From Grandma's Kitchen to the Nation: The Dream of Fukuoka's 'Mentai Nee-san' to Deliver 'Waterless Mentaiko' That Can Only Be Made by Hand

Our company supports April Dream, an initiative to make April 1st a day for sharing dreams. This press release is the dream of "Mentai Nee-san."
April 1st is a day to talk about dreams, not lies.
I, "Mentai Nee-san," will share a slightly serious dream on this day.

—The Origins of Mentai Nee-san

Mentaiko born from a grandmother's kitchen.
The origin of "Mentai Nee-san" lies in the mentaiko my grandmother used to make at home.

There was no special equipment; it was made based on traditional wisdom and experience, carefully working with the ingredients.

The granddaughter, captivated by its taste, started this brand with the desire to bring this mentaiko to more people.

—"We want to deliver our painstakingly prepared mentaiko to the entire country."

Why do we insist on "handcrafting"?
In modern times, with the advancement of mass production in factories and digitalization, efficiency has become a priority in food production as well.

However, we deliberately continue to insist on "handcrafting."

The reason is simple.
——This mentaiko cannot be replicated by machines alone.

—"Waterless Mentaiko" That Cannot Be Replicated in a Factory

What Mentai Nee-san makes is "waterless mentaiko."

Generally, "waterless" refers to a method of cooking without adding water, using only the moisture inherent in the ingredients themselves.
By adopting this waterless method, Mentai Nee-san's karashi mentaiko maximizes the natural umami of the ingredients, resulting in a masterpiece with a rich, well-defined texture that doesn't lose its flavor, allowing you to fully experience the original taste of mentaiko.

The waterless method is not a one-time process; it is completed through repeated daily re-curing work.

Therefore, it is not suitable for a factory system that mass-produces in the same process.

It is a method that takes time and effort, gradually adjusting the flavor.

Furthermore, the final product reflects the creator's senses and experience.

In fact, even if the grandmother (Mentai Baa-chan) and Mentai Nee-san, who inherited the taste, make it with the same recipe,
subtle differences in flavor emerge.
This is not an error, but an "individuality" born from accumulated experience and senses.

It is a flavor that can only be born from handcrafting.

This waterless mentaiko has been continuously made by my grandmother with traditional wisdom since a time when the word "waterless" was not even common.

It was not a matter of special equipment, but a method naturally arrived at as a result of facing the ingredients and pursuing deliciousness.

We have inherited that wisdom and are delivering it to the present day.

—1st Anniversary Event Now Underway

"Mentai Nee-san" celebrated its 1st anniversary today, April 1st.

To express our gratitude, we are holding a three-part anniversary event.

In addition to a major 20% OFF sale on all items in our online shop, we are also providing opportunities for you to pick up Mentai Nee-san's karashi mentaiko in person, which is usually only sold online, through limited-time in-store sales in Meinohama, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City.

■Anniversary Sale Overview

[Part 1] In-Store Exclusive Sale *Ended

Period: March 27 (Fri) - March 29 (Sun), 2026
Location: S House Meinohama 1F, 5-19-11 Meinohama, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City (at the production site)
Business Hours: 3/27 (Fri) 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
　　　　　3/28 (Sat) 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
　　　　　3/29 (Sun) 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Offer ①: Anniversary Special Mentaiko (2 premium pieces) sold exclusively in-store for a special price of 1,000 yen (tax included).
　　　　*Limited quantity. Up to 2 items per person. Sale ends when stock runs out.
Offer ②: 20% OFF all products.
　　　　*Anniversary Special Mentaiko is excluded from the discount.

　　　　*The Anniversary Special Mentaiko consists of items of the same quality as our premium selection but were excluded due to shape or weight, offered at a special price for the anniversary.

[Part 2] Online Shop Sale

Period: April 4 (Sat), 2026, 12:00 AM to April 19 (Sun), 2026, 11:59 PM
Target: Nationwide
Details: 20% OFF all products listed in the online shop.
*Shipping fees are not included in the discount. Please see below for shipping fees.
URL：https://shinki-mentaiko.com/

[Part 3] Final In-Store Sale

Period: April 24 (Fri) - April 26 (Sun), 2026
Location: S House Meinohama 1F, 5-19-11 Meinohama, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City (at the production site)
Business Hours: 4/24 (Fri) 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
　　　　　4/25 (Sat) 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
　　　　　4/26 (Sun) 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Offer ①: Anniversary Special Mentaiko (2 premium pieces) sold exclusively in-store for a special price of 1,000 yen (tax included).
　　　　*Limited quantity. Up to 2 items per person. Sale ends when stock runs out.
Offer ②: 20% OFF all products.
　　　　*Anniversary Special Mentaiko is excluded from the discount.
Offer ③: Bulk Purchase Bonus
　　　 ・An additional 200 yen OFF for purchases of 5,000 yen (tax included) or more.
　　　 ・An additional 500 yen OFF for purchases of 10,000 yen (tax included) or more.
　　　　*Anniversary Special Mentaiko is excluded from the bulk purchase bonus.　　　　

　　　　*The Anniversary Special Mentaiko consists of items of the same quality as our premium selection but were excluded due to shape or weight, offered at a special price for the anniversary.

—Our Dream

Our dream is to make this "waterless mentaiko" known to many more people.

And it is to create a future where the value of wisdom and handcrafting, passed down through generations, will continue to remain properly in the times to come.

It may not be an easy path.
Nevertheless, as long as there is value that cannot be expressed by machines, we will continue with this method.

We would be happy if, through this mentaiko, we can deliver a little warmth and joy to someone's dining table.

Product List

■ Regular
A. 150g: 1,900 yen (tax included) *Approx. 3-4 pieces
B. 250g: 2,900 yen (tax included) *Approx. 5-6 pieces
C. 400g: 4,400 yen (tax included) *Approx. 8-9 pieces
*Number of pieces is an estimate as it is sold by weight.

■ Premium (using top-grade cod roe)
D. 150g: 2,400 yen (tax included) *Approx. 3-4 pieces
E. 250g: 3,700 yen (tax included) *Approx. 5-6 pieces
F. 400g: 5,700 yen (tax included) *Approx. 8-9 pieces

*Number of pieces is an estimate as it is sold by weight.
*All items are pre-packaged for gifting.

—Challenging Shipping Costs for the Industry's Lowest Prices

To make it easier for more people to enjoy our products,
we are also challenging ourselves to offer the lowest shipping costs in the industry.

While delivering via refrigerated post to maintain quality,
we aim to reduce the burden as much as possible and make our products more accessible.

Shipping Fee List

850 yen [Hokkaido] Hokkaido
800 yen [North Tohoku] Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima
700 yen [Kanto, Koshinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai] Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi, Yamanashi, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Aichi, Gifu, Mie, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui
650 yen [Kansai, Shikoku] Kyoto, Shiga, Nara, Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama, Tokushima, Kagawa, Kochi, Ehime
600 yen [Chugoku, Kyushu] Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tottori, Shimane, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima
1,350 yen [Okinawa] Okinawa
*Some remote islands are not serviceable.

[Company Information]

Shinki
Representative: Maki Toyonaga
Location: 1F S House Meinohama, 5-19-11 Meinohama, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka 819-0002
Business Content: Manufacturing and sales of karashi mentaiko
Mail：info@shinki-mentaiko.com

Online Shop：https://shinki-mentaiko.com/