The Japan Tobacco Inc. is a Japanese diversified tobacco company and parent company to Japan Tobacco International, one of the three largest international Big Tobacco product manufacturers in the world. It was established in 1985 as a tokushu gaisha that inherited the right to monopolize and manufacture cigarettes from the Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation and required the government to hold at least 50% of its shares. In addition to tobacco, JT diversified its businesses, establishing the pharmaceutical research institute in 1993 and making a full-scale entry into the food and beverage industry in 1998. In 2008, it acquired the food manufacturer Katokichi, now TableMark, as a wholly owned subsidiary, integrating its food business. It is part of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX Large70 indices. In 2009 the company was listed at number 312 on the Fortune 500 list. The company is headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, and Japan Tobacco International's headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, and Raleigh, North Carolina. As of 2012 the chairman is Hiroshi Kimura and the CEO is Mitsuomi Koizumi. Wikipedia