Rei Kojima– Author –
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How to Choose Commercial Kujo Negi: Comparing Fresh, Frozen, and Dried
Commercial Kujo negi distributes "Kujo negi," one of the traditional vegetables that represents Kyoto, in three types—fresh, frozen, and dried—as a raw material for ramen shops, food manufacturers, boxed-lunch factories, and the like to use stably. To make the most of its distinctive sweetness and aroma and deep green, the optimal form for each use... -
How to source commercial vegetable powder in small lots, and how to use it
Wanting to source commercial vegetable powder in small lots—this is a challenge common to a wide range of businesses: restaurants, food manufacturers, EC operators, confectionery workshops, and more. The unit-price benefit of bulk sourcing is appealing, but considering inventory risk, loss at the prototyping stage, and cash flow, “first, at a scale of about 5–50 kg... -
長ねぎと白ねぎは同じもの？ねぎの種類と呼び名を国の資料で確かめる
ねぎの売り場には、長ねぎ、白ねぎ、根深ねぎ、青ねぎ、葉ねぎ、小ねぎ、万能ねぎ、わけぎ、あさつきと、呼び名だけが増えていきます。同じものを指している言葉と、植物としてまったく別の作物を指している言葉が、同じ棚に並んでいるからです。 この記事... -
Heirloom vegetable OEM | A commercialization case guide using Kyoto vegetables and local ingredients
Right now, product development that makes use of “regional individuality” is drawing attention. Among these, foods using heirloom vegetables and Kyoto vegetables are strongly supported for the gift market and inbound-oriented products, thanks to their visual beauty and rarity. Especially now, with inbound tourists increasing, region... -
What Is Vegetable Powder? Features, Shelf Life, Uses and a Guide to OEM
Even though we know eating plenty of vegetables every day matters, the effort of cooking and the difficulty of storing them mean it often gets put off in busy days. One ingredient drawing attention as a support for such diets is vegetable powder. Turning vegetables into powder removes water, and the bulk... -
What is vegetable paste? The difference from powder, dried vegetables, purée, and extract
Vegetable paste is a food ingredient made by heating and grinding fresh vegetables into a paste (a smooth, semi-solid form). Its high moisture content gives it a mellow mouthfeel, and it is used in sauces, baby food, sweets, and dressings. On the other hand, vegetable powder, dried vegetables, pi... -
Solve picky eating too! 3 ideas for commercializing vegetable powder you can keep up every day
Getting plenty of vegetables every day is the foundation of health. But in reality, many people can't get enough vegetables for reasons such as "I'm too busy to spend time cooking," "my kids dislike vegetables and won't eat them," or "I just don't like the taste." Against that backdrop... -
ゆずの産地は高知が半分を占め、二位は徳島から愛媛に変わった
「ゆずの産地はどこか」と調べると、たいていのページが「高知県が日本一」で止まります。では二位はどこで、三位との差はどれくらいあるのか。数字を並べたページを探すと、今度は年次がばらばらで、二位が愛媛だったり徳島だったりします。 この記事は、... -
The success formula for yuzu product development | The process from planning to sales
Do you know the success story of Umaji Village in Kochi Prefecture? A small village with a population of fewer than 1,000 achieved annual sales of 3 billion yen with yuzu processed products. Overcoming the crisis of forestry's decline, it accomplished a miraculous revival through product development that made the most of local resources. Behind this success lay meticulous product planning... -
The global expansion of yuzu | Strategies for success in overseas markets
"Yuzu," the scent of Japan that the world is watching. Did you know this yuzu is beloved worldwide? This aromatic citrus, cultivated mainly in the Shikoku region including Kochi and Tokushima Prefectures, is now establishing an international brand as "Yuzu." Along with the washoku boom, its overseas recognition... -
ゆずの時期は年に二度、青ゆずは7月から黄ゆずは10月から
「ゆずはいつの果物ですか」と聞かれると、答える人によって返ってくる月が違います。夏だと言う人もいれば、冬だと言う人もいる。売り場の担当者に聞けば「12月がいちばん動く」と言われ、産地の農家に聞けば「7月にはもう採りはじめている」と言われます... -
柚子の種類は何種類あるのか、公の資料で名前が残る系統を数えた
ゆずの苗木を選ぼうとすると、木頭系、海野系、山根系、多田錦といった名前が並びます。青果売り場では、そうした名前はどこにも書かれていません。同じ「ゆず」として並んでいるものに、なぜ売り手の側だけ細かい呼び名があるのか。この記事は、その呼び... -
Food Service Solutions EXPO (Yakiniku Business Fair & Izakaya JAPAN)
The Restaurant Solutions EXPO is a business show for restaurants that brings together services and products supporting the management and operations of yakiniku restaurants, izakaya, restaurants and restaurant chains. The Yakiniku Business Fair and Izakaya JAPAN are held concurrently as component shows, featuring ingredients, cooking equipment, PO... -
Health Food Expo
