Interview with Hiroyuki Koide of Setouchi Engineering, which operates Sakaedo
Shimaya Seika Sakaedo carries on the flavors of Japanese and Western confectionery from the former long-established Yayoi-do.
We interviewed Hiroyuki Koide of the Administration and General Affairs Division at Setouchi Engineering Co., Ltd., which operates Sakaedo.
We asked him about the circumstances behind its opening and its future plans.
Deciding to take over the shop to preserve the flavors rooted in Mizushima
I heard that Sakaedo opened to carry on the products and flavors of the long-established Yayoi-do. How did that come about?
Koide (titles omitted)
Our company’s chairman, Hiroshi Kirino of Setouchi Engineering, had been a regular customer at Yayoi-do for many years.
About two months before Yayoi-do closed, Kirino heard from its owner and confectioner, Issei Morinaga, that the shop would be closing.
Kirino felt that the sweets and flavors rooted in Mizushima must not be allowed to disappear, so he decided to take over the shop and approached Morinaga.
Morinaga apparently thought it over for a while.
But in the end, he decided, “I’ll keep going a little longer.”
In response, Kirino established a confectionery division within the company.
Then our company opened a new shop, Sakaedo, where Morinaga began working as a confectioner.
For the new shop, we used a property our company had acquired earlier, next to our head office building.
The former shop was called Yayoi-do because it was in Yayoi-cho, so we named the new shop Sakaedo because it is in Sakae-cho.
“Shimaya” in “Shimaya Seika” comes from the name of Chairman Kirino’s family home.
The shop’s seal is also the Kirino family crest.
Incidentally, the chairman wrote the characters for the shop’s name himself.
Yayoi-do closed in June 2017, and Sakaedo opened on February 1, 2018.
Why did Yayoi-do have to close?
Koide
There was no successor.
Issei Morinaga was the third-generation owner, but there was no one to take over.
It seems they decided it would be difficult to keep the shop going because of Morinaga’s age and physical condition.
Preserving the flavors and techniques from the Yayoi-do era while also applying Setouchi Engineering’s own technology
What makes Sakaedo special?
Koide
Above all, it’s the flavors passed down from the Yayoi-do era.
Genpei monaka has been a popular product since the shop first opened.
Castella and Italian rolls were also popular at Yayoi-do.
The methods of making them are also almost the same as at Yayoi-do.
In particular, our black and white chunky bean pastes, used in monaka, are our specialty.
We take care in selecting ingredients, including Dainagon azuki beans from Hokkaido and rare white azuki beans.
Another specialty since becoming Sakaedo is that we use Setouchi Engineering’s 3D-printing technology to make molds for monaka wafers.
This is a new strength unique to our company, made possible by Setouchi Engineering taking over the shop.
With this technology, we can make all kinds of monaka.
It would be exciting to see more collaborations with various companies
What are your future plans, or things you would like to try?
Koide
One thing is, of course, passing on the flavors and techniques of Yayoi-do that we inherited to future generations.
Another is making the most of the unique strength Setouchi Engineering has developed: making monaka wafers using a 3D printer.
And it would be exciting to create products in collaboration with various companies and others!
We’ve also recently installed a new steamer and upgraded our production facilities, and we now have a second Sakaedo factory.
We’ve also added new products such as mochi and manju.
We want to preserve the history of the Yayoi-do era while also taking on new challenges.
Sakaedo carries on the flavors and history of a long-established shop
Yayoi-do had been beloved in Mizushima since 1950.
For a time, its sweets, flavors, and techniques seemed on the verge of disappearing, but they were revived thanks to Setouchi Engineering’s passionate desire to “protect flavors rooted in the community and pass them on to future generations.”
Another appealing aspect of Sakaedo is its active development of new products and collaborative products using Setouchi Engineering’s 3D-printing technology.
Be sure to try its traditional flavors, including Genpei monaka and Sakaedo castella, as well as unique products developed using those traditional flavors, such as wisteria-flower monaka and collaborative monaka.
Shimaya Seika Sakaedo details
| Name | Shimaya Seika Sakaedo |
|---|---|
| Address | 8-2 Mizushima Nishisakae-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-448-0001 |
| Parking | Available ・Parking for 2–3 cars is available at Setouchi Engineering’s lot to the west ・A one-hour free parking ticket is available when parking at the Kurashiki City Mizushima Higashisakae-cho Parking Lot |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Sunday |
| Payment methods |
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| Website | Shimaya Seika Sakaedo |
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