What Kasugai Confectionery does

Kasugai Confectionery (春日井製菓株式会社) is a private Japanese confectionery manufacturer founded in 1928 and headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The company operates across four core product categories — candies, gummies, ramune, and bean snacks — with a portfolio of branded product lines including Xylit Crystal (sugar-free throat lozenges), Tsubu Gumi (gummies), Kuro Ame (black sugar candy), Queen's Milk (premium cream candy), and Green Beans (pea snacks). The company's underlying technology base includes a proprietary xylitol crystallization method developed in 1998 that enabled commercial production of xylitol-based hard candies, direct-fire cooking techniques used in black sugar and peanut products, and six years of proprietary research on black sugar polyphenols. Kasugai also operates licensed collaborations, notably with the Lipton brand for tea-flavored candies, and holds a wholly-owned subsidiary, Kasugai Seika Sales Co., Ltd.

The business model is direct-to-consumer B2C confectionery, generating revenue primarily through one-time unit sales of packaged products at retail price points distributed via convenience stores, supermarkets, drug stores, and proprietary e-commerce. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by product and package size. Customer segmentation is horizontal, targeting general Japanese consumers across age groups for use cases spanning snacking, oral care (throat lozenges), gifting, and seasonal occasions. The company maintains a 501–1,000 employee headcount and pursues consumer engagement through social media (X with 34,726 followers, Instagram with 13,246 followers), brand content sites, factory tours, and experiential events like the "Okashina Summer School."

Distribution is domestic-only within Japan, with no disclosed international operations beyond a basic overseas information portal. The company has demonstrated active product innovation in 2026 across the gummy, throat lozenge, and ramune categories, alongside partnerships with academic institutions (Asahi University School of Dentistry for clinical xylitol research), other confectionery companies (Oyatsu Company), regional municipalities (Kushiro Town in Hokkaido), and celebrity endorsement campaigns. Revenue, funding, and ownership data are not publicly disclosed, consistent with its private, family-controlled status.

Name

Kasugai Confectionery

Legal name

春日井製菓株式会社

Website

https://kasugai.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kasugai Confectionery is a private Japanese manufacturer founded in 1928 in Nagoya, producing candies, gummies, ramune, and bean snacks sold nationwide through retail and e-commerce to general Japanese consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery Manufacturing

NAICS

Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Sugar Confectionery (Gummies, Hard Candy, Chews) (CRADABAB)

Keywords

• Japanese confectionery manufacturing
• Hard candy production
• Gummy candy brands
• Throat lozenge products
• Savory bean snacks

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Confectionery Product Sales: Core revenue from manufacturing and selling Japanese confectionery including candies (のど飴, hard candies), ramune, gummy products, and bean snacks. Products sold through retail channels including convenience stores, supermarkets, drug stores, and e-commerce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kasugai Confectionery manufactures and sells a diversified portfolio of Japanese confectionery products across four main categories: candies (throat lozenges, traditional hard candies, caramel/black sugar products), gummies (Tsubu Gumi, Gumi Da Yo, Mochira), ramune, and bean snacks. The company distributes nationwide in Japan through convenience stores, supermarkets, drug stores, specialty retailers, and its own e-commerce channels.

Product overview

Kasugai Confectionery is a diversified Japanese confectionery company founded in 1928 in Nagoya, operating as a multi-category portfolio business with four main product lines: Candy (キャンディ), Gummy (グミ), Ramune (ラムネ), and Bean Snacks (豆菓子). The candy portfolio includes throat drops (キシリクリスタル, のどにスッキリ), traditional hard candies (こんぺいとう, ちゃいなマーブル, ゼリービンズ), caramel/black sugar products (黒あめ, 女王のミルク), and licensed products (リプトン collaboration). The gummy line features core products (つぶグミ, グミだよ。) alongside innovative textures (モちら). The ramune line includes wet-process (ラムネいろいろ) and dry-process (ありがとうぶどう糖) varieties. Bean snacks (グリーン豆, えびピーナ, いかピーナ) provide savory alternatives. The company emphasizes craft manufacturing techniques including direct-fire cooking, artisan sugar coating, and multi-week production processes for premium products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• キシリクリスタル (Xylit Crystal): Sugar-free three-layer throat candy with xylitol center, featuring 22 herbal extracts
• つぶグミ (Tsubu Gumi)
• グリーン豆 (Green Beans)
• のどにスッキリ (Nodoni Sukkiri)
• 女王のミルク (Queen's Milk)
• ミルクの国 (Milk no Kuni)
• 黒あめ (Kuro Ame)
• モチラ (Mochira)
• グミだよ (Gumi Da Yo)

