CASE STUDY

• Dorayaki Machine
• Ayuyaki・Anmaki

SHINKO SEIKA Co., Ltd.

Shinko Seika was founded in 1973 in Gifu City by four second-generation owners of a traditional Japanese confectionery shop. Centered on sweetfish confections (ayu-gashi), a local specialty of Gifu, the company has steadily expanded its manufacturing, wholesale, and retail operations while remaining deeply rooted in the local community. Its business includes direct wholesale of souvenir sweets as well as the direct management of its long-established Japanese confectionery shop, Ryokusuian. Signature products such as the bite-sized Hiayu sweets and the red bean paste–filled Ohatsubi have become long-standing bestsellers.
President Ichiro Fujiyoshi joined the company around 1990 after marrying the founder’s eldest daughter, Managing Director Satomi Fujiyoshi. After assuming the role of third-generation president in 2013, he broadened the product lineup to incorporate local ingredients and themes associated with Sengoku-period warlords. In addition to operating five Ryokusuian stores, the company opened its Western-style confectionery shop, Princess Branche Pâtisserie Kura, in 2022. President Fujiyoshi also serves as head of the Gifu City Souvenirs Association and the Gifu Prefecture Sweetfish Promotion Association, where he actively works to promote sweetfish culture.
Beyond sweetfish confections, the company developed Oda Nobunaga Omotenashi Mochi, a habutae mochi filled with locally produced dried persimmons and yuzu. Another product, Akechi Mitsuhide Chuteppo Kinako Mochi, made with rare locally grown soybeans, was sold at the Gifu Castle/Kinkazan Taiga Drama Museum. It was later featured on a nationally broadcast television program during New Year’s Eve 2021 and New Year’s Day 2023, and went on to become a strong seller at the Gifu Station kiosk.
Today, the company employs approximately 25 people. The Ryokusuian store was designed with employee input, emphasizing a comfortable work environment and face-to-face customer service. Visitors are welcomed with sweets and tea, and the company’s website highlights seasonal offerings and special sales through a dedicated calendar.
The Western-style pastry shop was notably the first of its kind to open in the area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its head chef is the owner’s eldest son, Kura, who trained in Paris and at renowned pâtisseries, and is currently preparing to succeed the family business.

• Full Automatic Dorayaki Machine