The Health Food Expo (HFE JAPAN) is a business-oriented trade show specializing in health foods, supplements and functional ingredients. Held at the same venue and on the same dates as ifia JAPAN, the International Food Ingredients and Additives Exhibition, it brings together raw material manufacturers, OEM contract manufacturers and related businesses in packaging and testing... -
FOOMA JAPAN
FOOMA JAPAN (International Food Machinery & Technology Exhibition) is one of the world's largest comprehensive food manufacturing shows, bringing together machinery, plants and processing technologies for making, filling and transporting food. Visitors are mainly production, development and production engineering staff at food manufacturers, and exhibits range from raw material processing to filling and packaging, inspection and hygiene manage... -
Japanese Food Export EXPO
Japan's Food Export EXPO is a business-oriented trade show where you can pitch Japanese agricultural, livestock and fishery products, processed foods, beverages and seasonings directly to overseas buyers and export trading companies. It is held at Tokyo Big Sight as the core zone of JFEX, the comprehensive international food and beverage show, and since 2024 in early summer and late autumn... -
International Food Logistics EXPO
The International Food Logistics EXPO (Food LogiX) is a specialized trade show bringing together businesses that handle the transporting, storing and delivering of food, from import and export to domestic delivery, storage, packaging and import-export consulting. It is held at Tokyo Big Sight as part of JFEX, the International Food & Beverage Trade Week... -
FOOD STYLE Tokyo
FOOD STYLE Tokyo is one of the Tokyo area's largest food business meetings, where buyers from restaurants, ready-made meal businesses and retailers negotiate directly with food manufacturers and growers. Held at Tokyo Big Sight, it attracts menu developers from restaurants and izakaya, ready-made meal businesses handling prepared foods, bento and institutional meals, and supermarkets and convenience stores... -
Food Factory Week 2026
Food Factory Week (formerly Food Tech Week) is a trade show for solving the challenges faced by food and beverage manufacturers' factories. Technologies for the making, packing and protecting side of operations, such as automation and labor-saving on production lines, hygiene management and HACCP compliance, visual inspection, resource recycling of food loss, and freezing and cold storage... -
Agri Week 2026 (J AGRI) | Guide to the venue, exhibiting, and highlights
Agri Week 2026 (J AGRI) is one of Japan's largest comprehensive trade shows dedicated to agriculture and livestock. The Tokyo (Makuhari) show is scheduled for autumn 2026 and the Kyushu (Kumamoto) show for spring 2027, and Agri Week as a whole consists of Smart Agriculture, Agricultural Materials, Livestock Materials, Livestock Disease Prevention and Hygiene, Decarbonization and SDGs... -
Food Development Exhibition 2026
The Food Development Expo (HI JAPAN) is a specialist trade show that gathers ingredients, raw materials, functional ingredients, contract manufacturing and development, manufacturing and analysis technologies used in food R&D and product development in one place. Centered on Health Ingredients (Hi), it is distinguished by its focus on food ingredients and manufacturing technology, and visitors... -
FOOD Exhibition 2026
The FOOD Show is a combined trade show for food businesses covering institutional meals and large-scale cooking, food factory improvement, food logistics, food safety, and prepared and ready-made meals all at once. At Tokyo Big Sight, staff from institutional meal, ready-made meal and prepared food manufacturers, food factories, and logistics and wholesale businesses look for equipment, materials and... -
Mail-Order Food Exhibition & Business Meeting
The Mail Order Food Exhibition and Business Meeting is one of the few specialized business meetings in Japan that brings together only businesses buying and selling food through non-store channels such as mail order, home delivery and e-commerce. Buyers from catalog retailers, co-ops, subscription and regular delivery services, and online supermarkets attend, and growers with carefully made foods from across Japan... -
Regional Bank Food Selection
Regional Bank Food Selection is a business-oriented trade show where regional banks across Japan gather local food businesses they work with and collectively support their market development. Exhibitors are growers and food manufacturers from each region, and visitors are purchasing staff from food supermarkets, department stores, restaurants, wholesalers and others... -
FOOD STYLE Fukuoka
