Highly Praised by Pekopa! Regional Revitalization Begins in the Founding City: Hikari City, Yamaguchi x Kanro Launch "Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi Hikari" Menus
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Kanro Ame, Kanro has partnered with Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to launch the "Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi Hikari" project. Starting March 31, 2026, 19 local businesses will offer special menus using Kanro Ame as an ingredient.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 02:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 01:00
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Kanro Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tetsuya Murata; hereinafter Kanro), well-known for products like Kanro Ame and Pure Gummy, is implementing a regional collaboration project called "Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi Hikari" (The Town of Kanro Ame Diners, Hikari) in cooperation with Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the release of Kanro Ame. Starting sequentially from Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a total of 19 businesses, including restaurants in Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, will begin offering menus using Kanro Ame.
[Real "Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi" comes to life! Menus rolling out sequentially at local eateries]
Launched in 1955, "Kanro Ame" is Kanro's long-selling product loved for its simple sweet-and-salty flavor created from sugar, starch syrup, soy sauce, and salt. To express gratitude for years of patronage, the "Kanro Ame 70th Anniversary Project" has been underway since September 2025. Kanro Ame, born from simple ingredients, features a delicious taste that makes the most of natural flavors, and has become a hot topic on social media for its ability to act as a substitute for culinary seasonings. Taking advantage of characteristics like adding depth and richness to flavors, as well as making it easier to achieve a glossy glaze, the recipe website "Kanro Ame Shokudo" introduces various recipes using Kanro Ame.
"Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi Hikari" is a regional collaboration project aimed at bringing the "Kanro Ame Shokudo" to life in the real world in cooperation with Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture—the founding place of Kanro and home to its production base, the "Hikari Factory." The 19 businesses participating in the project develop and offer special menus using Kanro Ame. By fostering the image that "if you go to Hikari City, you can enjoy the taste of Kanro Ame Shokudo," the project aims to contribute to attracting tourists to Hikari City. Through this initiative, Kanro will embody its long-standing gratitude to Hikari City and its newly refreshed brand message, "Wanting to be gentle," introduced on the occasion of Kanro Ame's 70th anniversary. After announcing the concept in August 2025 and holding an opinion exchange meeting in November of the same year, the menu offering is finally starting.
To commemorate the start of the "Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi Hikari" menu offerings on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, an announcement and tasting event featuring the participating businesses was held at the Mishima Community Center in Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. While 19 businesses from Hikari City, including cafes and beer breweries, are participating, 14 businesses attended the presentation. Various menus using Kanro Ame were unveiled. At the presentation, Kanro's President Tetsuya Murata and Hikari City's Mayor Osamu Yoshioka took the stage. Furthermore, the comedy duo "Pekopa," who serve as Hikari City PR Ambassadors, participated as guests. Taiyu Shoinji of "Pekopa" spoke about his memories of Hikari City, where he was born and raised, his memories of Kanro Ame, and his thoughts on this initiative.
[Tasting various menus using Kanro Ame... from gimbap and pudding to yangnyeom chicken and beer]
At the presentation, each business introduced their menu and held a tasting session of the dishes using Kanro Ame. The menus offered this time using Kanro Ame are incredibly diverse, spanning Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisines. The comedy duo "Pekopa," Hikari City PR Ambassadors, also tasted the dishes and offered their appreciation and high praise, saying, "Everything was incredibly delicious, and we could taste the flavor of Kanro Ame in everything from spicy to sweet dishes. We could feel the trial and error that went into pairing it with different ingredients, and we were so happy to be able to eat everyone's proud signature dishes!"
[Comments from participating businesses]
- Using Kanro Ame brings out more richness than sugar. We aimed for a flavor that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to adults.
- By using Kanro Ame in the pudding's caramel, it creates a flavor-rich, sweet-and-salty taste. It is also recommended for those who dislike bitterness.
- I also wanted to be particular about the texture,
[Real "Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi" comes to life! Menus rolling out sequentially at local eateries]
Launched in 1955, "Kanro Ame" is Kanro's long-selling product loved for its simple sweet-and-salty flavor created from sugar, starch syrup, soy sauce, and salt. To express gratitude for years of patronage, the "Kanro Ame 70th Anniversary Project" has been underway since September 2025. Kanro Ame, born from simple ingredients, features a delicious taste that makes the most of natural flavors, and has become a hot topic on social media for its ability to act as a substitute for culinary seasonings. Taking advantage of characteristics like adding depth and richness to flavors, as well as making it easier to achieve a glossy glaze, the recipe website "Kanro Ame Shokudo" introduces various recipes using Kanro Ame.
"Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi Hikari" is a regional collaboration project aimed at bringing the "Kanro Ame Shokudo" to life in the real world in cooperation with Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture—the founding place of Kanro and home to its production base, the "Hikari Factory." The 19 businesses participating in the project develop and offer special menus using Kanro Ame. By fostering the image that "if you go to Hikari City, you can enjoy the taste of Kanro Ame Shokudo," the project aims to contribute to attracting tourists to Hikari City. Through this initiative, Kanro will embody its long-standing gratitude to Hikari City and its newly refreshed brand message, "Wanting to be gentle," introduced on the occasion of Kanro Ame's 70th anniversary. After announcing the concept in August 2025 and holding an opinion exchange meeting in November of the same year, the menu offering is finally starting.
To commemorate the start of the "Kanro Ame Shokudo no Machi Hikari" menu offerings on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, an announcement and tasting event featuring the participating businesses was held at the Mishima Community Center in Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. While 19 businesses from Hikari City, including cafes and beer breweries, are participating, 14 businesses attended the presentation. Various menus using Kanro Ame were unveiled. At the presentation, Kanro's President Tetsuya Murata and Hikari City's Mayor Osamu Yoshioka took the stage. Furthermore, the comedy duo "Pekopa," who serve as Hikari City PR Ambassadors, participated as guests. Taiyu Shoinji of "Pekopa" spoke about his memories of Hikari City, where he was born and raised, his memories of Kanro Ame, and his thoughts on this initiative.
[Tasting various menus using Kanro Ame... from gimbap and pudding to yangnyeom chicken and beer]
At the presentation, each business introduced their menu and held a tasting session of the dishes using Kanro Ame. The menus offered this time using Kanro Ame are incredibly diverse, spanning Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisines. The comedy duo "Pekopa," Hikari City PR Ambassadors, also tasted the dishes and offered their appreciation and high praise, saying, "Everything was incredibly delicious, and we could taste the flavor of Kanro Ame in everything from spicy to sweet dishes. We could feel the trial and error that went into pairing it with different ingredients, and we were so happy to be able to eat everyone's proud signature dishes!"
[Comments from participating businesses]
- Using Kanro Ame brings out more richness than sugar. We aimed for a flavor that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to adults.
- By using Kanro Ame in the pudding's caramel, it creates a flavor-rich, sweet-and-salty taste. It is also recommended for those who dislike bitterness.
- I also wanted to be particular about the texture,