Development of Health-Oriented and Functional Rice Snacks, Karintō, and Products for Overseas Markets

「To enhance the brand value of our core product Ajishirabe, we launched limited-time products and worked to renew THE hitotSumami, which had been somewhat sluggish, while also proposing a new product supervised by a popular Sichuan restaurant. The development, manufacturing, and sales divisions have joined forces to strengthen our structure.」

「In addition to upgrading our core products, developing collaborative products with distributors, developing products for e-commerce and overseas markets, and conducting test sales of foods using rice flour, we worked to strengthen basic research by conducting joint research with a national research and development agency on the use of rice’s active components and establishing objective evaluations through the quantification of deliciousness.」

「We worked to create new demand and strengthen our brand image by offering products featuring innovations in ingredients, production methods, and flavor, including value sizes of popular series supervised by well-known restaurants, collaborative products with locally loved plum confectionery, and improved versions of popular products for which there was strong demand for a relaunch.」

「The development division is focusing on developing products that deliver customers the “excitement and surprise of deliciousness,” seeking to further differentiate ourselves from other companies and improve our brand image. We are working to create new demand by launching “くちどけ味しらべチョコレート風味,” featuring a melt-in-the-mouth texture and sweet chocolate flavor, as well as value-size products from the popular series supervised by Masahiro Kasahara of Sanpi Ryoron.」

「We have focused on developing products that can enhance product value and brand image, including snack products recreating spice dishes from around the world through a collaboration with a well-known travel guidebook, health-oriented products focused on nutrients in their ingredients, and products for group companies that can be stored for 5 years as emergency food supplies.」

「To meet customers’ need to choose foods with health in mind, we are creating new Iwatsuka value products from new perspectives, including the “カラダにやさしいおせんべい” series, which focuses on the nutrients in its ingredients, and a collaborative product with students of Japan Aviation Academy Hokkaido as part of a project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the opening of Chitose City’s airport.」

「In addition to creating and repeatedly improving new Iwatsuka value products, including expanding the “RISOUNO !” line with an Italian flavor, developing limited-time “THEひとつまみ” snack rice crackers, and entering new fields through collaborative products with a chocolate manufacturer,」

「At the development division, we are working at “BEIKA Lab” to develop new Iwatsuka value products that will move customers, seeking to further differentiate ourselves from other companies beyond the rice-cracker category. We are expanding products supervised by Kasahara, the owner of Sanpi Ryoron, including “山椒せん,” “だしせん,” and “鬼ひび梅昆布味,” developing souvenir products such as “長岡花火あられ” and “五十六カレーせんべい,” and seeking to enter the gummy market with the new “おこめのメグミ.” We are also developing products for overseas markets and conducting test sales of rice-flour cookies, creating and repeatedly improving new Iwatsuka value products across a broad range of initiatives.」

「We are creating and improving new products that deliver new value for Iwatsuka, including the “THEひとつまみシリーズ,” developed in response to feedback on the fan site, collaborative products that make use of Hokkaido ingredients, and various packaging proposals for “RISOUNO！,” a signature product in the new-sensation, new-trend BEIKA category.」

「We were able to launch products emphasizing new value, including 3 collaborative products developed over 1.5 years with a renowned Italian chef. Total R&D expenses for the current consolidated fiscal year were ¥292.785 million.」

「In addition to launching the “米技心シリーズ,” making 3 products supervised by a popular Japanese restaurant and its owner into standard offerings, and developing 3 collaborative products with a renowned Italian chef over 1.5 years for launch within the fiscal year, we are successively creating new products that deliver a higher level of value for Iwatsuka.」

「In addition to developing and launching the “米技心” series, created with a commitment to our founding principles of rice as a raw material, technique in development and manufacturing, and dedication to delivering quality products, we made “黒豆せんべい” into a series presenting seasonal flavors prepared by chefs, with an indulgent adult taste developed under the supervision of a popular Japanese restaurant.」

「In addition to launching “黒豆せんべい柚庵焼き仕立て醤油味” and “同西京風みそ仕立て,” which deliver a more indulgent adult taste under the supervision of a popular Japanese restaurant, we developed and launched “ふわっとハスカップアロニア味” as the second collaborative product between the Hokkaido Plant and Chitose High School.」

「Development and production of innovative products such as “チョコロモ,” which make use of the new equipment, are also progressing smoothly.」

「In addition to making repeated adjustments to bring the new plant’s operations onto a stable footing, we are focusing on developing innovative products that make use of the new equipment.」

「In addition to core products in the TOP 7, including 「田舎のおかき」 and 「黒豆せんべい」, we focused on strengthening sales of new products such as 「バンザイ山椒」 and 「バター餅」.」

