Kuro Sengoku Soybeans Spread Their Wings to the U.S! Online Business Talks at Seka Shokudo "Sekai to Nihon wo Tsunagu Food Business Meeting with Shinkin

Friday, November 5, 2021

On Monday, October 4, "Sekai to Nihon wo Tsunagu Food Business Meeting with Shinkin (Seka Shoku)," an online-style business meeting for developing overseas sales channels for food products organized by Shinkin Central Bank, was held at the office of Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative Association (President Yukio Takada) (Hokuryu-cho, Hokkaido).

A record 243 business partners from 93 credit unions participated in the event (the largest ever).Reference: Nikkin)

CECA Foods & Food Products Overseas Sales Channel Development Business Meetings

This trade fair is organized by Shinkin Central Bank (Head office: Tokyo, Chairman Hiroyuki Shibata), a cooperative financial institution whose members are Shinkin banks nationwide, as a project to support the development of overseas sales channels, and the first event was held in 2017.

This is an online business meeting connecting Shinkin banks' food product manufacturers with domestic trading companies that have overseas sales channels.

This business meeting was realized through an application by the Kuro Sengoku Cooperative through the intermediary of the Kita Sorachi Shinkin Bank (head office: Fukagawa City, President Mitsuyoshi Hirokami).

Online meetings via ZOOM

The business meeting was held using the online conferencing tool ZOOM and lasted approximately 30 minutes.

participant

The online participants were Mr. Ichikawa from Shinkin Central Bank, Mr. Masahiro Hirayama from Kita Sorachi Shinkin Bank, "Kuro Sengoku Jigyo Kyodo Kumiai" (President Yukio Takada) as "Supplier (food manufacturer of Kita Sorachi Shinkin Bank's customers)" and "Buyer (domestic trading company with overseas sales channels)" Gips in Corporation (Head Office: Tokyo, President Yoshihiko Kato): (Head office: Tokyo; President: Yoshihiko Kato) as "buyers (domestic trading companies with overseas sales channels).

Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative, Yukio Takada, President

（Yoshihiko Kato, Representative, Gypsum In Corporation, Inc.

（Gyps in Corporation is a company that operates a food import business, a restaurant business, and an e-commerce business. The company's main export area is the United States, and it has designated food products in general and Japanese-style seasonings and ingredients in particular as products it hopes to handle at this business meeting.

Mr. Ichikawa, Shinkin Central Bank

Mr. Masahiro Hirayama, Kita Sorachi Shinkin Bank

Business meeting starts at 11:00 a.m.

1. Buyer:Explanation of company profile and transaction details by Mr. Yoshihiko Kato, President of Gypsum Inn Corporation
2. Supplier:Explanation of products by Yukio Takada, President, Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative

（Yoshihiko Kato, Representative, Gypsum In Corporation, Inc.

We are a trading company established in 2000. Our main business is exporting food products, importing food products from South America and other countries, selling them in Japan, and operating two izakaya (Japanese style pubs) in Tokyo (Yoyogi and Jimbocho). We have been exporting mainly Japanese food products to the U.S. for several years now, and we would like to make a proposal for this business.

1. Explanation of export sales through Amazon
2. Explanation of the proposed plan for the transaction method
3. Talk about the high demand for Japanese foods in health-consciousness, such as "soybean flour" and "soybeans" in foreign countries

Using Amazon will give us another sales channel and allow us to take the first step toward exporting to the large market of the U.S.," said Kato.

Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative, Yukio Takada, President

Kuro Sengoku soybeans are a native species of Hokkaido. In ancient times, the leaves and stems of Kuro Sengoku soybeans were used as a nutritious crop for green manure for Tokachi-area field crops and as food for war horses, but the fruit of the Kuro Sengoku soybean was not used for food.

The modernization of farm machinery and the spread of chemical fertilizers led to a decline in the use of war horses, and the difficulty of cultivating Kuro Sengoku soybeans caused cultivation to temporarily cease around 1970.

