Interview with Tsuyoshi Hirai, the representative of Hirai Confectionery
Hirai Confectionery has been making rice cakes and sweets since 1912, deeply rooted in the local community.
Hirai Confectionery Co., Ltd. representative director Tsuyoshi Hirai was interviewed about the history of the store and the stories behind product development.
This interview is based on the content from the initial interview conducted in May 2021.
Founded in 1912, starting as a rice cake shop
I want to know about the history of the founding and the company.
Hirai
Our company was founded in 1912.
Initially, it was a shop that manufactured and sold rice cakes.
"Hirai Mochi Shoten" was the name of the store.
It was different from now, located right next to Haguro Shrine in the center of Tamashima.
Later, due to road construction, we relocated to the entrance of the Tomomachi shopping street in the same Tamashima center.
Eventually, we started wholesaling products to supermarkets and moved to our current location to have a larger store.
This was around the mid-1970s.
The birth of the famous confection "Ryo-kan Temari" from customer feedback
When did you start making wagashi?
Hirai
In the early 1990s.
The trigger was customer feedback saying, "It would be nice to have wagashi that can be given as gifts in addition to rice cakes."
So, the previous generation (now the chairman) decided to try making wagashi.
However, the know-how and techniques for making rice cakes and wagashi like manju are different.
We use anko (sweet red bean paste) for rice cakes as well.
But even with the same anko, there are many differences between rice cakes and wagashi.
Therefore, we invited a wagashi expert to the company for guidance.
Utilizing the newly acquired techniques for making wagashi, "Ryo-kan Temari" was born.
Since we were making it, we decided to create a product that is rooted in the local community and would become a famous confection in Tamashima.
It originally came from customer feedback.
When you think of Tamashima, you think of Ryo-kan.
There is a story that Ryo-kan used to play with children, often playing with marbles.
In line with that, we created Ryo-kan Temari.
Since it was born from the request for "as a souvenir," we aimed to create a wagashi that is perfect for gifts.
Thus, Ryo-kan Temari was made as a high-end jōyo manju (a type of wagashi).
When we launched Ryo-kan Temari, it won the Grand Prize in the confectionery category at the Okayama Prefecture Creative Souvenir Contest in 1994!
Furthermore, it also received the Minister's Honor Award at the National Confectionery Expo.
The award for Ryo-kan Temari led to serious wagashi production
Did you start focusing on wagashi because of Ryo-kan Temari?
Hirai
Yes, that's right.
After Ryo-kan Temari won the award, the previous generation decided to focus on wagashi.
In the same year as the award, we changed the company name from Hirai Mochi Shoten to "Hirai Confectionery."
We also changed the packaging of Ryo-kan Temari to our own design, inspired by marbles, making it more elegant and high-end.
We created various wagashi related to the local Tamashima, Kurashiki, and Okayama Prefecture.
In addition to wagashi and rice cakes, we also make Western sweets.
In this flow, popular products like "Koge Man" and "An-temari" were also born.
What kind of customers do you have?
Hirai
We have many local customers.
While many buy for small gifts, there are also many customers who come to buy for their own enjoyment at home.
Since the main store is close to the Tamashima area of the Mizushima industrial zone, it is common for business travelers to come and buy souvenirs.
Conversely, people from the industrial zone often come to buy souvenirs when they go on business trips elsewhere.
Entering the world of wagashi after graduating from school
How did you enter the world of wagashi, Mr. Hirai?
Hirai
The previous generation is my father.
So, since elementary school, I helped with rice cake making during busy seasons.
Given that background, it was a natural flow to take over the company, and I had no particular dissatisfaction.
Just when I was in high school, the company started making wagashi.
So after graduating from high school, I went on to a wagashi school.
After graduating from the wagashi school, I worked for about two years at a shop in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture for training, and then joined Hirai.
By the way, my younger brother runs a Western confectionery shop called Mari-gato just south of the main store.
Future prospects
Please tell us about your future prospects and what you would like to try.
Hirai
One thing is that I would like to increase the number of stores a bit more.
Focusing on Okayama Prefecture.
I would also like to renovate the main store.
And then, the development of new products.
I am thinking of trying something like fruit daifuku.
Along with that, I think it would be interesting to create something like a fruit orchard and use what we harvest in our sweets.
Local sweets rooted in the community as souvenirs from Hirai Confectionery
Hirai Confectionery, which started with rice cake making in 1912 in Tamashima, now handles everything from rice cakes to wagashi and Western sweets.
For over 100 years, it has been loved in Tamashima.
All products evoke a sense of local pride, making them irresistible to pick up.
Whether as souvenirs for tourism or business trips, or as snacks at home, Hirai Confectionery's sweets come highly recommended.
Data on Hirai Confectionery (main store)
| Name | Hirai Confectionery (main store) |
|---|---|
| Address | 6697-5 Otsushima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-522-3077 |
| Parking | Available About 8 cars |
| Business Hours | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| Regular Holidays | None Closed only on New Year's Day |
| Payment Methods |
*PiTaPa, a transportation electronic money, is not accepted |
| Website | Hirai Confectionery, a long-established wagashi shop in Okayama and Kurashiki, for gifts |
