Kuradashi Holds "Final Report Meeting" for Joint Research with 3 Universities, Advancing Social Implementation of Food Loss Reduction

Kuradashi Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kohei Kawamura; hereinafter "Kuradashi"), which operates the social good market "Kuradashi," conducted joint research utilizing the Kuradashi Fund with three research labs—Yamato University's SDG Research Promotion Office, Saitama Institute of Technology's Management Planning Research Lab, and Kyushu University's Agricultural Food Distribution Engineering Lab—starting in September 2025, aiming to realize a social good world. The final report meeting was held at Kuradashi's headquarters in March of this year.

Kuradashi's mission is "Good Business for a Fruitful Future," and its vision is "To become Japan's No. 1 Impact Corporate Group." The company develops businesses that transform various social issues into value, bringing tangible impact to society, the environment, and the economy.

As part of its efforts to realize a "social good world," Kuradashi recognizes the importance of education for the next generation who will create the future. Utilizing the Kuradashi Fund (※1), established to conduct its own social contribution activities, the company has undertaken various initiatives, including special SDG lectures.

As part of this, from fiscal year 2024, Kuradashi has been providing research support to university seminars and laboratories with the aim of strengthening support and initiatives in the education sector. In fiscal year 2025, joint research was conducted with three research labs: Yamato University's Faculty of Sociology, SDG Research Promotion Office; Saitama Institute of Technology's Faculty of Human Society, Department of Information Society, Management Planning Research Lab; and Kyushu University's Graduate School of Agriculture, Agricultural Food Distribution Engineering Lab (※2). The final report meeting was held at Kuradashi's headquarters on Friday, March 6th.

※1 What is the Kuradashi Fund?

It is a fund established by Kuradashi itself to conduct social contribution activities and is one of the beneficiaries of "Kuradashi." It is allocated to social contribution activities in regional revitalization projects, food bank support projects, education projects, and food sustainability research groups. (https://kuradashi.jp/pages/fund)

※2 Reference: Press Release "Kuradashi Selects University Joint Research Partners for FY2025 - Promoting Research Contributing to Food Loss Reduction and Environmental Impact Reduction with 3 University Labs"

■ Joint Research Final Report Meeting

At the final report meeting, students from each university presented their research for 20 minutes. Officials from government ministries also attended, and a lively exchange of opinions took place during the Q&A session, making it a meaningful time to deepen understanding of the initiatives. Through this joint research, Kuradashi built a foundation for strengthening support and promoting initiatives in the education sector, and significantly contributed to fostering future social entrepreneurs through interaction with students.

【Comment from Yamato University, Faculty of Sociology, SDG Research Promotion Office】

We were considering how we could contribute to the serious social problem of soaring rice prices, which threatens our dinner tables. In this context, the offer of joint research with Kuradashi Inc. became a major catalyst for realizing this research. This research began with interviews with local farmers. By actually visiting and talking directly with them, we were able to deeply understand their daily farming struggles and anxieties about the future. As a result, we were able to formulate concrete proposals on "how society should be changed." We believe it is important to implement these proposals in society going forward.

• Research Theme: "Rice Connecting the Future: Sustainability of Global Environment and Food Culture"

• Research Content:
  We aim to revitalize the region by utilizing renewable energy in rice seedling cultivation and harvesting, conducting workshops on interaction with local farmers and food loss reduction, and challenging ourselves to develop new menus using local ingredients.

• Achievements:

  • Investigated real challenges faced by production sites, such as successor shortages due to aging and wildlife damage countermeasures, through fieldwork with farmers on Awaji Island.

  • Presented data from consumer surveys showing that while price is prioritized when purchasing, 4,000 yen for 5 kg is perceived as a fair price for farmers' survival.

  • Based on these fact-finding surveys, announced five proposals for sustainable food and agriculture, including "drastic expansion of exports," "widespread adoption of all-rice school lunches," and "structural transformation to smart agriculture."

