【April Dream】Solving Global Food and Health Issues of the Future with "Steamed Soybeans"!

Our company supports April Dream, a project that aims to make April 1st a day to express dreams. This press release is a dream of "Maruyanagi Oguraya."

Maruyanagi Oguraya Co., Ltd. (Higashinada-ku, Kobe City; President and CEO: Yuji Yanagimoto), a manufacturer of steamed beans, boiled beans, and tsukudani, aims to solve global food and health issues of the future with "steamed soybeans," which provide dietary fiber and protein and are environmentally friendly.

The Maruyanagi "Delicious Steamed Beans" series (steamed soybeans, steamed black beans, steamed salad beans), which celebrates its 22nd anniversary since its launch, surpassed 300 million cumulative servings on March 30th, steadily progressing towards its goal.

We believe that "steamed soybeans," which are delicious, convenient, and gentle on both the body and the earth, are a food that will save the future of people and the planet.

■ Steamed Soybeans are "Nutrient-Packed"! Top-Class Nutritional Value Among Soy Products

Steamed soybeans are characterized by their original deliciousness and nutrition. Because they are steamed, they are not only packed with the "deliciousness" and "umami" of the soybeans themselves, but also allow you to consume all the nutrients, including "protein" and "dietary fiber," that soybeans possess, making their nutritional value top-class compared to other soy products.

■ Both Insoluble and Soluble! Steamed Soybeans are "Double Dietary Fiber"

＜Steamed soybeans can easily supplement "dietary fiber" which tends to be insufficient for Japanese people＞

According to the 2024 National Health and Nutrition Survey, the average daily dietary fiber intake for Japanese people is about 18g, which does not reach the target value for both men and women. In recent years, due to diversification of diet, consumption of grains and beans has decreased, and the amount of dietary fiber consumed has been decreasing year by year.

Therefore, "steamed soybeans" are perfect for supplementing insufficient dietary fiber. Dietary fiber includes "insoluble dietary fiber" which does not dissolve in water, and "soluble dietary fiber" which dissolves in water, and steamed soybeans are characterized by containing both in a balanced manner. The difference is clear even when compared to burdock root, sweet potatoes, etc., which are imagined to contain a lot of dietary fiber. In addition, they can be eaten as is and are easy to use in cooking, so even busy modern people can easily incorporate them into their daily diet.

＜A strong ally for the elderly's "nutrition, constipation, and frailty" issues＞

The elderly tend to eat less and are prone to constipation. In addition, a decrease in food intake often leads to protein deficiency. This is said to cause muscle weakness and affect motor and cognitive functions, leading to revisions of dietary guidelines in various countries around the world. In the Japanese Dietary Reference Intakes (2025 edition), amounts aimed at preventing severe lifestyle diseases and frailty are now presented. Steamed soybeans allow simultaneous intake of "dietary fiber" and "protein," which tend to be insufficient. Furthermore, because they are steamed, they are soft and easy for the elderly to eat. Steamed soybeans have the potential to solve various health issues faced by the elderly.

■Steamed soybeans contribute to solving the modern global issue of "protein crisis"

In recent years, the issue called the "protein crisis" has attracted global attention. Due to population growth, global protein demand is expected to exceed supply around 2030, potentially leading to shortages of traditional protein sources such as meat, fish, and eggs. In this context, steamed soybeans are expected as a sustainable protein source. Soybeans are an ingredient with a very low environmental impact, requiring about 1/8 the amount of water and emitting about 1/85 the greenhouse gases compared to beef production. In addition, while it takes 2-3 years to raise cattle, soybeans can be harvested in about 4 months from sowing, so stable supply can be expected.

Thus, steamed soybeans can be said to be one of the important options that support future eating habits as an ingredient that achieves both reduction of environmental impact and stable protein supply, and we believe that the expansion of steamed soybeans will also lead to the achievement of SDGs goals.

■The "Delicious Steamed Beans" series has obtained AskDoctors 99% recommendation.

The "Delicious Steamed Beans" series has obtained the "AskDoctors Doctor-Confirmed Product" mark, with 99% of 100 doctors recommending it as a result of AskDoctors' evaluation in November 2025.

About the "AskDoctors" mark

This mark is awarded only when a product or service is evaluated by registered doctors of M3, Inc., which operates "m3.com," Japan's largest professional site for healthcare professionals with approximately 90% (over 280,000) of Japanese doctors registered, and meets certain criteria. Doctors objectively evaluate health-conscious products based on their daily clinical knowledge and experience. Information dissemination site: AskDoctors Soken https://askdoctorslab.jp/

■ Delicious, Healthy, and Convenient! Steamed Soybeans for Snacks and Cooking

＜Steamed bean recipes are being shared! The joy of arrangement spreads on WEB and SNS＞

【Maruyanagi Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maruyanagi_official/】

【Maruyanagi Official X: https://x.com/mushimame】

【Maruyanagi Official LINE: https://page.line.me/767aiazm】

【"Steamed Soybean Town" Website: https://www.maruyanagi.co.jp/mushimame/】

We continue to disseminate the appeal of steamed soybeans, which support the future of "food" and "health," through WEB and SNS.

"April Dream" is a project by PR TIMES where companies announce their dreams they wish to achieve on April 1st. We are seriously aiming for the realization of this dream.

About Maruyanagi Oguraya Co., Ltd.

With the main theme of "passing on the wonder of traditional ingredients to the next generation," we are committed to proposing new foods that utilize the health value and deliciousness of traditional ingredients such as kelp, beans, mochi mugi (glutinous barley), and vegetables, which we have handled for many years, and to firmly pass them on to the next generation.