Products and services

• キシリクリスタル (Xylit Crystal) Three-layer sugar-free throat drops with a xylitol center layer providing cooling sensation; includes milk mint, fruit assortment, and soda assortment variants and contains 22 types of herbal extracts for general consumers seeking throat care.
• のどにスッキリ (Nodoni Sukkiri) Throat drops containing 13 herbal extracts for throat comfort, available in W Herb, Mild Herb, and Mild Fruit varieties for general consumers experiencing throat discomfort.
• 黒あめ (Kuroame) Black caramel candy made with Okinawa black sugar using a direct-fire cooking method for rich, aromatic flavor; a long-selling product since 1980 for general consumers.
• 女王のミルク (Queen's Milk) Premium cream candy containing 43% fresh Hokkaido cream, made with an original vacuum low-temperature concentration method for premium confectionery consumers.
• ミルクの国 (Milk no Kuni) Rich milk candy made with Hokkaido condensed milk and fresh cream delivering natural richness and deep flavor for general consumers.
• リプトン (Lipton) Series Lipton-branded non-sugar two-layer candies with tea extract powder in lemon tea and milk tea varieties, produced under Lipton license for general tea-loving consumers.
• こんぺいとう (Konpeito) Colorful traditional Japanese sugar candy with distinctive pointed protrusions, produced over 3+ weeks using rotating kettles and artisan skill for general consumers and gifting.
• ゼリービーンズ (Jelly Beans) Bean-shaped jelly candy coated with sugar layers in 7 fruit flavors, made through an artisan sugar-coating process for general consumers.
• ちゃいなマーブル (China Marble) Extra-hard long-lasting hard candy named for its porcelain-like hardness and marble-like sheen; takes approximately 2 months for artisans to produce, sold to general consumers.
• ハードミント (Hard Mint) Intensely strong hard mint candy with refreshing sensation containing caffeine, flavonoids, and mint polyphenols for adult consumers seeking strong freshness.
• つぶグミ (Tsubu Gumi) Firm-textured assorted gummy candy line in fruit, soda, and yogurt flavors; yogurt variant contains lactobacillus and bifidobacterium for general consumers.
• つぶグミPREMIUM (Tsubu Gumi PREMIUM) Premium gummy line featuring intense fruit flavors using Kasugai's original dual-juice preparation method, including limited-edition mango and citrus varieties for general consumers.
• グミだよ。 (Gumi Da Yo) Soft jelly-textured gummy with gentle sweetness and sourness in lactobacilli drink and lemonade variants, available in shareable assortment pack format.
• モチラ (Mochira) Unique-texture confectionery starting with a mochi-like chewiness transitioning to a ramune-like melt-in-mouth experience, available in ramune and green apple flavors.
• ラムネいろいろ (Ramune Iroiro) Wet-process ramune candy with juicy melt-in-mouth texture, containing 80% grape sugar in 6 colorful individually-wrapped flavors for general consumers.
• ありがとうぶどう糖 (Arigato Budoto) Dry-process ramune candy with crispy texture, made by compressing powdered ingredients without moisture for general consumers.
• グリーン豆 (Green Beans / Greenmame) Roasted green pea snack made from whole peas with light crispy texture and rock salt seasoning, available in wasabi and salt flavor variants for general consumers.
• えびピーナ (Ebi Pina) Peanuts coated with shrimp-flavored crispy breading, roasted directly over flame for savory umami flavor, targeting general consumers seeking savory snacks.
• いかピーナ (Ika Pina) Peanuts with squid-flavored crispy breading, roasted directly over flame for authentic seafood and nut flavor combination.
• 炭焼珈琲キャンディ (Charcoal-Roasted Coffee Candy) Charcoal-roasted coffee candy made with extracted coffee bean essence, featuring deep roasted flavor and rich aroma prepared using the direct-fire cooking method.
• 花のくちづけ (Hana no Kuchiduke) Milky peach-flavored candy with individual wrappers featuring 366 days of birth flowers and their meanings, marketed for gifting occasions.
• ハッカアメ・ニッキアメ (Hakka Ame / Nikki Ame) Mint and cinnamon-flavored hard candies using natural ingredients for refreshing or warming sensations, sold to general consumers.
• 落花あめ (Rakkaame) Peanut-filled hard candy with roasted peanut bits, featuring direct-fire cooking for rich aroma, targeting general consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clinical study showed xylitol candy increased saliva secretion by up to 7.8 times
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, regional and minor.

