Middle and High School Students Rediscover the Potential of the Rare Crop 'Chinese Quince'! Lotte Central Laboratory Hosts the 'Science Castle Grant Lotte Award' Outcome Presentation
Lotte Co., Ltd. hosted a research presentation for middle and high school students who spent six months researching new uses for the rare fruit 'Karin' (Chinese Quince), proposing ideas like sunscreens and aquaculture feed.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 01:46 (13h 14m after Collected)
Lotte Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Hideki Nakajima, hereinafter 'Lotte') participated in the 'Science Castle Grant 2025 Lotte Award', a program organized by Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. to support the next generation of researchers, and held a research outcome presentation at the Lotte Central Laboratory (Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture) on March 26, 2026.
Across Japan, there are many 'rare agricultural products' whose production volume is decreasing due to declining demand and awareness. Lotte focused on 'Chinese Quince' (Karin) as one such example. In this program, we recruited junior high, high school, and technical college students (3rd year and below) to conduct research under the theme of 'Diverse research contributing to the value enhancement of Chinese Quince'. From the applicants, three selected teams took on the challenge of researching for about half a year starting in September 2025, supported by Lotte's researchers. On the day of the event, groundbreaking research results that overturned the conventional image of Chinese Quince were presented, including its application as an antioxidant, animal feed, and cosmetics.
Aiming for the 'happy future' set forth in its Purpose, Lotte will continue to contribute to the realization of a society where each and every individual can thrive in their own unique way.
Reference Information
Science Castle Grant 2025 Lotte Award: https://castle.lne.st/castlegrant_list/lotte_2025/
Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. Website: https://lne.st/
*As of the time of the announcement in March 2026
Presenting Teams and Research Themes
School Name | Presenters | Theme
- Yamagata Prefectural Higashisakuragakkan Junior High School | 3rd Year: Asahi Tokairin | The Potential of Chinese Quince as an Antioxidant
- Urawa Jitsugyo Gakuen High School | 1st Year: Ryo Hasegawa, Kota Iwasaki, Ayaka Mori, Kasane Kumagai / 2nd Year: Daiki Ebihara, Ryuki Suzuki | Development of Aquaculture Feed utilizing the Active Ingredients of Chinese Quince
- Tokyo Gakugei University International Secondary School | 5th Year: Yume Yashiro, Mayu Yamamoto | Creation of Sunscreen using Plant-Derived UV Absorbers
The State of the Event on the Day
At the presentation, the three teams of middle and high school students, who were accompanied by Lotte researchers for half a year, presented the potential of 'Chinese Quince' from their unique perspectives. The research contents were diverse, and innovative results were presented one after another, such as a presentation verifying its power as a 'reducing agent' to prevent oxidation of the famous fruit of their local Yamagata, a case where they took on the challenge of improving flavor by utilizing it as food for cultured fish, and research that prototyped an eco-friendly 'sunscreen' by combining it with onion components.
Powerful words were received from the participating students, such as 'I learned the importance of facing research sincerely,' 'We want to carve out new possibilities for Chinese Quince with our own hands,' and 'I felt that research is a step towards contributing to society.' Lotte researchers expressed surprise and praise, saying, 'We were amazed by viewpoints completely different from ours,' and 'Seeing them form detailed hypotheses and approach the problem deeply resonated with us as researchers.' Being greatly stimulated by the flexible ideas and meticulous data analysis of these young students, the entire venue was enveloped in a deep sense of inquiry and enthusiasm centered around the traditional Japanese fruit 'Chinese Quince,' making it a highly meaningful time.
Lotte Co., Ltd.
https://www.lotte.co.jp/
Across Japan, there are many 'rare agricultural products' whose production volume is decreasing due to declining demand and awareness. Lotte focused on 'Chinese Quince' (Karin) as one such example. In this program, we recruited junior high, high school, and technical college students (3rd year and below) to conduct research under the theme of 'Diverse research contributing to the value enhancement of Chinese Quince'. From the applicants, three selected teams took on the challenge of researching for about half a year starting in September 2025, supported by Lotte's researchers. On the day of the event, groundbreaking research results that overturned the conventional image of Chinese Quince were presented, including its application as an antioxidant, animal feed, and cosmetics.
Aiming for the 'happy future' set forth in its Purpose, Lotte will continue to contribute to the realization of a society where each and every individual can thrive in their own unique way.
Reference Information
Science Castle Grant 2025 Lotte Award: https://castle.lne.st/castlegrant_list/lotte_2025/
Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. Website: https://lne.st/
*As of the time of the announcement in March 2026
Presenting Teams and Research Themes
School Name | Presenters | Theme
- Yamagata Prefectural Higashisakuragakkan Junior High School | 3rd Year: Asahi Tokairin | The Potential of Chinese Quince as an Antioxidant
- Urawa Jitsugyo Gakuen High School | 1st Year: Ryo Hasegawa, Kota Iwasaki, Ayaka Mori, Kasane Kumagai / 2nd Year: Daiki Ebihara, Ryuki Suzuki | Development of Aquaculture Feed utilizing the Active Ingredients of Chinese Quince
- Tokyo Gakugei University International Secondary School | 5th Year: Yume Yashiro, Mayu Yamamoto | Creation of Sunscreen using Plant-Derived UV Absorbers
The State of the Event on the Day
At the presentation, the three teams of middle and high school students, who were accompanied by Lotte researchers for half a year, presented the potential of 'Chinese Quince' from their unique perspectives. The research contents were diverse, and innovative results were presented one after another, such as a presentation verifying its power as a 'reducing agent' to prevent oxidation of the famous fruit of their local Yamagata, a case where they took on the challenge of improving flavor by utilizing it as food for cultured fish, and research that prototyped an eco-friendly 'sunscreen' by combining it with onion components.
Powerful words were received from the participating students, such as 'I learned the importance of facing research sincerely,' 'We want to carve out new possibilities for Chinese Quince with our own hands,' and 'I felt that research is a step towards contributing to society.' Lotte researchers expressed surprise and praise, saying, 'We were amazed by viewpoints completely different from ours,' and 'Seeing them form detailed hypotheses and approach the problem deeply resonated with us as researchers.' Being greatly stimulated by the flexible ideas and meticulous data analysis of these young students, the entire venue was enveloped in a deep sense of inquiry and enthusiasm centered around the traditional Japanese fruit 'Chinese Quince,' making it a highly meaningful time.
Lotte Co., Ltd.
https://www.lotte.co.jp/