Takeshi Kondo, the 35-year-old fourth-generation owner of Torokuya in Kyoto's Mibu district, is innovating traditional Japanese confectionery amanatto using cacao beans and nuts. His Shuka brand, launched in 2022, targets younger customers and global appeal. This effort preserves cultural heritage through adaptation.
In Kyoto's Nakagyo Ward Mibu district, Torokuya specializes in amanatto, a traditional wagashi of syrup-coated and dried beans. Founded in 1926 by Sueno Kondo near Minamiza Theatre in Higashiyama Ward, it promoted products like toroku bean amanatto as 'miyako meibutsu,' a Kyoto signature. The shop closed during World War II but reopened in Mibu postwar, shifting from retail to supplying confectionery shops.
Takeshi Kondo, 35, the fourth-generation owner, initially shunned the business after junior high teasing about 'sweet natto.' A turning point came during his Kyoto University graduate studies in microbiology. He assisted at a Setsubun-e booth at Mibudera Temple, a tradition from his grandfather's era, attracting about 3,000 visitors. Witnessing the popularity, he recognized the business's role in his family's support and elite education, deciding to join and repay the favor.
After graduating, Kondo worked two years at a confectionery manufacturer before entering at age 26. Facing an aging customer base, he sensed urgency for visibility to sustain the shop and food culture.
In 2018, at an Italian food event, chestnut amanatto sold out quickly, but standard toroku, azuki, and black bean varieties remained. This revealed sweetened beans' unfamiliarity in Western culture, prompting ideas to pair with chocolate and gelato.
Assuming leadership in 2020 amid COVID-19, he experimented with cacao bean amanatto, testing water absorption and methods before online launch late that year. It surged in popularity as homebound consumers sought novelties. Shuka brand formalized in 2022, focusing on syrup-preserved nuts and beans like pistachios and cashews. Boiled then coated, products use Hokkaido beet sugar and Tokushima wasanbon, yielding firmer texture than soft amanatto.
"It pairs well with red wine or whisky," Kondo said of the cacao version, rich like dried fruit. "One of the appeals of amanatto is that it maintains the shape and color of the ingredients."
The customer base expanded from those 60 and older to 30s and 40s. In 2023, a cafe added soy milk gelato with amanatto syrup in cacao, pistachio, and toroku vanilla flavors, drawing Japanese and international visitors.
"I started this brand to pass on amanatto and its culture to the future," Kondo explained. "I dream that people will enjoy the sweet worldwide someday."
Interpreting the founding 'Original amanatto' flyer amid Kyoto's older shops as a call for originality, he embodies his great-grandmother's spirit. Tradition endures through innovation, linking amanatto's past to future generations.