Eitaro Sohonpo

What Eitaro Sohonpo does

Eitaro Sohonpo (榮太樓總本鋪) is a Japanese confectionery company headquartered in Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, founded in 1818 with business origins tracing to Hosoda Tokubei's establishment of the Izutsuya shop in Edo. The current legal entity, Kabushiki Kaisha Eitaro Sohonpo, was formally incorporated in November 2011, and the company operates as part of the Kyei Group alongside Hosoda Kyoyusha, Eitaro Setsugekka, and San-yo. The company manufactures and sells traditional Japanese wagashi (和菓子) confectionery including ame (candies), yokan (red bean jelly), kintsuba, dorayaki, canned annmitsu and mitsuame, and seasonal specialties, using proprietary techniques such as the Continuous Cauldron Boiling Method for black sugar candy and traditional Edo-style anko red bean paste preparation. The company runs five brand lines: the core Eitaro Sohonpo brand, Ameya Eitaro (premium cosmetics-style candy, launched 2007), Nihonbashi Eitaro (casual everyday sweets, 2013), Tokyo Peasen (rice snacks with collaborations from Tokyo heritage shops, 2015), and Karada ni Eitaro (health-conscious confectionery, 2017).

The company distributes through a multi-channel model including directly-operated retail stores (Nihonbashi flagship, Tokyo Station Tokyo Gift Palette, Haneda Airport), department store concessions (Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, Shinjuku Takashimaya, regional department stores nationwide), expressway service areas, and e-commerce platforms (official online store and Rakuten Ichiba). Distribution extends across 1,900+ stores from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Mass-market products are sold through supermarkets and convenience stores via the Ryohan (量販店) division. Pricing is unit-based and varies by channel, with premium department store products and lower-priced mass-market items. The company is led by President Masaki Hosoda (細田將己), with revenue not publicly disclosed.

Name

Eitaro Sohonpo

Legal name

株式会社榮太樓總本鋪

Website

https://eitaro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eitaro Sohonpo is a 200+ year-old Japanese confectionery company founded in 1818, manufacturing and selling traditional wagashi across premium department stores, mass-market retailers, airports, and e-commerce, serving Tokyo souvenir buyers, traditional confectionery enthusiasts, and health-conscious consumers across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traditional Japanese Confectionery

NAICS

Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Snack Food Manufacturing (31191), Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers (42445)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Pretzels & Salted Snacks (CRADABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Snack Bakery (Cookies, Crackers, Bars) Wholesale (AFAIAFAI), Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Foods (Deli Salads, Sandwiches, Meal Kits) (CRADACAH)

Keywords

• Traditional Japanese confectionery
• Wagashi manufacturing
• Ame candy production
• Edo-style sweets
• Packaged Japanese confections

Headquarters

HQ city

Chuo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Retail Sales: Revenue from company-owned retail stores including the Nihonbashi main store and various department store locations throughout Japan.
2. E-commerce Sales: Online sales through official online store (eitarosouhonpo.co.jp) and marketplace platforms including Rakuten.
3. Mass Market Distribution: Wholesale distribution of packaged products to supermarkets, convenience stores, and mass-market retailers through the Ryohan (量販店) division.
4. Department Store Sales: Sales through department store concessions and specialty food halls across Japan's major department store chains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eitaro Sohonpo manufactures and sells traditional Japanese wagashi confectionery, including hard candies (ame), yokan (red bean jelly), kintsuba, dorayaki, canned anmitsu/mitsuame desserts, and rice snacks. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio (Eitaro Ame, Ameya Eitaro, Nihonbashi Eitaro, Tokyo Peasen, Karada ni Eitaro) targeting different market segments from premium souvenirs to health-conscious and casual everyday products, distributed through directly-operated stores, department stores, mass-market retailers, and e-commerce channels in Japan.

Product overview

Eitaro Sohonpo is a traditional Japanese confectionery company with 200+ years of history since 1818. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio consisting of the core Eitaro Sohonpo brand (offering traditional wagashi including ame/candies, yokan, kintsuba, annmitsu, and seasonal items) alongside five sub-brands: Ameya Eitaro (premium candy with elegant packaging), Nihonbashi Eitaro (casual everyday wagashi), Tokyo Peasen (rice snacks with Tokyo heritage shop collaborations), Kara-da ni Eitaro (health-conscious products), and the main Eitaro Sohonpo department store brand. Key products include signature Eitaro Ame candies (Umeboshi Ame, Kuro Ame), traditional Japanese sweets (Kintsuba, Yokan, Dorayaki), canned desserts (Annmitsu, Mitsuame since 1968), and modern innovations like sugar-reduced yokan and thickened ame for accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• あめやえいたろう (Ameya Eitaro): Second brand launched in 2007, presenting Japanese confectionery with a cosmetics-like aesthetic and new forms of candy.
• にほんばしえいたろう (Nihonbashi Eitaro)
• 東京ピーセン (Tokyo Peasen)
• からだにえいたろう (Karada ni Eitaro)

