Fukushima’s proud confectionery that will not fade away even 100 years from now
Melting in the mouth with a pleasant aftertaste of gentle flavor. A fresh caramel from Fukushima swept the Salon du Chocolat, one of the world’s largest chocolate festivals, held in Paris.
The product was developed by MukaiyamaSeisakusho, an electronic parts manufacturer based in Otama-mura, Fukushima Prefecture. We visited the birthplace of the “Miracle Caramel,” which overcame the disaster and harmful rumors.
Hidetoshi Nakata is known as a confectionery lover and has been involved in the development and supervision of numerous products. President Kinya Oda smiled when he heard that Mr. Nakata had known about Mukoyama Seisakusho for some time.
The company’s main business is the machining of precision equipment parts. Since its founding, the company has weathered many waves of boom and bust, but in 2008, it lost 80% of its business due to the Lehman Shock. We have to do something on our own. …… After much thought, the idea came to him to start a sweets business, making use of the commercial gas stove in the hot water supply room.
The president had always loved cooking and was interested in the food business. He persuaded employees who were opposed to the idea and worked with a female employee who was a certified nutritionist to create recipes from scratch. She was not a professional at baking sweets. Instead, he measured temperature, time, weight, and other detailed data. With the help of a calculator, they spent a year developing a recipe for raw caramel.
Then, they began to develop a sales network, groping in the dark. First, they began selling at highway service areas on weekends. Then he was approached about direct sales. Eventually, they were invited to participate in department store events, and their products became popular in Tokyo as well. Finally, a major airline company wanted to use them as tea snacks in the first class of their international flights.
Decision to make pastries in France
March 1, 2011. The first plane carrying Mukaiyama Seisakusho’s dream took off. However, the situation changed drastically when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck 10 days later. Logistics was paralyzed and shipments of dairy products from the prefecture were restricted.
In a desperate move, the company decided to procure raw materials from all over Japan. Two months after the disaster, sales resumed at a department store in Tokyo.
People’s reactions were not all warm. He had to endure unjustified rumors and heartbreaking rhetoric for days on end. The deficit was ballooning, and the prospect of “withdrawal” became more realistic by the day. In fact, he reveals that the real purpose of his participation in the “Salon du Chocolat” was to give himself a reason to give up.
He said, “I believed in myself, and my employees followed me. Even if I quit, I wanted to be proud that I had done everything I could.
Contrary to expectations, however, Mukaiyama Seisakusho was greeted with thunderous applause from the French people.
France is the place that gave me back my confidence. I can only be thankful.”
As the results in Paris spread to Japan, sales gradually recovered. In recent years, the company’s performance has been steadily increasing.
When asked by Mr. Nakata, “Did expanding the scope of material procurement nationwide result in the opening of new possibilities? While acknowledging that this is one aspect of the company’s business, President Oda also spoke of his strong desire to preserve the taste of Fukushima.
Some of the products were difficult to produce due to the earthquake, but we have been able to ensure their safety, and some have resumed production, while others have been newly created. We will revive all Fukushima-made sweets with them. That is the wish of all our employees.
