Japanese company Horaiya Honten to start opening up new international markets!

Japanese food has become one of the most popular modern cuisines. It’s healthy, easy and can be quick to make: all benefits that combine to increase its popularity. With continuing innovation it is predicted to be one of the three largest food trends to come in 2018. This article will explore kosher certified Japanese food manufacturer Horaiya Honten which is looking ahead to a particularly successful year with their Koji based products.

Horaiya Honten has been taking the food industry by storm with their popular and much loved Koji based products. The company has been manufacturing Japanese rice malt (Koji) for over 100 years. With this Koji, they produce many foods such as miso and amazake (see photos below), and soy sauce Koji.

Kojiysan’s Miso

Koji is highly regarded in Japanese culture. The fermented rice is also well-known within the health and beauty industry. The advantages of increasing beautiful skin and its ability to provide both nutritional value (whilst also remaining delicious) makes it considered a delicacy in Japan. It is said to be rich in glucose thus providing a higher energy supply and better performance in exams whilst lowering blood pressure.

It is now becoming increasingly popular in international markets and Horaiya Honten is looking to expand with this trend. They are aiming to increase their international sales by strengthening their current export routes and thereby opening up new opportunities worldwide.
As well as developing their products in Hong Kong and Australia the company will also be increasing their range of kosher products by certifying their soy sauce Koji, which is highly regarded by their Israeli partner. This is an extremely exciting development for their mainstream export markets. As the company’s international market development coordinator Misaki Tanida writes, they are working hard to “understand their respective markets and determine how our products could fit into people’s lifestyles.”

Horaiya Honten’s Amazake

Horaiya Honten believes responding to consumers’ needs is particularly important to them. In order to do this they have recently been expanding and advancing their services. In the last 10 years, the particular interest in fermented foods, especially Amazake and Koji, has required that they increase their production volumes. The ability to do this quickly and effectively marks the company out as specifically worthwhile to work with. For example they have installed new equipment to produce additional product volume at rapid rates whilst maintaining product quality.

KLBD supports the emphasis the company puts on adapting to the needs of the consumer whilst cherishing their Japanese Koji heritage. As the message from the company’s president, Hirohito Yaginuma reads “We want to spread the benefits of Koji and are now strengthening our foreign business to reach those who are abroad. While treasuring traditional koji culture, we hope to create new Koji experiences to express the beauty of Koji.”

KLBD certified products include Horaiya Honten’s Junmai Straight Amazake, Kinzanji Miso, Kojiyasan’s Miso, Kanzukuri Miso and their 100 nen Densho Miso. They have recently gained an award for their miso that uses Amazake.  The company is hoping to make this miso part of the miso product lineup in the future.  KLBD looks forward to supporting the company’s endeavors and promoting their newly KLBD certified products.