CASE STUDY

• Dorayaki Machine
• Dorayaki

Oji Foods Inc.

Oji Foods Inc. specializes in OEM and ODM services for health foods and is the company behind Bububu, a dorayaki that aims to become a new Kyoto souvenir staple.
Founded in 1969, Oji Foods Inc. spent nearly half a century in the health food industry without developing a brand of its own. Instead, the company focused on OEM and ODM services, working behind the scenes to plan and manufacture supplements and other products for companies that market and sell them.
In 2022, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused tourism to plummet, the company turned its attention to revitalizing the local community and ventured into the confectionery business. Its first product, the Yuki-onna Stick, was a non-melting frozen treat inspired by the popular kuzu-starch ice pop. Oji Foods Inc. put its own spin on the concept by using ingredients such as agar powder and adding collagen and vitamins.
For its second confectionery product, the company chose dorayaki. It developed distinctive fillings featuring matcha and hojicha, and in autumn 2023, began selling the product as a private-label item using pancake shells manufactured by an outside supplier. The product received a positive response, prompting Oji Foods Inc. to look for a contract manufacturer capable of mass-producing it as a national-brand product. However, one challenge stood in the way: the filling was too firm for conventional machinery to handle. As a result, the company was repeatedly turned down.
Rather than giving up, Oji Foods Inc. decided to bring production in-house. In 2026, it installed a custom-configured Automatic Dorayaki Machine capable of handling the firmer filling and launched Bububu. The name Bububu comes from “bubu,” the first part of bubuzuke, a Kyoto dialect term for ochazuke (rice served with tea poured over it). The extra “bu” was added to express the product’s rich, concentrated tea flavor.
At its confectionery plant, as at its supplement factory, safety and quality are top priorities. The facility is equipped with robust hygiene management systems, and preparations are currently underway to obtain ISO 22000 certification in anticipation of future expansion into overseas markets.
Oji Foods Inc. is committed to earning and maintaining the trust of its customers by upholding the highest standards of safety and quality. At the same time, the company strives to stay responsive to changing customer needs and market trends, proactively offering new ideas and proposals. It also aims to create a workplace where even younger employees feel free to share their ideas and take on new challenges.

• Automatic Dorayaki Machine