• 松浦亜弥 (Aya Matsuura)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 June 2026Singer and entertainer featured in new WEB CM campaign for Xyri Crystal products, marking her 25th anniversary. Collaboration includes new CM released June 2, 2026, as part of major marketing campaign.
• おやつカンパニー (Oyatsu Company)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Major Japanese snack company collaboration on 'つまんでハッピー！' (Tsumande Happy!) joint product launch.东海地区 (Tokai region) collaboration between two confectionery companies.
• Lipton (リプトン)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWorld's No.1 tea brand licensing collaboration. Products include Lipton Lemon Tea Candy and Lipton Milk Tea Candy (2-layer non-sugar candies with tea extract). Joint brand development with Unilever/Lipton.
• 朝日大学歯学部 (Asahi University School of Dentistry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership for clinical studies on saliva secretion from xylitol candy. Research led by Professor Watanabe Shigeru (朝日大学歯学部 非常勤講師、明海大学名誉教授) examining oral care benefits.
• 釧路町 (Kushiro Town)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHokkaido municipality partnership for comprehensive cooperation agreement. Covered in Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, focusing on regional collaboration initiatives.
• 宮古製糖多良間工場 (Miyako Seito Tarama Factory)coreOthersPrimary supplier of Okinawa black sugar (沖縄黒糖) for 黑あめ products. Located on Tarama Island. Largest black sugar production facility among 8 Okinawa remote islands, producing 3,000-3,200 tons annually.
• UR都市機構 (Urban Renaissance Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on 団地味ラムネプロジェクト (Danchi Aji Ramune Project) for community revitalization in Kozoji New Town. Supported community events and summit activities.
• 津森陶業 (Tsumori Pottery)minorOthersArtisanal craftsman partnership referenced in relation to traditional craft techniques applied to confectionery presentation.
• 北海道日本ハムファイターズ (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional baseball team collaboration referenced in promotional events and campaign activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Morinaga & Co. Historic Japanese confectionery manufacturer of caramels, gummies, and traditional sweets. Comparable as a long-established Japanese sugar confectionery peer with overlapping product formats and retail distribution.
• Meiji Holdings: Major Japanese confectionery and dairy conglomerate producing chocolate, gummy, and sugar confectionery under brands like Meiji and Galbo. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same Japanese sugar confectionery and gummy categories.
• Lotte Co. Major Japanese/Korean confectionery manufacturer producing chocolates, gums, candies, and ice cream. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same Japanese retail channels.
• Kobayashi Pharmaceutical: Japanese OTC and personal care company with strong throat lozenge brands (e.g., Nodonko). Comparable as a major player in the functional throat candy / oral care segment overlapping with Kasugai's Xylit Crystal and Nodonisukkiri lines.

Direct peers

• Ezaki Glico: One of Japan's largest confectionery majors offering candies, gummies, and snacks. Directly comparable as a diversified Japanese sugar and chocolate confectionery manufacturer serving the same retail channels.
• Fujiya Co., Ltd. Japanese confectionery maker producing candies, gummies, and traditional sweets. Comparable as a domestic sugar confectionery peer competing in the same convenience-store and supermarket channels.
• Oyatsu Company: Japanese snack maker producing biscuits, candies, and collaborative confectionery products. Comparable as a domestic confectionery peer — already a confirmed Kasugai co-development partner ("Tsumande Happy!").
• Bourbon Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of confectionery and savory snacks including bean and peanut snacks. Comparable as a domestic peer with bean snack and traditional confectionery categories overlapping Kasugai's Green Beans / peanut lines.
• Kanro Inc. Japanese sugar confectionery specialist known for throat lozenges (Pure Soft, Kantan) and gummies. Closest direct comparable to Kasugai's throat drop and gummy portfolio.
• UHA Mikakuto: Japanese gummy and candy specialist (e.g., Sagō Gummy, Puccho). Comparable as a peer competing in the Japanese gummy segment with similar convenience-store distribution.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KasugaiSeika
• Instagraminstagram.com/kasugai_seika_official
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=Ep1dpW9u0QA

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kasugai Confectionery