Jumping At Chances Through A Yen For Kangaroos

Vacel Inc. is a Tokyo company with a yen for kangaroos, literally and figuratively speaking, as well as a track record with marsupials that leaps from sporting fields to dining tables.

The trading and manufacturing company specializing in kangaroo derived products started off in April 1980 as a specialist in kangaroo leather products mostly for soccer boots and then expanded over the subsequent decades to encompass all sorts of businesses including marsupial meat.

Vacel imports, manufactures and sells kangaroo leather, develops FabRoo 0.3 mm ultra-thin leather, operates the RooMeat brand for kangaroo meat for human and pet consumption, and provides market-entry and liaison services for overseas companies in Japan.

Vacel claims to run a three-pillared business of leather, meat and new materials that leverage kangaroos as a sustainable resource.

The appearance of any company, organization, or individual on Kangaeroo.com does not constitute an endorsement, approval, or criticism of that entity or its actions. Content is included solely because it relates to themes involving Japan–Australia relations, with a particular focus on kangaroos, and should not be interpreted as expressing any evaluative judgment.
免責事項:「考えRoo.com」に登場する企業・団体・個人について、掲載は推奨・支持・批判を意味するものではありません。内容は、日本とオーストラリアの関係、とりわけカンガルーに関するテーマに関連するため掲載しているものであり、当該主体に対する評価や判断を示す意図は一切ありません。

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