A University Student Takes on 'Business Reconstruction' from the Brink of Closure: Traditional Hyogo Confectionery 'Ponsen' Restarts with New Products and Unique Collaborations
Kento Saga, a 25-year-old student, has revived Marusa Seika, a long-established confectionery in Asago, Hyogo, overcoming fire, his mother's illness, and machine failure. By modernizing 'Showa-era' business models through social media and crowdfunding, he is now leading the community as a regional hub.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 11:01
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Until a 25-year-old's sense of mission replaced repeated despair.
### The Glory of '400,000 Sheets Monthly' Built by the First and Second Generations, and a Sudden Business Crisis
Marusa Seika was founded in 1960 in Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, by the first generation, Yasuyoshi Takahashi, with the goal of making healthy snacks that everyone could eat using a sugar-free process. The first generation succeeded in semi-automating production through self-study, building a foundation that balanced artisanal skill with efficiency. His son and second-generation leader, Masaaki Saga, maintained that tradition for many years, reaching a peak in the 1990s where they produced 400,000 crackers monthly.
However, the company was hit by harsh realities in recent years. In late 2019, a fire destroyed half of the factory. Furthermore, in 2021, after his mother, who had supported the management, collapsed due to a cerebral infarction, the third-generation Kento Saga (then a university sophomore, now 25) joined the family business out of urgency.
What he saw there was a shocking reality: a deficit of approximately 1 million yen every month. Adding to this, in May 2024, the production machinery that father and son had repeatedly maintained suffered a fatal breakdown, causing the production line to stop completely.
### Determination Maintained Through 'Training in Tokyo' and 'Old Man Goods'
As the word 'closure' became a reality, what drove Saga was his strong will: 'We must not let this taste disappear.' Introducing new equipment required tens of millions of yen, but the company had no such funds. To overcome the cash shortage, Saga sold 'Old Man Goods' featuring characters printed on product packaging for pocket money. Furthermore, he spent half a year in Tokyo, working multiple part-time jobs while training as an apprentice. He invested his private funds up to the limit of his credit cards, literally putting his back to the wall to keep the company alive. The lonely struggle and encounters during this period remain his driving force today.
### Moving Away from the 'Showa Production Model' Toward Revival
Saga realized that the 'Showa-era way'—focusing solely on production and selling cheap—had reached its limits. He decided to shift to a modern PR strategy. He started X (formerly Twitter) in 2021, sharing his raw struggles and passion, and gained over 10,000 followers in two months. Based on this influence, he conducted a crowdfunding campaign and raised over 3 million yen. While utilizing the craftsmanship inherited from his father, he revamped the system to be sustainable by sharing and mechanizing formerly personalized production processes. Finally, in October 2024, he introduced long-awaited new equipment and resumed operations, relighting the flame of 'Ponsen' that had once almost flickered out.
### Three Collaboration Examples Updating Tradition as a 'Regional Hub'
Marusa Seika is now strengthening its role as a 'hub' connecting regions and different industries, rather than just being a snack manufacturer.
(1) [New Development] Traditional Confectionery x Flower Art for a 'New Mother's Day'
Through a connection on SNS, a collaboration with 'My Peridot,' a preserved flower specialty store in Nishinomiya, was realized. They offer gift boxes combining animal-motif flower boxes with health-conscious 'Ponsen.' As a new sales channel after the restart, they propose a gift style that fits modern lifestyles.
(2) [Regional Revitalization] 6th Sector Industrialization Using 'Iwatsu Onion,' One of Japan's Top Three Leeks
They developed a flavor using 100% locally produced Iwatsu Onions. Working together with farmers, soy sauce brewers, and their main bank, they are bringing the charm of Asago City to the entire country. They aim to further expand recognition as a symbolic model for protecting regional food culture.
(3) [Regional Co-creation] 'Asago Special Product Set' Concentrating Local Flavors
A limited 'Asago Special Product Set' is available, featuring Ponsen along with products from 'Komurasaki Brewery' (a soy sauce brewery in Asago since 1925), Asago Midori tea, and Iwatsu Onion chili oil. Local long-established businesses are joining forces to revitalize the local economy.