FOOD STYLE Fukuoka is a business-oriented trade show for finding "ingredients you want to start buying tomorrow" for restaurants, ready-meal businesses and retailers in Kyushu. Held at Marine Messe Fukuoka as one of Kyushu's largest food trade fairs, it brings together restaurants, bento and deli manufacturers, and buyers from supermarkets and local product shops. Th... -
Restaurant Industry Innovation Week Tokyo
Restaurant Industry Innovation Week Tokyo is a business-oriented trade show for solving the labor shortages, customer acquisition and store operation challenges faced by restaurants, cafes and restaurant chains through technology and services. From automation on the floor, such as cooking and serving robots and mobile ordering, to ordering, attendance... -
Drink Japan
Drink Japan is a specialist trade show focused on development and manufacturing technology for beverages, alcoholic drinks and liquid foods. You can see the entire process of making drinks, from raw materials and additives to filling, sterilization, containers and packaging, manufacturing equipment and quality control. Product developers at beverage manufacturers and factory... -
JFEX Winter (7th International Food & Beverage Business Week)
JFEX Winter (International Food & Beverage Trade Week) is a late-autumn food business week at Tokyo Big Sight bringing together specialized shows for processed foods, wine and alcoholic beverages, premium foods and fresh foods, as well as an export business show for Japanese foods. Because domestic and overseas buyers gather at the same venue, sourcing... -
FABEX Kansai 2026
FABEX Kansai is one of the largest commercial food shows in western Japan specializing in prepared foods, deli, bento, ready meals and restaurants. Held at INTEX Osaka, it brings together food manufacturers, foodservice wholesalers, deli buyers from supermarkets and convenience stores, and product staff at restaurant chains in the Kansai and Kinki regions. East... -
Dried Manganji pepper
Product Overview of Dried Manganji Togarashi. "Manganji togarashi," a Kyoto vegetable originating in Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a sweet chili prized for its thick-fleshed, large size and refreshing aroma. Even when dried, the flesh's thickness and hearty bite remain as-is, with a fresh aroma like a green chili and a clean flavor standing out... -
Dried kabocha squash
Dried kabocha product overview. Domestic kabocha grown at our partner farms in Kyoto Prefecture is cut into two types—julienne and large-cut—according to use, and slowly low-temperature-dried. Natural sweetness is packed in tight, and rehydrated you can enjoy a fluffy texture along with the ingredient's inherent flavor. Skin-on... -
Dried Kyo-kurenai carrot
Product Overview of Dried Kyo-Kurenai Carrot. "Kyo-kurenai carrot," prized for its glossy, vivid red color and rich sweetness, is a Phytorich variety developed by Takii & Co. A Japan-born carrot created by crossing gosun carrot and kintoki carrot, it contains lycopene, the source of its vivid color... -
Dried tomato
Product Overview of Dried Tomato A large-fruited tomato harvested after fully ripening is carefully dried at low temperature to retain the flesh's sweetness and juiciness. After rehydrating, a softness and rich sweetness like a fruit tomato spread, so juicy you wouldn't think it's dried... -
Dried burdock (sasagaki)
Dried gobo product overview. Using salad gobo—a gobo eaten as salad—grown at our partner farms in Kyoto Prefecture, processed into a ready-to-use julienne type needing no aku removal. Retaining a toastiness reminiscent of soil-covered gobo and a natural flavor, slow low-temperature drying keeps gobo's inherent... -
Dried Orange carrot
Dried Orange carrot product overview. "Orange carrot," dyed a vivid orange to the core, is one of the "Phytorich" vegetable series developed by Takii Seed with abundant functional components. Thin-skinned, with a herb-like freshness amid the sweetness, is its hallmark... -
Dried Fushimi togarashi
Dried Fushimi chili pepper product overview. Made with "Fushimi chili pepper," a heirloom vegetable passed down in Fushimi, Kyoto since the Edo period. Non-pungent, with a crisp aroma and gentle sweetness, this green chili, when dried, brings out its hidden umami all the more, finishing soft yet with a chewy... -
Dried okra
Product overview of dried okra. We use okra “Herbie” cultivated by partner farmers in Kyotango, Kyoto. This variety is so tender it can even be enjoyed raw if scrubbed with salt (itazuri) and washed, and it is cut on the larger side from a fresh state and dried. Its color and shape resist breaking down even when heated, and the stickiness characteristic of okra… -
