KANO FOOD&HEALTH

What KANO FOOD&HEALTH does

KANO FOOD&HEALTH株式会社 (Kano Food & Health) is a Japanese food company founded in July 2017 in Kagoshima City and now headquartered in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture (relocated July 2021). The company develops, manufactures, and sells a single commercial product: Satsuma Kuro Miso (サツマクロミソ), a reduced-salt miso paste (9% salt content) made from black rice (Satsuma Black Mochi) and black soybeans (Kuro Damar) sourced from Satsuma Town in Kagoshima Prefecture, fermented using yellow koji and wheat koji. The formula was developed through research at Kagoshima University and is matured by the long-established Yoshimura Brewery (吉村造船) in Ichiki-Kushikino City, Kagoshima Prefecture. KANO does not operate its own brewery, functioning as a brand and product-marketing company on top of outsourced production.

The product is positioned around three differentiated claims: (1) a proprietary ingredient combination (black rice plus black soybeans) producing anthocyanins — specifically cyanidin 3-glucoside and peonidin 3-glucoside — with antioxidant properties and bran-derived nutrients (vitamin B1, minerals, oryzanol, ferulic acid); (2) zero artificial colorings, umami enhancers, or preservatives; and (3) objectively validated umami and richness per TS-5000Z taste-measurement equipment. The specific koji type is held as a trade secret. Animal husbandry and agronomy for the black rice and black soybeans remain anchored in Kagoshima Prefecture under cooperative-grower relationships.

Commercially, KANO FOOD&HEALTH operates a narrowly scoped, multi-channel go-to-market: a single Rakuten marketplace listing drives direct-to-consumer unit sales; one physical retail point at the Kagoshima University Information Center covers offline retail; and B2B outreach provides free product samples to restaurants and food processors for recipe and processed-food development. There is no direct retail from the corporate website, no paid acquisition, and no disclosed pricing. Marketing relies on a recipe-content blog (black miso mayo, steamed pork, gobo hot pot, cream cheese pickles) and a 2018 Minami Nihon Shimbun newspaper feature for earned awareness. The customer base is primarily Japanese health-conscious individual consumers seeking a reduced-sodium, additive-free miso with functional-ingredient positioning, supplemented by ad-hoc sampling to food-service and food-processing operators. With registered capital of ¥10,000 JPY, two employees as of July 2021, no institutional funding, and a single-SKU product line, the company is structured as a founder-operated, asset-light lifestyle business rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

KANO FOOD&HEALTH

Legal name

KANO FOOD&HEALTH株式会社

Website

https://kanofoodhealth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

KANO FOOD&HEALTH株式会社 is a Japanese founder-operated food company that develops and sells Satsuma Kuro Miso, a 9% reduced-salt miso made from black rice and black soybeans and fermented by Yoshimura Brewery in Kagoshima. The company sells primarily through Rakuten and one university retail point, targeting health-conscious Japanese consumers and food-service operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Fermented Foods

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Fermented & Specialty Condiments Manufacturing (Kimchi Base, Gochujang, Miso-Based Sauces) (AFAKADAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pesto, Cooking Pastes & Concentrated Flavor Bases Manufacturing (AFAKADAN)

Keywords

• Specialty miso paste
• Fermented foods
• Black soybean miso
• Reduced-sodium miso
• Japanese traditional foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Kagoshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct B2C sales of Satsuma Kuro Miso (サツマクロミソ) through Rakuten online marketplace and Kagoshima University Information Center retail location. B2B sales of samples to restaurants and food processors for recipe development purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KANO FOOD&HEALTH manufactures and sells Satsuma Kuro Miso (サツマクロミソ), a reduced-salt (9%) miso paste made from black rice (Satsuma Black Mochi) and black soybeans (Kurodamaru) using yellow koji and wheat koji. The product is developed through research at Kagoshima University and fermented/aged by partner brewery Yoshimura Brewing in Kagoshima Prefecture. The company sells retail packs through Rakuten marketplace and the Kagoshima University Information Center, and provides samples to restaurants and food processors for recipe and processed food development.

