Content from Global Kigyo

Japan’s Taste for Wellness

Food and drink have always beenamong Japan’s greatest cultural trea-

immune systems.” Tomohiro Nakada,
the president of Salad Cosmo Co., Ltd.,
revealed the health properties of hishelped propel the industry’s sales andglobal renown. In the modern food anddrink sector, however, success is now
measured in health as much as wealth,with snacks, dinners and beverages
all prized for their contribution to
consumers’ well-being. More and morebusinesses in the sector are focusing on“Let’s consider Japanese food culturefrom the perspective of vegetableproducers. Bean sprouts were once

ucts, and even working to boost thesequalities with nutrient-enriched “functional foods” and organic ingredients.
Co., Ltd., such plans include developing allergen-free snacks and treats that
portfolio to suit the aging society offuture, providing nutrients in productsthat can help people with dementia
or muscle weakness,” said President
Seiji Mori. Tetsuya Murata, president
and CEO of Kanro Inc., agreed: “ We
the ingredients we already use, such as
on the brain and research on oligo-days, thanks to health-food trends,
it is rapidly gaining popularity,” said
Nakada. Meanwhile, Shinichirou
Momiki, the president of Momiki Co.,
Ltd. is proud of the well-being qualipandemic, we experienced an increasein sales of our black garlic. From thevoices of our customers, many have seen
improvements in their energy levels
and daily function, as well as commentsfrom others that they are looking ‘fullof life’,” said Momiki. No matter whichapproach food and drink producers
take to increase the well-being qualitiesof products, the tenets of Japanese business remain the same–quality above
all else. “In Japan, our concept and way
other countries and their companies. InJapan, we always aim to achieve 100%
quality, and this is what our customers
want. It is the company’s responsibility
to respond to those demands,” said

Japan’s food and drink sector is embracing the health beneﬁts of its products . (Image: SALADCOSMO)

Masahiro Iwakura, representative
director and president of KRACIE
Co., Ltd. “I think the Japanese foodindustry has maintained the high quality of its products and gained long-term
its reliability, and it continues to gain
Asai, president of MARUYA HAtion of high-quality Japanese food andbeverages acts as a strong catalyst forgrowth for our company,” said Hajime
Murano, president & CEO of Orion
Breweries, Ltd. Kaichiro Yamamoto,president of Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd.,
also prioritizes quality. “I believe thatbeing fresh and innovative is the best
way going for ward,” said Yamamoto.

shin OilliO Group, Ltd., agreed.“Oneof the characteristics of Japanese food isthe attention to detail in terms of tasteand appearance,” said Kuno. Whenit comes to health properties, Atsuto
Ono Hanjiro VIII, president and CEOof Someno’s Tofu Co., Ltd. believesmodern consumers are well-educatedin this space. “In terms of the healththat many of our Japanese customers
are already well-versed in this area,
often possessing more knowledge than
we do,” said Ono. Working to improve
the health and well-being of customers
is a key objective for food producers
such as MARUSAN-AI Co., Ltd,according to its president. “We havea corporate mission commitment ofsafeguarding the physical and mentalhealth of people now and in the future.
philosophy,” said Nobuyoshi Sakai.
Ryuta Fujii, the president of pharmaceutical and traditional medicine
manufacturer Ryukakusan Co., Ltd.
insists that health will always be offor us is not whether a product will beers enjoy better health because of it. We
believe that if we create a product thatwww.global-kigyo.com

will follow,” said Fujii.