Dried komatsuna
Product overview of dried komatsuna. Using komatsuna with little bite that is grown by partner farmers in Kyoto Prefecture, and by drying the leaves and stems separately, using it differently according to use and texture is possible. Because it is slowly dried at low temperature, the creamy sweetness and fragrant flavor remain as they are, with a freshness close to raw… -
Dried radish
Product overview of dried radish. Using radishes carefully grown by young farmers in Kyotamba Town, Kyoto Prefecture. Radishes, characterized by a juicy sweetness and a red, glossy appearance, have their sweetness stand out even more when dried, and their flavor firmly remains even in heated cooking. Fresh rad… -
Overdone tomato
OEM of dried mini tomatoes. Raw material: Yarisugi Tomato. Growing region: Kumihama, Kyoto. Glucose: not used. Supply as raw material: possible. Powdering processing: not possible. Minimum lot: from 100 g. Super-concentrated dried tomato "a fruit-like sweetness brought out by acidity"—it’s as if you were tasting a berry-type dried fruit… -
Dried apple
Product Overview of Dried Apple A commercial dried fruit using "leaf-left Shinshu apple," grown naturally as-is. By growing it with the leaves left on, sugar production through photosynthesis is promoted, finishing with the flesh full of honey. This honeyed apple is cut into sticks and dice... -
Dried pear
Product Overview of Dried Pear (Nijisseiki Pear) Using the green pear "Gold Nijisseiki," grown at an orchard in northern Kyoto Prefecture. By drying this green pear—prized for a refreshing acidity and restrained sweetness—slowly at low temperature, the sweetness concentrates, with a faintly remaining acidity as an accent for a flavor both new and nostalgic... -
Dried mandarin
Product Overview of Dried Mandarin Dried chips made by drying Aichi-grown mandarins whole with the peel on. Because the outer peel contains many nutrients, it's finished with a specification that lets you take in the nutritional value whole. Peel-on processing readily produces bitterness, but with a commitment to variety selection and temperature management, the peel... -
Tomatoes for dashi
Domestic dashi-use dried tomato OEM. Raw material: tomato. Growing region: Kyotango, Kyoto. Glucose: not used. Supply as raw material: possible. Minimum lot: from 100 g. Three points of commitment for dashi-use tomato. 01 Redesigning pulp offcuts as an umami raw material—while tomato processing requires uniform pulp, on the other hand offcut trimmings… -
Dried wood ear mushroom
Product overview of dried kikurage (wood-ear). Kikurage is a material whose appeal is its distinctive crunchy texture and its low-calorie, healthy impression. Kyoto-grown kikurage in particular has fine-grained flesh and a firm bite, and its texture is not lost even when dried. Stir-fries, soups, dressed dishes… -
Dried zucchini
Product overview of dried zucchini. Zucchini is a vegetable characterized by a vivid green color and a fresh texture. Kyoto-grown zucchini in particular is tender and has little bite, so it suits pasta, salads, and grilled dishes. Drying concentrates its vivid color and flavor, and even when heated… -
Dried Kamo eggplant
Product Overview of Dried Kamo Eggplant. "Kamo eggplant," a traditional vegetable cultivated in the Kamigamo district of Kyoto for over 300 years. Its flesh is fine-grained and firm yet soft, with the property of resisting falling apart when simmered. Drying makes the flesh's firmness even stronger, with a refined aroma and sweetness standing out... -
Dried beetroot
Product overview of dried beets. Kyoto-grown beets, drawing attention as a superfood, are cut into two types—julienne and diced—and slowly dried at low temperature. Even after rehydration, a chunky texture and the natural sweetness unique to beets stand out. Drying softens the earthy smell characteristic of beets, and peeling… -
Dried white green onion
Product overview of dried white leek. White leek grown by partner farmers in Kyoto Prefecture is sliced with the white part and green part well balanced and mixed. By slowly drying at low temperature, it is finished so that, within a melting sweetness, the pungency characteristic of leek that gives a sharp note firmly remains. Heated cooking… -
Kyotamba radish
A project toward establishing radish as a regional specialty. This is a project started as a means of regional revitalization, initiated by Mr. Nomura, who grows radishes in the Kyotamba area of Kyoto. Agriture CEO Kojima supported the web system construction and the back end including SNS...