【Comment from Saitama Institute of Technology, Faculty of Human Society, Department of Information Society, Management Planning Research Lab】

Through this joint research, we redefined the value of Nangou tomatoes, a regional resource of Tadami Town, and demonstrated that food loss reduction and product value creation can be achieved simultaneously. In particular, the ability to verify marketability in a short period through student-led agricultural internships and product development/sales is a significant achievement. Going forward, we will expand this model to other regions and contribute to building sustainable regional circulation.

• Research Theme: "Building and Practicing a Food Loss Reduction Model through Regional Resource Utilization"

• Research Content: Development of new products in Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture, utilizing off-spec vegetables.

• Achievements:

  • Conducted agricultural internships in Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture.

  • Effectively utilized off-spec "Nangou tomatoes" to develop "Tadami," a mutton yakiniku sauce popular locally.

  • Sold 232 bottles in one day at a limited sale venue during the Tadami Town Snow Festival.

  • Established a mechanism to donate a portion of the profits to the maintenance costs of the JR Tadami Line, leading to continuous sales at the station's information center.

【Comment from Kyushu University, Graduate School of Agriculture, Agricultural Food Distribution Engineering Lab】

Through this joint research, it was a great harvest for students to experience taking social issues as their own and connecting research results to social implementation. Challenging the theme of GX of fruit and vegetable packaging with biomaterials, from basic research to transport demonstration, in collaboration and persistently verifying while discussing with public agricultural experiment stations and companies, is a significant achievement. We are deeply grateful to Kuradashi Inc. for allowing students to realize the significance and social impact of their research, which was a valuable learning experience.

• Research Theme: "Transforming the Future of Fruit and Vegetable Distribution: Challenging GX and Food Loss Reduction with Biomaterials"

• Research Content:
  Focusing on plastic-based fruit and vegetable packaging materials that consumers see daily in supermarkets as a familiar plastic problem, we aim for Green Transformation (GX) by replacing them with biomass materials.

• Achievements:

  • Developed an "edible coating packaging material" for fruits and vegetables using aloe vera gel and basil essential oil.

  • Demonstrated its effectiveness in suppressing moisture transpiration and respiration, preventing weight loss and freshness deterioration.

  • Conducted transport demonstration tests within Japan and to Singapore, confirming its effectiveness even under varying temperature conditions.

■ Comment from Kohei Kawamura, CEO of Kuradashi

"For our company, which advocates 'Good Business for a Fruitful Future,' this joint research challenging social issues with the next generation is an extremely important initiative.

At the final report meeting, passionate results were shared: Yamato University visualized on-site voices, Saitama Institute of Technology commercialized regional resources and sold out, and Kyushu University demonstrated GX and freshness retention for fruits and vegetables using biomaterials. I feel a definite sense of progress in fostering future social entrepreneurs as the fresh sensibilities of students resonate with our expertise. We will continue to deepen industry-government-academia collaboration and serve as a bridge to connect these achievements to social implementation, thereby accelerating the realization of a sustainable and good future."

Kuradashi will accelerate the resolution of various social issues, including food loss reduction, by socially implementing the knowledge gained through research support.

■ Kuradashi Impact: Circulating Profits Back to Society

Through the "Kuradashi Fund," which conducts its own social contribution activities, a portion of profits is returned to solve various social issues such as regional revitalization, food bank support, and educational support.
https://corp.kuradashi.jp/impact/

■ About Kuradashi Inc.

Representative Director and CEO: Kohei Kawamura

Established: July 2014

Headquarters: Meguro Center Building 5F, 3-2-1 Kami-Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0021

URL: https://corp.kuradashi.jp/

【Service Introduction】

・Social Good Market "Kuradashi": https://www.kuradashi.jp/

・Kuradashi's self-operated "Kuradashi Fund": https://www.kuradashi.jp/fund

・Frozen Home Delivery Meal "Dr. Tsurukame Kitchen": https://tsurukame-kitchen.com/

・Frozen Home Delivery Meal "Kitchen Chef & Doctor": http