Sustainability
Well-Balanced Diet
Approach and Policy
The Takara Group will increase the value and appeal of the Japanese alcoholic beverage and Japanese food, and will bring rich diet filled with connections between people throughout the world by leveraging our position as a top manufacturer of the Japanese alcoholic beverage, and our Japanese food wholesaling network overseas.
Targets
| Initiative themes | Specific measures | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Providing the richness of food to people throughout the world through the Japanese alcoholic beverage and Japanese food |
Conveying and providing the appeal and new value of the Japanese alcoholic beverage: - Hold food and beverage tasting events - Market development through innovative products - Disseminate information with websites and social media - Spread the appeal and value of the Japanese alcoholic beverage overseas |
[ Takara Shuzo ] Shochu: Continue the “Energize Japan with Lemon Sour!” Project and raise awareness of “lemon sour,” a uniquely Japanese alcoholic beverage, made from shochu, lemon, and soda. Sake: Spread information on the appeal of sake with a focus on sparkling sake like Mio among young people who are unfamiliar with sake. [ Takara Shuzo International ] Develop 10 exclusive overseas products and overseas business company products by FY2025. Expand to 100 export countries for JTAB (Japanese Traditional Alcoholic Beverages) by FY2030. |
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Conveying and providing the appeal and new value of Japanese food: - Hold events such as cooking labs and seminars on seasoning in collaboration with sellers - Participation in external initiatives - Disseminate recipes featuring Hon-mirin and cooking sake. - Spread Japanese food culture overseas |
[ Takara Shuzo ] Continue holding the Takara Hon-mirin Recipe Contest and the Japanese Cuisine Taught by Famous Chefs Course, co-hosted with the NPO Japanese Culinary Academy, to develop new demand for and spread the appeal of Japanese food made with Hon-mirin and cooking sake. [ Takara Shuzo International ] Engage in efforts to further spread Japanese food overseas such as setting up shops at exhibitions held around the world, disseminating information, and training chefs who specialize in Japanese cuisine. |
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| Creating communication through sake and providing a social lubricant |
Disseminate information about the enjoyment of sake and sake culture |
[ Takara Shuzo ] Achieve a total of at least 200,000 followers on Takara Shuzo’s official Facebook page by FY2025. |
Related SDGs
Initiatives
Providing the richness of food to people throughout the world through the Japanese alcoholic beverage and Japanese food
Conveying and providing the appeal and new value of the Japanese alcoholic beverage
Takara Shuzo is actively involved in the development of health-conscious products, and is promoting the development of non-alcoholic beverages. "Takara Dry Zero Ball" is a product with zero calories, sugar, sweetener, and purine, and was awarded the "Sarai Grand Prize" and "Lifestyle Category Prize" in the Shogakukan "Sarai Grand Prize 2023. The Sarai Awards honor products and services that enrich the lives of active seniors, and are selected by a selection committee that includes readers' votes and experts.
Wishing to enable more people to experience the attractiveness of lemon sour, which became popular among young people, in 2017 we became a special sponsor of the Lemon Sour Festival. It is Japan's first large-scale drinking and eating event dedicated to lemon sour, where attendees can experience great-tasting lemon sour made from shochu, lemon, and soda. In July 2020, we launched the “Energize Japan with Lemon Sour!” Project. The project consists of programs to support eating and drinking establishments and raise awareness on “lemon sour,” a uniquely Japanese alcoholic beverage, through efforts such as introducing famous establishments that serve lemon sour across Japan online, and introducing delicious lemon sour recipes.
The Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabegura Mio Sparkling Sake has been tasted as a gateway to sake in about 40 countries in the worldBy rolling out a universal visual advertisement with the “THE JAPANESE SPARKLING SAKE” catch phrase that represents a typical Japanese sparkling sake and cultivating the Mio Sparkling Sake into a global brand, we will promote the excellence of sake domestically and overseas.
In addition, we launched the MIO×MAO channel to present the appeal of Mio, with figure skater Mao Asada as brand ambassador. We will continue to spread information about the wonders of sake, with a focus on sparkling sake like Mio. The main videos will be available in multiple languages so that we can spread the word around the world as well.
We provide information on alcohol-based seasoning, with a focus on Takara Hon-mirin, our top brand for Hon-mirin, and Takara Ryori no Tame no Seishu, a salt-free cooking sake. We are regularly conveying the tastiness of dishes, primarily Japanese cuisine, using sake through our official social media “Takara Cooking Notebook.”
Conveying the appeal of authentic Japanese cuisine
The Japanese Cuisine Taught by Famous Chefs Course, co-hosted by Takara Shuzo and the NPO Japanese Culinary Academy, began in 2009 and has been held 50 times up until 2022. Although lectures were distributed via live streaming in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to invite participants to a venue and hold a course in 2022 as before. It has been well received by the participants as they can learn about authentic Japanese cuisine and the proper use of alcohol-based seasoning directly from Kyoto’s top chefs.
