Polishing the Appeal of Tofu to Achieve "Well-BEANing"

Our company supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is a dream of "Yashima Foods".
Yashima Foods provides Shonan Tofu, embodying the "true deliciousness of tofu" with traditional techniques and a spirit of seeking the best, realizing "Well-BEANing: Healthy Living through the Power of Beans" that satisfies both "eaters" and "makers".
Tofu, which has fallen to a "white block" under the name of "price leader"
Tofu, once introduced by Kentoshi (Japanese envoys to Tang China), was an expensive food. Even after it became popular in the Edo period, it had unique flavors rooted in local food cultures. However, as industrialization progressed, production efficiency became the sole focus, leading to competition based on price rather than taste, and it eventually came to be called the "price leader." As a result of mass production of cheap, bland tofu, consumers who sought taste in tofu decreased, and this trend is accelerating. "An indispensable but unremarkable ingredient that's fine as long as it's there" - that is the position of modern tofu.
The Japanese "Ichiju Sansai" food culture is being re-evaluated
Ichiju Sansai (one soup, three dishes), the basic form of "Washoku" (Japanese cuisine) registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is once again drawing attention for its natural nutritional balance achieved through various ingredients, consisting of rice as a staple, a soup, a main dish, and two side dishes. Because of the diversity of menus, tofu, which adapts to various cooking methods and pairs well with ingredients, was an essential part of Washoku. Therefore, "delicious" tofu could be said to be a supporting actor that elevated the level of Washoku and enriched daily diets. If the taste of tofu declines, the appeal of Washoku also diminishes. The delicate Japanese sensibility for enjoying the sweetness and flavor of soybeans may also be lost. We believe that now, as the Ichiju Sansai culture is being re-evaluated, it is necessary to restore the deliciousness of tofu.
The increasingly severe environment of the tofu industry
It's not just food culture that is being lost. Tofu makers face an even tougher situation. While all manufacturing costs, from soybean prices and utility costs to labor and container costs, are rising, the tofu industry, which has lost its added value and can only compete on price, is declining at a critical speed. The number of tofu businesses, which exceeded 50,000 70 years ago, has now fallen below 4,000. Local businesses are continuously being eliminated, unable to withstand the low-price offensive of major manufacturers that mass-produce in large factories. There is no sense of purpose in manufacturing that cannot be differentiated by anything other than price. The inability to pass on the work to the next generation is also a major factor in the decline. Tofu makers, who have supported the value of Washoku, are losing their pride.
Transition of the number of tofu businesses
The Challenge of "Shonan Tofu" Born from Traditional Techniques × Startup Spirit
Our company has continued to protect traditional flavors without compromising on soy milk concentration and manufacturing methods, even while responding to price competition in the tofu industry. To break through this situation and restore the value of tofu to both eaters and makers, we launched the "Shonan Tofu" brand.
Tofu is a simple food composed only of soybeans, water, and nigari (bittern). Therefore, differences in ingredients directly affect the taste, and the sweetness and flavor of tofu change significantly depending on the different nutritional components of soybean varieties and the different mineral components of nigari types. Regarding manufacturing technology, specialized machinery manufacturers in various regions have repeatedly developed their own unique technologies, indicating potential for differentiation. However, the tofu industry, in its pursuit of efficiency, has not made much progress in research on soybeans and nigari, or in adopting advanced manufacturing technologies.
Therefore, our current representative, who brought a startup management mindset to the company through business succession, promoted research and development based on design thinking and rapid PDCA cycles, driven by the belief that "delicious tofu always has value," updating all aspects of soybeans, nigari, and manufacturing technology. The taste of Shonan Tofu has received high praise from many buyers, and its market has expanded from local Kanagawa to the entire Kanto region and Chubu area.
Shonan Tofu series, 6 products. This spring, 7 new products will be added, making a total of 13 products. The flagship product is the "Ootoro Tofu" (Fatty Tuna Tofu) in the upper left.
We also launched an Instagram channel to communicate directly with eaters, developing content that delves into not only the appeal of our products but also the charm and uses of tofu itself. The Shonan Tofu Instagram account has grown to 28,000 followers in 10 months since its launch. With product development and marketing as two wheels, we will expand the circle of Well-BEANing that our company aims for.
Left: Introduced state-of-the-art manufacturing technology with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Right: Cultivating fans through Instagram content marketing.
Voices saying "My child started eating tofu"
Since the launch of Shonan Tofu's flagship product, "Ootoro Tofu," we have received much feedback, but what particularly stands out are comments like "My child started eating tofu well" and "My child who dislikes tofu will eat this tofu." Ootoro Tofu is characterized by a taste that maximizes the sweetness and flavor of soybeans by combining high-sugar Miyagishirome soybeans, Oshima's Kaisei nigari, and a peeled soybean manufacturing method. Children who previously ate bland tofu and didn't like it much will eat it if the inherent taste of tofu is refined. The primary experience of "Tofu is delicious, Washoku is somehow good." We feel that this is one form of "Well-BEANing" that Shonan Tofu aims for.
As mentioned earlier, if only bland, cheap tofu becomes prevalent, the value of Ichiju Sansai Washoku will be damaged. Correctly inheriting and refining Japanese food culture and passing the baton to the next generation is an important "food education" and a responsibility for those involved in the food industry. Through this initiative, we, as makers, believe that we can regain our sense of purpose and pride as tofu makers.
Initiatives for a Sustainable Organization
To build an organization that realizes Well-BEANing, our company has newly introduced the "Icon Model." Shares held by Icon Capital, which participated in the capital during business succession, will be transferred to employees who are candidates for management members under certain conditions, encouraging them to engage in business from the perspective of a managing shareholder.
Managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often isolated, with the president alone making most management decisions. This is one of the major hurdles in business succession, a challenge Japan currently faces. Our company, together with shareholders National Search Fund and Icon Capital, aims to be a leading example of a managing shareholder development model to overcome this hurdle.
Compared to startups, SMEs often lack mechanisms to reward commitment to management participation, and incentive design is a challenge. Our company will utilize this model for both internal promotions and external appointments, fostering human resources to sustainably realize Well-BEANing. We believe that clarifying career paths to management members and increasing management transparency is also a part of the Well-BEANing that our company aims for.
Future Initiatives to Expand Well-BEANing
What Shonan Tofu pursues is the "true deliciousness of tofu," and this experiential value of deliciousness is Well-BEANing. While responding to changing food needs with the times, we will challenge ourselves with a stance that is not bound by conventional product forms or sales methods to deliver this experiential value more widely.
[Company Profile]
Company Name: Yashima Foods Co., Ltd.
Location: 6-212 Tobe-cho, Nishi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa
Manufacturing Plant: 2005-18 Endo, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa
Established: October 1959 (Founded: 1923)
Business Activities: Manufacturing and wholesale of tofu, fried tofu, fried foods, konjac, shirataki, and tokoroten.
URL: https://www.instagram.com/shonan_tofu/