[Choose Your Own] 3-Box Set

A perfect companion for blissful adult moments

Enjoy it not only with Japanese tea or black tea, but also paired with your favorite specialty coffee during work or housework breaks, or with spirits like wine, brandy, or whiskey for a special evening treat. It is also recommended as a topping for yogurt or ice cream. Its simple flavor allows you to discover your own personal way to enjoy it.

It is also a treat that can be shared and enjoyed with others, including those with dietary restrictions such as vegetarians or those with major allergies.

※Some items may contain ingredients equivalent to specific raw materials. Click here for details.

SHUKA is a simple, sophisticated confection made only from seeds and sugar. The packaging, which embodies this world view, omits excessive decoration and consists only of the logo and colors inspired by each seed. Since "candied" is an ancient food preservation technique, the fact that it can be stored at room temperature without any modern preservatives is another reason we recommend it as a gift or souvenir.

Seeds and sugar only

SHUKA is made using an ancient food preservation technique known as "sugar curing." We use only seeds and sugar as raw materials. We do not use any modern preservatives, coloring agents, or bleaching agents at all.

Retain just the right amount of the seeds' natural texture.

First, the ingredients are simmered to hydrate them. While it is common practice in traditional Japanese confectionery to simmer ingredients as softly as possible to ensure they melt in the mouth, at SHUKA, we use a unique, carefully researched process to retain not only the natural shape and color of the seeds, but also a pleasant texture, resulting in an "al dente" bite.

Slowly soaked for three days

Next, we make a syrup and soak the ingredients in it. Due to a physical phenomenon known as osmosis, the moisture inside the ingredients is replaced by the sugar in the syrup, causing the sugar to gradually seep in. This process stops once the sugar concentration inside the ingredients balances out with that of the syrup outside.

By applying this principle and repeating the process of increasing the sugar concentration of the syrup and soaking the ingredients, the sugar is made to penetrate to the core. This process takes about three days.

Wasanbon, a sugar unique to Japan

Finally, to make them easier to eat and improve their shelf life, we leave them overnight to dry the surface. At this stage, we use Wasanbon, a sugar unique to Japan. This product has been handed down since the Edo period and is made from "Chikuto," a domestic variety of sugarcane.

By sprinkling it lightly, we encourage the surface to dry while simultaneously adding the gentle flavor of the sugarcane. Our artisans make subtle adjustments to the amount sprinkled based on the temperature and humidity of the day to achieve the perfect balance.

In this way, it takes about four days from the start of preparation to complete a single SHUKA.

SHUKA uses only seeds and sugar. Therefore, we carefully select each and every raw ingredient, using only those worth passing down to future generations. Specifically, we make our judgments based on the following three criteria:

1. We know the faces of the producers
2. There is respect for nature
3. A passion for quality

From "Anything but an amanatto shop"
to "It has to be me"

I was born the eldest son of the Torokuya family in Kyoto, a family that has been in the business of making "amanatto" (candied beans) for generations. The shop was founded by my great-grandmother, Sueno Kondo, in 1926 (the first year of the Showa era).

However, I grew up determined that I would never become an amanatto maker. When I was in middle school, I was teased for my family's business, with classmates telling me, "Sweet natto? That's disgusting." Being at such a sensitive age, I began to feel embarrassed about our shop and started hiding the fact that my family made amanatto.

The value of amanatto. A newfound sense of mission.

After graduating, I spent two years working at a large, long-established confectionery shop, where I observed a wide range of Japanese and Western sweets before joining the family business at age 26. My first impression of amanatto was, "How old-fashioned." Compared to Western confectionery, it seemed to lack glamour, was covered in an excessive amount of sugar, and came in generic packaging that looked like any other bag.

Bringing Amanatto to the world

In order for this to continue as a culture, we need to change this image, and in particular, we need to pass it on to younger generations. Thinking about what could be done to achieve this, I vaguely thought that "if it is recognized overseas, it might make an impact." So, I decided to enter it into the biennial Slow Food international exhibition held in Italy. Slow Food is a grassroots movement originating in Italy that aims to preserve and pass on rich regional food cultures. With local foods gathering from all over the world, amanatto was a perfect fit.

Build a brand that resonates globally.

So, I sought advice from Masashichi Nakagawa, the chairman of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, who is renowned for his work in business revitalization and branding for traditional crafts. He listened to everything—the history of amanatto, its current state, and my own vision.

I engaged his consulting services, and through our repeated meetings, the vague ideas I had been harboring gradually crystallized into a clear concept: "Lending a hand to nature's bounty." Furthermore, Chairman Nakagawa remarked, "If you break down amanatto, it's beans and sugar—fundamentally, it's 'seed' and 'sugar,' isn't it?" This led us to the brand name "SHUKA," which succinctly captures that essence.