Conveying and providing the appeal and new value of Japanese food
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Due to its healthy image, Japanese food is increasingly gaining recognition and popularity overseas. Through our Japanese Food Wholesale Business in overseas markets, the Takara Shuzo International Group is supplying local Japanese restaurants, supermarkets, and retailers with a variety of Japanese food ingredients such as rice, laver, soy sauce, vinegar, and complementary products, which are essential for Japanese food. The Group is also engaged in efforts to further spread Japanese food overseas such as setting up shops at exhibitions held around the world, disseminating information, and training chefs who specialize in Japanese cuisine.
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MIYAKO SUSHI & WASHOKU SCHOOL
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Established in Los Angeles, California in 1926, Mutual Trading Co., Inc. is one of the oldest Japanese food wholesalers in the U.S. While dealing with a wide range of products of more than 8,000 kinds as a pioneer of the Japanese food wholesale business, the company runs MIYAKO SUSHI & WASHOKU SCHOOL and Sake School of America to train people who are involved in sushi, Japanese food, and the Japanese alcoholic beverage, in addition to hosting the JAPANESE FOOD & RESTAURANT EXPO, a showcase of the Japanese alcoholic beverage and Japanese food for people engaged in the restaurant business.
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Sake School of America
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As the largest Japanese food wholesale network in Europe, the Foodex Group, which operates in 6 European countries, mainly France, has L’ATELIER DU SAKE, a washu showroom in Paris, where dedicated sommeliers are working to spread washu. The Foodex Group participates in various exhibitions, including Sirha, Europe’s largest international food service trade fair, which attracts more than 200,000 visitors. In addition, as part of the Project to Disseminate the Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Foodex Group is striving to promote the spread of traditional Japanese food culture by supporting seminars that introduce to local chefs traditional Japanese cooking techniques, such as fresh fish Ikejime technique.
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The World Hospitality & Foodservice Event "Sirha"
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In the U.K., we have a special booth for the Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabegura Mio Sparkling Sake at Hyper Japan, the largest Japanese cultural event in the U.K., every year. In the U.K., the taste of the Mio Sparkling Sake is also highly praised and is increasingly gaining popularity particularly among young men and women.
Tazaki Foods Ltd., which is operating its business since 1978, offers products under its signature Yutaka brand. The Yutaka brand now offers more than 190 items. They are available not only in U.K. but also in more than 16 countries in and outside Europe. -
Promoting the Yutaka brand at U.K. food exhibitions
| Name of food wholesaler | Country | Exhibitions, events | Organizers | Number of participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Trading | U.S. | JAPANESE FOOD & RESTAURANT EXPO | Mutual Trading | 5,238 persons(in 2019) |
| Mutual Trading | U.S. | JAPANESE FOOD & RESTAURANT EXPO (Virtual) | Mutual Trading | 1,847 persons(in 2021) |
| Mutual Trading | U.S. | LA eats JAPAN | Japanese Restaurant Association of America | Approximately 10,000 persons |
| Mutual Trading | U.S. | Lessons by MIYAKO SUSHI & WASHOKU SCHOOL | MIYAKO SUSHI & SAKE SCHOOL | 260 graduates |
| Mutual Trading | U.S. | Japanese Food Fair | HICHIMIKAI | Approximately 1,600 persons |
| Mutual Trading | U.S. | OSHOGATSU IN LITTLE TOKYO | JAPANESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | Approximately 3,000 persons |
| Mutual Trading | U.S. | Lessons at Sake School of America | Sake School of America | Issued certificates to over 2,300 persons |
| Tazaki Foods | U.K. | The Restaurant Show | William Reed Business Media | Approximately 140 companies |
| Tazaki Foods | U.K. | Hyper Japan | Cross Media | Approximately 60 companies |
| Tazaki Foods | Germany | Anuga | Koelnmesse GmbH | Issued certificates to approximately 7,000 companies |
| Foodex Group | France | Planned and hosted a seminar on hygiene measures against COVID-19 in restaurant operations-part I, jointly with JRO | JRO and Foodex Group | Approximately 50 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Co-hosted a Sake webinar for professionals, with JFOODO | JFOODO and Foodex Group | Approximately 30 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Supported JRO's webinar,The Art of Ikejime | JRO | Approximately 50 persons |
| Foodex Group | Netherlands | Supported JRO's webinar on how to handle fresh fish and the art of Japanese cuisine | JFOODO and Foodex Group | Approximately 50 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Planned and hosted a seminar on hygiene measures against COVID-19 in restaurant operations-part II, jointly with JRO | JRO and Foodex Group | Approximately 50 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Planned and hosted a business meeting to propose menus using Japan-produced food ingredients, jointly with JRO | JRO and Foodex Group | Approximately 100 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Sirha 2021 | Glevents Exhibitions | Approximately 150,000 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Sandwich & Snack Show 2021 | RX Global Limited | Approximately 10,000 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Planned and hosted a seminar on developing Japanese curry menus, jointly with JRO | JETRO, JRO, and Foodex Group | Approximately 50 persons |
| Foodex Group | France | Seminar for chefs on the appeal of sake and disseminating its cooking effects, at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (planned) | Foodex Group | Approximately 50 persons |
Creating communication through sake and providing a social lubricant
Disseminate information about the enjoyment of sake and sake culture
We use our “Sakabanashi,” a website dedicated to make sake more enjoyable and various social network services to disseminate a wide range of information on sake, from how to enjoy