「In the current consolidated fiscal year, we are advancing product development beyond conventional rice crackers, including “バター餅,” with an elegant and indulgent taste that makes use of ingredients such as fermented butter and honey, and “しっとり揚げちゃいました,” a new-texture chip that is soft despite being fried.」

「We also responded to demand for at-home drinking through “大人のおつまみ” and reduced packaging through slim packs, while working to strengthen sales.」

「In addition, we launched the slim-pack product “鬼ひび うす塩味,” which uses less packaging in consideration of the environment, and worked to enhance the Iwatsuka brand image alongside progress in our ESG activities.」

「The amount of research and development activity for the group as a whole during the cumulative first-quarter consolidated period was ¥64 million. There were no material changes in the status of the group’s research and development activities during the cumulative first-quarter consolidated period.」

「Launch of Kogane Age Mochi as a product made without chemical seasonings in response to consumers’ health and safety needs, with a focus on its raw materials and production technology」

「The amount of research and development activity for the group as a whole during the cumulative third-quarter consolidated period was ¥199 million. There were no material changes in the status of the group’s research and development activities during the cumulative third-quarter consolidated period.」

「The amount of research and development activity for the group as a whole during the cumulative first-quarter consolidated period was ¥67 million. There were no material changes in the status of the group’s research and development activities during the cumulative first-quarter consolidated period.」

「The company developed products based on new concepts and products addressing health-conscious demand, including the launch of DunnChips Cocoa and Natural Fuwatto, made by kneading dietary fiber into the dough and reducing carbohydrates by 30% compared with the conventional product.」

「The amount of research and development activity for the group as a whole during the cumulative third-quarter consolidated period was ¥205 million. There were no material changes in the status of the group’s research and development activities during the cumulative third-quarter consolidated period.」

「The company worked to enhance the Iwatsuka brand by providing customers with products focused on quality value, including Koshihikari no Ajishirabe made with Uonuma-grown Koshihikari rice and the Iwatsuka Kakimochi series, carefully finished using glutinous rice from Niigata Prefecture.」

「To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch, we released 「こしひかりの味しらべ」, made with 100% Koshihikari rice from Uonuma, and 「田舎のおかき青のりわさびプレミアム」, made with carefully selected ingredients including 100% glutinous rice from Niigata Prefecture, seaweed from the Setouchi region with a rich marine flavor, and wasabi from Azumino, Nagano Prefecture. These premium products were each sold for a limited time and were well received.」

「During the consolidated fiscal year, as processed foods using healthy and functional ingredients received significant attention, the company explored the potential of rice crackers and advanced development of Small Fish and Almond Rice Crackers using DHA, which may help prevent lifestyle-related diseases, and Quinoa and Brown Rice Crackers using quinoa, a superfood, dietary fiber, and brown rice, which is rich in vitamin B1. The company also focused on clinical trials of rice crackers for people with dysphagia under the guidance of medical institutions, passing on the manufacturing technology for the renowned rice confection Kome Hyappyo inherited from Kome Hyappyo Honpo, and developing rice-cracker dough for North America using healthy ingredients.」

「In the Sales Division, we have maintained our commitment to domestically grown rice and focused on expanding sales of our core products. We have also sought to increase awareness of the 岩塚 brand and revitalize rice cracker sales outlets by broadly rolling out a promotional campaign featuring 新之助, Niigata Prefecture's new branded rice, and products made with freshly harvested rice.」

「In the sales division, we emphasized the use of 100% domestically produced rice, focused on expanding sales of core products, and broadly rolled out products made with new rice to raise awareness of the Iwatsuka brand. The limited-time 「ハロウィン企画」 and the 「熊本応援企画」, continued from the previous year, were also very well received.」

「In particular, we ran the 「創業70周年ありがとうキャンペーン」 for 「黒豆せんべい」, 「きなこ餅」, and the 「田舎のおかきシリーズ」. The campaign was very well received and contributed to higher sales.」

「As Iwatsuka’s Children’s Rice Crackers approached their 50th anniversary, the company used the popular children’s anime character H anakappa on the packaging of 3 products in Iwatsuka’s baby rice-cracker series: Iwatsuka’s Children’s Rice Crackers, Ganbare! Vegetable Family, and Ganbare! Small Fish Family. The products have been very well received.」

「The company promoted the seasonal appeal of rice crackers by rolling out products made with new-crop rice. In addition, as a Kumamoto support initiative, it sold the Inaka no Okaki series for a limited 1-month period from August, using 50% Kumamoto-grown glutinous rice and featuring Kumamon, Kumamoto’s official character, on the product packaging. The product was very well received.」

「The company has sought to expand its market share by strengthening the rollout of the Adult Snacks series, a summer-season product line.」

「The company will work not only to deepen its traditional rice-cracker business, but also to develop healthy and functional rice crackers, karintō products, and rice crackers for overseas markets.」