Teruha Kagemori was born in 1927 in Tottori, Japan. Daughter of a medical doctor, she obtained a nursing diploma in 1947. She then abandoned the practice of this career to under take study of dietitian, and she obtained a diploma of nutrition in 1952 which has permitted her to practice in different hospitals and public organizations for 15 years. In 1967 she immigrated to Canada. Diagnosed with breast cancer, she found her cure through the macrobiotic lifestyle under the direction and guidance of Lima Osawa, Michio Kushi and Keichi Morishita. The course she followed gave her the opportunity to deepen her personal growth and she obtained a certificate in nutrition. In 1976, she founded KOYO foods Inc. a Japanese foods distributor. Her main mission was the promotion and teaching of the macrobiotic lifestyle.

In 1981, after a year spent in Japan on a scholarship, Tosh Kagemori decides he would follow his mother's footsteps and join the family business. Eager and full of ambition, Tosh Kagemori took the position of CEO at KOYO and swore he would make the business grow and prosper. His first goal was to successfully manufacture and distribute natural, organic and macrobiotic rice cakes. His Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, which he obtained in 1977 at McGill University in Montreal, has given him the technical knowledge to design a state-of-the-art rice cake producing machine. Soon after, he began researching and importing other natural foods, other than Japanese macrobiotic products, from the US and Canada, such as Eden Foods and Imagine Foods. KOYO prides itself in having been a pioneer in the introduction of the famous Edensoy and Rice Dream beverage in Quebec. Today, KOYO foods Inc. distributes over 2000 brand name foods, personal care, and supplement items in eastern Canada.

In 1995, Tosh broadened the business and began selling and exporting KOYO Rice Cakes across the United States of America. Today, every major American natural foods retail store carries the one-of-a-kind organic KOYO Rice Cakes.

In 1997, KOYO's history is mapped with another major accomplishment. -KOYO Toronto is born. A second independent distributing warehouse facility is established in Markham, Ontario.

Since the say Tosh took over the family reigns, KOYO Foods Inc. has grown immensely and continues still to expand and branch out in all aspects of natural foods and healthy products to meet growing demands. Teruha Kagemori remains very active in the macrobiotic industry. She teaches Japanese cooking and tea ceremony and has written several books. Teruha Kagemori's belief is "Health can be achieved by attaining a balanced lifestyle, a spiritual work, physical exercises, a good respiration and healthy food habits."

Throughout KOYO's history, there have been many ups and down. However, Tosh's determination, ambition and fairness and his mother's spirituality and dedication have made KOYO Foods Inc. what is today -the largest natural, organic and macrobiotic food distributor in Eastern Canada.

 

 

The KOYO pine tree represents:

Japanese translations

 

The circle around the pine tree represents the sun. The pine tree represents the evergreen forest. The two thin lines at the circle represents th earth. In order to survive, grown and rise all three forces have been connected and they act as one. Notice the circle is not closed, therefore the forest can receive from its environment. The sun, the earth and all the ecternal forces provide nourishment and internal strenght ("chi") for the forest to grow and prosper.