However, it was revived again in Hokkaido and revived as the fantastic Kuro Sengoku soybeans.

Kuro-sengoku soybeans are unique to Hokkaido. It is also grown in other prefectures, but the Kuro Sengoku soybeans in other prefectures do not have the same thick skin and do not turn out as round as the Kuro Sengoku soybeans grown in Hokkaido.

The Association handles only Kuro Sengoku soybeans, a variety unique to Hokkaido. We produce around 250 tons per year. Half of this, about 100 tons, is used to make natto (fermented soybeans). The remaining 100 tons are sold as various processed products of Kuro Sengoku soybeans.

Kuro-sengoku soybean flour is additive-free, and a special machine (mortar-shaped stone grinder) is used to preserve the flavor of the soybean flour.

The beans are crushed through water and set so that the temperature does not rise above 18°C. The beans are roasted at a low temperature to retain their aroma and original color and flavor.

In addition, we pack them in bags made of thick aluminum material to prevent exposure to sunlight and prevent changes in color and taste," says President Takada.

（Yoshihiko Kato, Representative, Gypsum In Corporation, Inc.

The fact that it is a native species and the only product of its kind in Hokkaido is a major point of appeal in the United States. There is a lot of interest in Hokkaido overseas, and Hokkaido products are very popular and sell very well.

We hope you will consider our proposal to bring Hokkaido's wonderful Kuro Sengoku soybeans to the American market," said Representative Kato.

President Kato visits the office of Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative

On Friday, October 29, after the online business meeting, Mr. Yoshihiko Kato, President of Gyps in Corporation, took time out of his busy schedule to fly from Tokyo via New Chitose Airport and rent a car to visit the office of Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative Association in Hokuryu Town. Mr. Takamori Okada of Kita Sorachi Shinkin Bank was also in attendance.

The business meeting proceeded with great progress, with detailed explanations of the current U.S. trade situation and future export procedure-related details.

This is a business meeting through online conference that bridges the gap between Shinkin Central Bank and Kita Sorachi Shinkin Bank.
We express our unlimited love, gratitude, and prayers for the great Kuro Sengoku soybeans, which are spreading to the world through the passion of our buyers and suppliers.

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Friday, November 5, 2021 On October 4 (Mon.), an online-style business meeting for developing overseas sales channels for food products, "Sekai to Nihon wo Tsunagu Food Business Meeting ...

Related Sites

Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative

Kuro Sengoku soybeans have a sweet and rich flavor, and even though the outer skin is black, the flesh is green. In addition, they contain anthocyanins and isoflavones, making them a nutritionally balanced small super food!
▶ Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative, directly managed online store is here >>

（Gypsum In Corporation

We are a company that operates a food import business, a restaurant business, and an e-commerce business. We are a company that values the encounters and connections between people and the company, and we always hope that people will grow and become happy through these connections.
▶ （For more information on Gypsum In Corporation, click here >>

Shinkin Central Bank

Shinkin Central Bank (abbreviated as Shinkin Central Bank) is a cooperative financial institution in the form of a cooperative organization whose members are the shinkin banks throughout Japan, and was founded in 1950 as a central financial institution for the shinkin banks.
▶ For more information about Shinkin Central Bank >>

Kitasukachi Shinkin Bank

Kita Sorachi Shinkin Bank was established in 1950 as Kita Sorachi Credit Union, and was reorganized as a shinkin bank in 1951 with the enactment of the Shinkin Bank Law.
▶ For more information about Kitasukachi Shinkin Bank, click here >>

Nikkin│October 8, 2021 issue, page 8 Shinkin Central Bank develops overseas sales channels for the food industry; a record 243 companies participate in business meetings｜Nikkin Web site Financial information organization that aims to produce newspapers with a direct on-site perspective Nikkin News Agency

Shinkin Central Bank is focusing on online business meetings for the food industry as a measure to support the development of overseas sales channels...

◇ Photography and Editing: Noboru Terauchi Reporting and Writing: Ikuko Terauchi