He joined House Foods Corporation in 1987. After the sales department, he started working in Tokyo headquarters in 2001. For 20 years until 2020, he had worked at the marketing headquarters, followed by curry, stew, spices, and all of his company categories. He was responsible for renewal of long-time bestseller products, product planning and release of new products.
In 2011, he was appointed as deputy general manager of the marketing planning office. In 2015, he assumed the position of the general manager for the food business. In 2020, he transferred to the international business headquarters and assumed the position of general manager for international business planning. Since 2022, he has been the president of House Foods China Inc. As his external activities, he had been a member of the planning committee for famous marketing event in Japan from 2009 to 2023.
In 1963, House Foods transformed curry by creating a Japanese-style sweet version with apples and honey, appealing to children and milder taste preferences. Over 60 years, they have continuously innovated curry flavors by exploring spice combinations and perfecting recipes.
To replicate French-style curry, they refined every detail, from spice selection to stirring techniques, resulting in the Curry Marché, a bestseller for over 40 years. Responding to rising home-cooking trends, House Foods launched the spice-driven X-Blend Curry in August 2023, with sweet-spicy and medium-spicy variants selling over 5 million units in five months.
This topic highlights how House Foods' dedication to quality and innovation drives iconic products, builds trust, and secures market leadership.
As consumer demand for health-conscious, high-quality products grows, the food and beverage industry faces both rapid transformation and fierce competition. In China, the sugar-free tea market surged 110% in 2023 (Nielsen), yet brands struggle with price wars and homogeneity. Meanwhile, global expansion is accelerating, but breaking into mainstream overseas markets remains a challenge.
Leading brands have successfully navigated these shifts through innovation: Calbee revived its potato sticks with a unique texture, achieving a V-shaped sales rebound; Kirin Nama-cha sold 100M+ units in seven weeks via brand revitalization; Meiji turned bitter chocolate into a hit by leveraging the "cocoa polyphenol" concept; Fruit Ripe disrupted the market by integrating into convenience store channels……
This dialogue gathers global industry leaders to explore:
· Product innovation: How to create products that truly resonate with consumers?
· Brand longevity: How to build enduring competitive advantages?
· Global expansion: How to move beyond exports and establish a lasting presence?
By examining case studies and industry trends, this discussion will uncover strategies for sustained growth in an evolving market.