New Souvenir Confectionery from Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan's Top Producer of Prunes: "Prune Daifuku" Featuring the Rich Sweetness of Saku-grown Prunes

Takachiho Co., Ltd. (Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture; President: Kazuomi Kubota; hereinafter "Takachiho"), a souvenir wholesaler, will launch a new product, "Prune Daifuku," on Friday, April 3, 2026, exclusively at the Roadside Station Healthy Terrace Saku-Minami. This product highlights the charm of local ingredients, wrapping the rich sweetness and deep flavor unique to Saku-grown prunes in a chewy mochi (daifuku) exterior.

Launch of "Prune Daifuku" from Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan's Top Prune Producer

This product was developed against the backdrop of Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, becoming the top producer of prunes in Japan last year. It was born from a desire to utilize prunes, one of the region's representative fruits, and to promote their appeal as a new souvenir item.

Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, is blessed with an environment suitable for fruit cultivation, characterized by significant temperature differences between day and night and some of the highest sunshine hours in the country. Prunes grown in Saku under these conditions are known for their strong sweetness and deep flavor.

This product uses puree made from Saku-grown prunes, resulting in a daifuku that brings out the natural characteristics of the fruit. It is an exclusive item for Roadside Station Healthy Terrace Saku-Minami, where the rich sweetness of the prunes spreads within the chewy dough.

Development Background and Future Outlook

Following the news that Saku City had become the top prune producer in Japan last year, there were calls to create a souvenir product using prunes, which led to the start of this project.

While prunes are highly nutritious and popular as a health food, there are still few examples of their use as an ingredient in confectionery. Therefore, we explored various possibilities, aiming to create a product that many people would enjoy while highlighting the natural qualities of the ingredient.

Because there were limited examples of their use in sweets, it took time to select a manufacturer capable of production. However, through repeated discussions, we concluded that a daifuku would be the best way to showcase the gentle sweetness and balanced acidity of the prunes. We then collaborated with a daifuku manufacturer, and after approximately eight months of trial and error, "Prune Daifuku" was completed.

Given that there are currently few souvenir items or sweets using prunes, we intend to continue expanding our lineup of prune-based products. Through these efforts to promote their appeal, we hope to contribute to increasing the value of local resources and sharing the charm of Saku City.