Karinto and Otafuku Sauce Collaborate! Release of 'Wait, is this Karinto? Sauce Flavor', the First Product from a Youth-Only Internal Project
Tokyo Karinto has launched a savory sauce-flavored Karinto developed exclusively by young employees in collaboration with Otafuku Sauce, aimed at attracting younger generations.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 00:26
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 16:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 03:08 (347h 8m after Collected)
Tokyo Karinto Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Itabashi-ku, Tokyo) released "Wait, is this Karinto? Sauce Flavor" on Monday, April 6, 2026. This is the first Karinto product developed entirely by a project team consisting only of young employees.
It breathes a breath of fresh air into the Karinto sales aisles with a flavor that completely renews the image of Karinto, making you involuntarily say, "Wait, is this Karinto?" the moment you eat it.
Tokyo Karinto, whose slogan is "Together with deliciousness and smiles," resonated with Otafuku Sauce Co., Ltd.'s desire to "Make the world smile with deliciousness and fun," and has realized a collaboration for this new product.
The idea and development were carried out by a special project called "Next Generation," comprised exclusively of young employees. As the result of roughly three years of activities by a team that prioritized free thinking—where any input from outside members was strictly forbidden—they have launched their first Karinto product created by the youth, for the youth.
It is a new sensation Karinto with the flavor of rich sauce × green laver × red pickled ginger, completely overturning the preconceived notion that it must be "sweet."
[Development Background]
The primary purchasing demographic for Karinto is middle-aged and older people, and it is a confection with a strong image of being a traditional sweet. Our company's independent research revealed that among younger generations in their teens and twenties, over 30% combined said they "have never eaten Karinto" or "have eaten it but rarely do."
Driven by the desire to have such younger generations eat Karinto and to pass it on to the next generation, our company launched a special company-wide project crossing departmental boundaries in March 2023.
The main policies of the project were: (1) aiming to develop products by the youth, for the youth; (2) non-members, even the company president, must not interfere; and (3) non-members will generously provide know-how and support if requested.
The first product, created three years after the team's formation, is a strongly flavored Karinto perfect as a snack with drinks. We coated the crunchy textured dough with a syrup using Otafuku's sauce, and topped it with green laver and red pickled ginger powder as an accent reminiscent of Okonomiyaki. The unique product name, which brings its unexpectedness to the forefront, is also a key point of interest.
[Product Overview]
Product...
It breathes a breath of fresh air into the Karinto sales aisles with a flavor that completely renews the image of Karinto, making you involuntarily say, "Wait, is this Karinto?" the moment you eat it.
Tokyo Karinto, whose slogan is "Together with deliciousness and smiles," resonated with Otafuku Sauce Co., Ltd.'s desire to "Make the world smile with deliciousness and fun," and has realized a collaboration for this new product.
The idea and development were carried out by a special project called "Next Generation," comprised exclusively of young employees. As the result of roughly three years of activities by a team that prioritized free thinking—where any input from outside members was strictly forbidden—they have launched their first Karinto product created by the youth, for the youth.
It is a new sensation Karinto with the flavor of rich sauce × green laver × red pickled ginger, completely overturning the preconceived notion that it must be "sweet."
[Development Background]
The primary purchasing demographic for Karinto is middle-aged and older people, and it is a confection with a strong image of being a traditional sweet. Our company's independent research revealed that among younger generations in their teens and twenties, over 30% combined said they "have never eaten Karinto" or "have eaten it but rarely do."
Driven by the desire to have such younger generations eat Karinto and to pass it on to the next generation, our company launched a special company-wide project crossing departmental boundaries in March 2023.
The main policies of the project were: (1) aiming to develop products by the youth, for the youth; (2) non-members, even the company president, must not interfere; and (3) non-members will generously provide know-how and support if requested.
The first product, created three years after the team's formation, is a strongly flavored Karinto perfect as a snack with drinks. We coated the crunchy textured dough with a syrup using Otafuku's sauce, and topped it with green laver and red pickled ginger powder as an accent reminiscent of Okonomiyaki. The unique product name, which brings its unexpectedness to the forefront, is also a key point of interest.
[Product Overview]
Product...