Product overview

KANO FOOD&HEALTH株式会社 is a single-product food company specializing in the manufacturing and sales of サツマクロミソ (Satsuma Kuromiso), a unique miso paste made from black rice and black soybeans. The company was established in July 2017 in Kagoshima City and relocated its headquarters to Sakai, Osaka in July 2021. Production of raw materials (black rice and black soybeans) remains in Satsuma Town, Kagoshima Prefecture, while the miso fermentation and aging process is outsourced to Yoshimura Brewing in Ichiki-Kushikino City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The product is marketed as a 9% reduced-salt miso with strong umami and richness, backed by research conducted at Kagoshima University. Retail sales are not handled directly; products are sold through Kagoshima University Information Center and online via Rakuten. The company also provides samples to restaurants and food processing companies for new recipe and processed food development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• サツマクロミソ (Satsuma Kuro Miso): A salt-reduced miso (9% salt) made from black rice (Satsuma Black Mochi) and black soybeans (Kurodamaru), using yellow koji and wheat koji. Developed through research at Kagoshima University. The black color comes from anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-glucoside and peonidin 3-glucoside) derived from black beans and black rice. Contains no artificial colorings, umami enhancers, or preservatives.

Products and services

• Satsuma Kuro Miso (サツマクロミソ) A 9% reduced-salt miso paste made from black rice (Satsuma Black Mochi) and black soybeans (Kurodamaru) cultivated in Satsuma Town, Kagoshima Prefecture, using yellow koji and wheat koji. Contains no artificial colorings, umami enhancers, or preservatives. The black color derives from anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-glucoside and peonidin 3-glucoside) from black beans and black rice. Fermentation and aging are managed by Yoshimura Brewing in Ichiki-Kushikino City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Sold to health-conscious individual consumers via Rakuten and Kagoshima University Information Center; samples provided to restaurants and food processors for recipe and processed food development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Salt content: 9% (reduced sodium miso)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

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

One partnership is on record.

• Yoshimura Brewery (吉村造船)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiso fermentation and aging management for Satsuma Kuro Miso. Located in Ichiki-Kushikino City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Established brewery managing the koji fermentation and aging process for the product.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kikkoman Corporation: Global soy-sauce and Asian condiment giant with miso in its portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent in Asian fermented condiments with deep retail, food-service, and international distribution.
• Marukome Co., Ltd. Japan's largest miso manufacturer with a broad portfolio of retail and food-service miso products. Directly comparable as a miso producer operating at much larger scale across mainstream retail channels.

Direct peers

• Hikari Miso Co., Ltd. Major Japanese miso maker with strong domestic and export presence, including reduced-sodium and specialty miso variants. Closely comparable as a miso specialist targeting health-conscious and international consumers.
• Hanamaruki Co., Ltd. Japanese miso and prepared-food manufacturer offering retail, food-service, and ingredient-supply lines. Comparable as a multi-channel miso producer with similar B2B sampling/menu-development motions.
• Yamaki Jozo Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese miso and soy-sauce brewery with craft and retail lines. Comparable as a regional Japanese miso maker using traditional koji-based fermentation with multi-channel distribution.

Regional players

• San-J International: U.S.-based tamari and Asian fermented condiment maker with specialty/clean-label positioning. Comparable as a specialty fermented-condiment producer targeting health-conscious consumers outside Japan.
• Miyako Oriental Foods: U.S. miso and Japanese-ingredient producer serving retail and food-service. Comparable as a regional miso brand building consumer awareness of fermented Japanese condiments in a non-Japanese market.

Others

• Yoshimura Brewery (吉村造船): Established Kagoshima-based brewery that actually ferments and ages Satsuma Kuro Miso on KANO's behalf. Comparable as the contract manufacturing partner — not a competitor, but the most directly operationally-linked entity.

Emerging players

• Miso Master: Organic, traditionally fermented miso producer based in North Carolina. Comparable as a small-batch miso maker using whole ingredients and traditional koji methods to reach natural-foods retail.
• South River Miso Co. Small-batch, traditionally brewed organic miso maker in the U.S. Comparable as a craft miso producer emphasizing traditional methods, ingredient provenance, and clean-label positioning for a niche health-aware audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 KANO FOOD&HEALTH