Products and services

• Eitaro Ame (榮太樓飴)

Quantifiable outcome

• Longest-established wagashi maker in Japan (200+ years)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• にんべん (Nioben)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20181699年創業、日本橋にある鰹節专卖店。鰹節を中心にだしやつゆなど本物の味を伝えながら、300年以上にわたり日本の伝統的食文化を守り続けている。Provides seasoned bonito flakes for Tokyo Peasen products, creating the 'にんべんかつお節' variety.
• 山本山 (Yamamoto-yama)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20181690年創業、日本橋にあるお茶と海苔の老舗。Provides premium seaweed (あおさ) for Tokyo Peasen '山本山あおさ' variety.
• やげん堀 (Yagenbori)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20181625年創業、浅草にある七味唐辛子の老舗。Special seven-spice blend for Tokyo Peasen '七味唐辛子' variety.
• 更科堀井 (Sarashina Horii)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20181789年創業、麻布十番にある老舗そば屋。Provides yuzu-based sauce for Tokyo Peasen 'ゆずきり' variety.
• 早稲田大学ナノ・ライフ創新研究機構 (Waseda University)coreTechnology or IntegrationCo-development partner for セイロン紅茶のど飴 (Ceylon Tea Throat Candy). Professor Takamasa Nakamisawa (高見澤菜穂子先生) contributed to product development with research on theabromine content.
• 青木光悦堂 (Aoki Kogetsudo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead company in the 'おいしいお取り寄せ' (Delicious Delivery) initiative. Eitaro participates with their とろみ飴 products for people with swallowing difficulties.
• 山田養蜂場 (Yamada Bee Farm)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides honey ingredients for various products including はちみつ飴, しょうがはちみつのど飴, and products under the からだにえいたろう brand. Known for 300+ quality standards for their honey products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Kanro: Kanro is a Japanese confectionery company specializing in candies and throat lozenges (including the well-known Kuchiberry brand). It overlaps with Eitaro Sohonpo's Eitaro Ame and Throat Candy product lines, serving similar mass-market and drugstore retail channels.
• Minamoto Kitchoan: Minamoto Kitchoan is a long-established Japanese confectionery maker specializing in traditional wagashi including yokan and fresh namagashi. It operates department store concessions and direct retail comparable to Eitaro Sohonpo's multi-channel wagashi distribution model.
• Saryo Tsujiri: Saryo Tsujiri is a Kyoto-founded wagashi maker best known for matcha-based sweets. It operates retail stores and department store concessions comparable to Eitaro Sohonpo, targeting souvenir and premium gift consumers with traditional Japanese confections.
• Tsuruya Yoshinori: Tsuruya Yoshinori is a traditional Kyoto-based wagashi maker serving department store channels across Japan. It shares Eitaro Sohonpo's premium positioning, gift-focused product line, and dependence on Japan's traditional confectionery gifting culture.
• Toraya (Toraya Group): Toraya is a 600+ year-old traditional Japanese confectionery company most known for yokan and other wagashi. Like Eitaro Sohonpo, it operates heritage-brand retail stores in Tokyo, serves department store channels, and sells premium traditional sweets to gift and souvenir consumers.

Broad incumbents

• Morinaga & Co. Morinaga is one of Japan's largest confectionery companies producing candies, caramels, chocolates, and traditional sweets. It competes with Eitaro Sohonpo's ame and yokan lines at mass-market scale but serves a much broader product portfolio across grocery and convenience channels.
• Lotte (Japan): Lotte operates a major confectionery business in Japan producing candies, chocolates, gums, and ice cream. It serves the same mass-market retail channels as Eitaro Sohonpo and competes broadly in the Japanese sugar confectionery category.
• Meiji Holdings: Meiji is a leading Japanese food and confectionery producer offering mass-market candies, chocolates, and snacks. Its confectionery portfolio overlaps with Eitaro Sohonpo's mass-market candy and yokan distribution via supermarkets and convenience stores.
• Ezaki Glico: Ezaki Glico is a major Japanese confectionery incumbent producing candies, snacks, and ice cream under brands like Glico, Pocky, and Gummy. It competes in mass-market candy channels overlapping with Eitaro Sohonpo's Ryohan (mass-market) distribution division.

Others

• Yamamotoyama: Yamamotoyama is a 330+ year-old Nihonbashi-based tea and seaweed company that is also a strategic partner supplying seaweed for Eitaro Sohonpo's Tokyo Peasen line. They share heritage positioning in Tokyo's traditional food culture and the Nihonbashi origin story.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/eitaro_sohonpo
• Facebookfacebook.com/eitarosohonpo
• Instagraminstagram.com/eitaro_sohonpo
• TikToktiktok.com/@eitaro_sohonpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eitaro Sohonpo