(toilet paper
without paper core)
made
from collected milk
cartons, which
was originally
developed by Nada-Kobe Co-op
(currently Co-op Kobe)

CO·OP Core-non Roll

JCCU publishes "Guide to
Food Labeling"
and "Guide to
Food Additives" to
establish
food labeling standards and
voluntary usage standards of
food additives

"Co-op Brand Product and
Nutrition
Labeling: What to
Eat and
How Much to Eat" (1982)

Late 1980s

Consumer co-ops nationwide
actively open stores

F CO·OP Tobata Nishi Store
opened
after the merger
of five co-ops in
Fukuoka
Prefecture in 1985

1985

The number of individual members
nationwide exceeds 10 million

Members of Ehime Consumer Co-operative
(currently Co-op Ehime) attending a fish
cooking class at a networking gathering
with a fisheries co-operative

The 1st Co-op
Sanchoku
Research
Seminar is held

Nine consumer co-operatives
establish the
"Study Group
for Product Inspection"

1986

The first regional business
federation of
community-
based retail co-ops is
established
in east-central Japan

The total business
turnover of consumer
co-ops nationwide
reaches 2 trillion JPY

1987

JCCU launches
CO-OP Dry Packed
Soybeans as a
product series of
ingredients useful
for cooking

CO-OP Dry Packed
Soybeans

1990

The individual home delivery
business is started (rapidly
growing since the late 1990s)

JCCU introduces stay-on tabs to
beverage cans,
pioneering the
switch from pull-tab cans for
environmental concerns

Pull-tab can
(before)
Stay-on tab can
(now)

1991

The total business
turnover of
consumer
co-ops nationwide
exceeds 3 trillion JPY

1992

The International Co-operative Alliance
(ICA) Tokyo Congress is held, where the
"Basic Values of Co-operatives" and
"Environment and Sustainable
Development" are discussed

Opening Ceremony of the ICA Tokyo
Congress
©Yukiyasu Ishikawa

1995

JCCU and its member co-ops take
actions
to support reconstruction of
areas affected
by the Great Hanshin-
Awaji Earthquake

Disaster relief efforts by
Co-op Kobe
Co-op Kobe HQ
destroyed by the
Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake

JCCU starts
developing CO-OP
Brand Products
with
a variety of themes,
such as
"Japanese Vegetable"
product series

Japanese Vegetable
Product Series

1997

The Committee of Members
on
Product Development is
established
to realize the
product development
that can
meet expectations of members

National Gathering of Members titled
"Let's collect
10 million signatures!"
held to call for fundamental
revision
of the Food Sanitation Act (2000)

1998

The number of individual
members nationwide
reaches 20 million

1999~

JCCU and member co-ops promote
a petition
campaign for fundamental
revision of the Food
Sanitation Act
(the Act revised in 2003)

Submission of signatures for petition
collected by
Co-op Kobe (2001)

1999

JCCU renews the
logo and package
designs of CO-OP
Brand Products

Logo of CO·OP
Brand Product

2000

JCCU starts collaborating with
regional business federations
to develop regionally oriented
products

"e-Friends," a centralized online
ordering
system for the home delivery
business
developed by Co-op Tohoku
Sun Net Business
Federation, is
introduced in Co-op Miyagi

2001

JCCU launches a food education campaign
for the 50th anniversary of JCCU

Commemorative ceremony for the 50th anniversary
of JCCU
Collection of activities
promoted through the food
education campaign

2002

JCCU starts collaborating
with regional
business
federations to develop
products
for nationwide supply

2006

The retail sales of the individual
delivery business exceeds that of
the group delivery business

Individual delivery by Lala Co-op
in Nagasaki Prefecture

2007

The business of "e-Friends" is
transferred to JCCU to build a common
Internet infrastructure for consumer
co-ops nationwide

An incident of
falsifying ingredients
in CO·OP Beef
Croquettes by a
manufacturer occurs

2008

JCCU launches new
product
lines with
three themes

New product lines
(Delicious,
Origin Designated,
Healthy)

In the face of an incident of
intentional
contamination of
pesticides in CO·OP
Frozen
Dumplings, JCCU formulates the
"Plan to Rebuild the Quality
Assurance
System for Co-op
Brand Products"

Answering phone calls at the
JCCU Member Service Center
Checking product production
at an overseas factory

The mutual insurance business is
spun off from JCCU, and Japan CO-OP
Insurance Consumers' Co-operative
Federation (JCIF) is established

Inaugural General Assembly of JCIF

2010〜

Consumer co-ops nationwide make
efforts to sign an agreement with local
municipalities to watch over elderly
members by using the infrastructure
of their home delivery business

2010

JCCU Quality Standards (product
standards and labeling standards)
on CO·OP Brand Products are revised

The health and welfare division
is spun off
from JCCU, and
Japanese Health and Welfare
Co-operative Federation (HeW
CO-OP JAPAN)
is established

2011

JCCU and its
member co-ops
take actions to
support the
victims of the
Great East
Japan
Earthquake

Co-op tracks rushed from all
over Japan to
support areas
affected by the earthquake
Meeting of the Volunteers' Network
for Disasters
of Tokyo Consumers'
Co-operative Union held as an
emergency training after the
earthquake (July 2011)

2012

The United Nations
International Year
of Co-operatives
(IYC)

2013

In response to an incident of intentional
pesticide
contamination in CO·OP frozen
foods,
JCCU creates a manual of how to
collaborate with
member co-ops in case of
incidents on products

2014

JCCU runs the "Love
CO·OP
Campaign" to
promote trust and
affection for CO·OP
Brand
Products
among members

JCCU strengthens its efforts to
reflect the voices of members in
CO·OP Brand Products with direct
involvement of members

Selected members assessing
CO·OP Brand Products

2015

JCCU renews
CO·OP
Brand
Products

2016

UNESCO inscribes "the idea and
practice of organizing
shared
interests in co-operatives" on the
Representative
List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity

JCCU introduces a contact
management system to
share complaints
from members among consumer
co-ops nationwide

2017

Kirakira Step product series
Unlabeled CO·OP Azumino Water
(example of plastic reduction in
CO·OP Brand Products)

2018

SDG Logo

JCCU launches "Action for Children's
Future"
to think about and deepen
understanding of
child
poverty in communities

2020

JCCU celebrates the
60th anniversary
of CO·OP Brand Products

Logo for the 60th anniversary
of CO·OP Brand Products