The article explains why Riken Vitamin, whose roots lie in the fisheries industry at the time of its founding, has continued its wakame business for many years, as well as its current production system and community partnership initiatives.
Riken Vitamin was formerly based on RIKEN and has placed importance on its ties to the fisheries industry since its founding. As a result, it developed its wakame business into one of its core operations and expanded into household foods. After developing a production method for fresh wakame, it launched “Nama Wakame Wakame-chan” in 1965 and continued improving the product into the easier-to-use dried wakame product “Fueru Wakame-chan.” Its wakame products grew into hit products such as “Fueru Wakame-chan” and “Wakame Soup.”
The Sanriku region accounts for 70% of domestic wakame production, and the harvesting season is short, running from around February to April. To secure stable production volumes, the company is conducting research and development to create an environment in which producers can grow wakame more easily, including the selection of seedlings. It continues initiatives to support fishermen and producers in the Sanriku region, placing importance on its ties with local communities.
There was a period after the Great East Japan Earthquake when wakame harvest volumes were significantly affected. As part of its community support, Riken Vitamin has provided assistance including donations through the corporate hometown tax donation program. The company also supports post-disaster reconstruction and the development of disaster-preparedness systems, and continues initiatives to maintain close ties with local communities.
Riken Vitamin continues research, including the selection of seedlings, to support producers who want to grow wakame and aims to create an environment for stable supply.