The founder of Kyoto Grain System Co., Ltd. began their journey by apprenticing in the art of Genmaicha manufacturing at the “Nakai Genmaicha Shop” located in Kyoto Tanabe City. After completing their apprenticeship, they went on to establish the company in Kameoka City, a town situated in the upper reaches of the Hozugawa Valley, leading to Kyoto’s Arashiyama.
Initially, the company primarily provided materials to tea manufacturers in Kyoto, such as roasted rice, barley tea, and roasted green tea. However, around 1990, there was a growing demand for the development of unsweetened tea in PET bottles for convenience stores, prompting many companies to enter the unsweetened tea beverage market. While the initial focus was on grain-based beverages like Genmaicha and barley tea, the company gradually shifted its production towards contract processing of materials rich in active ingredients.
In the year 2000, the company customized its processing equipment for Genmaicha and launched “Alpha Germinated Brown Rice,” a product that capitalized on the trend of germinated brown rice at the time. This product served as a catalyst, leading to requests for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partnerships from various food manufacturers in Japan.
Subsequently, the company introduced milling machines to support material development for the green juice trend, engaging in powder technology and material development for items such as matcha (green tea powder).
In recent years, with the rise of the health food and Japanese cuisine trends, the company has been involved in product planning and development to provide Japanese ingredients. Furthermore, they have also ventured into product development to address issues related to waste reduction and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The company takes pride in offering solutions to regional, societal, and corporate challenges at each of its facilities through the promotion of food culture and the application of its technological expertise.