From MSG to microchips: The lesser-known side hustles of Japanese legacy brands


A view of Japan’s Nihonbashi business district. - Bloomberg

TOKYO: Think of Ajinomoto and, chances are, what springs to mind is the Japanese maker of sauces and umami seasonings.

Yet, the company’s products are not just confined to kitchen shelves. Ajinomoto is also omnipresent in the technology sector, embedded in semiconductors and the motherboards that power high-performance central processing units (CPUs) for computers and data centres worldwide.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Aseanplus News

Cathay Pacific roughly doubles fuel surcharge on most routes
PREVIEW-Soccer-Taiwan cheering row overshadows China quarter-final at Asian Cup
Mainland Chinese see Taiwan positively, won’t retreat from US trade war: survey
Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Thursday (March 12, 2026)
West Asia conflict: Singapore warns of rising electricity prices due to war in the very near future
The govt sounds the alert as Vietnam encourages remote work to save fuel
Mideast war risks dramatically deepening Myanmar crisis, says UN expert
Foreign investors threaten legal action against Vietnam over renewables, document says
Global crackdown targets South-East Asia's criminal scam networks
Emerging Markets - Asia stocks slip as oil surge fuels risk aversion; currencies sag

Others Also Read