### Comment from Kento Saga, Director of Marusa Seika Co., Ltd.
'Japan's confectionery industry is currently seeing wonderful techniques disappear one after another due to aging and a lack of successors. It is difficult to create 1 from 0, but my role is to turn the 1 (tradition) left by my grandfather into 100. Despite times being called recession or headwinds, I want to bring hope to my region and generation by showing a young person challenging their dreams.'
### The Glory of '400,000 Sheets Monthly' Built by the First and Second Generations, and a Sudden Business Crisis
Marusa Seika was founded in 1960 in Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, by the first generation, Yasuyoshi Takahashi, with the goal of making healthy snacks that everyone could eat using a sugar-free process. The first generation succeeded in semi-automating production through self-study, building a foundation that balanced artisanal skill with efficiency. His son and second-generation leader, Masaaki Saga, maintained that tradition for many years, reaching a peak in the 1990s where they produced 400,000 crackers monthly.
However, the company was hit by harsh realities in recent years. In late 2019, a fire destroyed half of the factory. Furthermore, in 2021, after his mother, who had supported the management, collapsed due to a cerebral infarction, the third-generation Kento Saga (then a university sophomore, now 25) joined the family business out of urgency.
What he saw there was a shocking reality: a deficit of approximately 1 million yen every month. Adding to this, in May 2024, the production machinery that father and son had repeatedly maintained suffered a fatal breakdown, causing the production line to stop completely.
### Determination Maintained Through 'Training in Tokyo' and 'Old Man Goods'
As the word 'closure' became a reality, what drove Saga was his strong will: 'We must not let this taste disappear.' Introducing new equipment required tens of millions of yen, but the company had no such funds. To overcome the cash shortage, Saga sold 'Old Man Goods' featuring characters printed on product packaging for pocket money. Furthermore, he spent half a year in Tokyo, working multiple part-time jobs while training as an apprentice. He invested his private funds up to the limit of his credit cards, literally putting his back to the wall to keep the company alive. The lonely struggle and encounters during this period remain his driving force today.
### Moving Away from the 'Showa Production Model' Toward Revival
Saga realized that the 'Showa-era way'—focusing solely on production and selling cheap—had reached its limits. He decided to shift to a modern PR strategy. He started X (formerly Twitter) in 2021, sharing his raw struggles and passion, and gained over 10,000 followers in two months. Based on this influence, he conducted a crowdfunding campaign and raised over 3 million yen. While utilizing the craftsmanship inherited from his father, he revamped the system to be sustainable by sharing and mechanizing formerly personalized production processes. Finally, in October 2024, he introduced long-awaited new equipment and resumed operations, relighting the flame of 'Ponsen' that had once almost flickered out.
### Three Collaboration Examples Updating Tradition as a 'Regional Hub'
Marusa Seika is now strengthening its role as a 'hub' connecting regions and different industries, rather than just being a snack manufacturer.
(1) [New Development] Traditional Confectionery x Flower Art for a 'New Mother's Day'
Through a connection on SNS, a collaboration with 'My Peridot,' a preserved flower specialty store in Nishinomiya, was realized. They offer gift boxes combining animal-motif flower boxes with health-conscious 'Ponsen.' As a new sales channel after the restart, they propose a gift style that fits modern lifestyles.
(2) [Regional Revitalization] 6th Sector Industrialization Using 'Iwatsu Onion,' One of Japan's Top Three Leeks
They developed a flavor using 100% locally produced Iwatsu Onions. Working together with farmers, soy sauce brewers, and their main bank, they are bringing the charm of Asago City to the entire country. They aim to further expand recognition as a symbolic model for protecting regional food culture.
(3) [Regional Co-creation] 'Asago Special Product Set' Concentrating Local Flavors
A limited 'Asago Special Product Set' is available, featuring Ponsen along with products from 'Komurasaki Brewery' (a soy sauce brewery in Asago since 1925), Asago Midori tea, and Iwatsu Onion chili oil. Local long-established businesses are joining forces to revitalize the local economy.
### Comment from Kento Saga, Director of Marusa Seika Co., Ltd.
'Japan's confectionery industry is currently seeing wonderful techniques disappear one after another due to aging and a lack of successors. It is difficult to create 1 from 0, but my role is to turn the 1 (tradition) left by my grandfather into 100. Despite times being called recession or headwinds, I want to bring hope to my region and generation by showing a young person challenging their dreams.'