Arya News - In recent years, instead of focusing solely on plain anko, producers have developed a diverse range of products.
TOKYO – Producers of anko sweet bean paste — an essential ingredient of traditional Japanese wagashi sweets — have long supplied plain, unsweetened anko to wagashi shops. However, the increased accessibility and wider selection of wagashi at convenience stores and supermarkets has caused numerous small wagashi shops to close, resulting in a decrease in the number of anko manufacturers nationwide.
To survive this situation, some anko producers have recently focused on developing various products in addition to plain anko and expanded their sales channels.
Anko is mainly made from azuki red beans, but it can also include other beans, sweet potatoes and chestnuts. Producers usually sweeten it before offering it to consumers.
According to Nichianren, a national federation of anko producers, the number of anko companies in their organization fell from 865 in 1989 to 223 in 2026.
“The decline in the number of wagashi shops has greatly affected us,” said Toyohiko Naito, the federation’s chairman. “The lack of successors and the financial burden of upgrading equipment are also contributing factors in business closures,” he added.
In recent years, instead of focusing solely on plain anko, producers have developed a diverse range of products. In response to requests from bakeries, Western-style pastry shops and sweets-making classes, these producers use various ingredients to create sweetened anko by mixing sugar and other sweeteners into plain anko.
Matsubara Ann Co. in Kobe has developed as many as 630 varieties of anko to date. The currently available products, arranged on plates, have various colors and flavors, such as light blue for ramune cider, pink for white peach and cream for cream cheese.
The production strategy began when the company received a request for “unusual types of anko” from an anpan sweet bean paste bun shop. The company started creating various new flavors, such as matcha, chestnut and yuzu, and eventually had a desire to develop products that would surprise consumers.
Liquids that normally lose their flavor when cooked at high temperatures, such as ramune and red wine, can be turned into heat-resistant jelly. This jelly is then mixed into the anko, creating products that fully preserve the liquids’ taste and aroma.
After hearing back that customers didn’t like the texture, the company researched emulsification techniques and achieved a smooth, creamy finish.
The company’s chairman, Hiroshi Matsubara, 75, has been developing a wider range of new products with the belief that “we must not rest on our laurels.”
This approach has been well-received not only by wagashi shops but also bakeries and pastry shops.
Katsuhiro Kinoshita stands besides an anko vending machine in Koto Ward, Tokyo.
The company began selling its diverse range of anko for home use around 2020. As anko is decreasingly used and consumed at home, the company decided to sell its products to general consumers, too.
Customers can choose from a wide selection of anko to eat as a snack as it is or can use it to make dorayaki pancakes, waffles and mizu yokan soft bean cake. Anko can also be spread on crackers.
The company has also actively promoted the appeal of anko. In 2020, it created an online community called Anko University for anko enthusiasts. In 2024, it opened “Antena,” an anko shop.
Some anko producers have started selling anko by the gram and producing and selling their own anko sweets to general consumers.
Kinoshita Seianjo, an anko producer in Koto Ward, Tokyo, devised a new sales method to increase its engagement with general consumers.
In June, the company installed a vending machine on its property facing the sidewalk where customers can purchase 500-gram packs of anko. The machine offers tsubuan coarse red bean paste, koshian smooth red bean paste, matcha- flavored anko, sesame-flavored anko and a variety of seasonally flavored anko, such as chestnut-flavored anko.
“We wanted to create an environment where people could easily buy anko,” said Katsuhiro Kinoshita, 37, the company’s managing director. “We especially hope the younger generations will become familiar with it.”
The company is seeing positive results, with monthly sales to general consumers nearly doubling the initial projections. Some people enjoy eating anko as it is or adding it to their coffee.
“First, we hope people will feel close to anko and incorporate it into their daily dining at home. Beyond that, we hope they will develop an interest in Japanese culture, especially the tradition of enjoying different wagashi sweets depending on the season or special occasion,” Kinoshita said.
Naito of the Nichianren federation said, “We will work to raise public awareness of anko shops.”
“It is the role of anko producers to revitalize the culture of eating anko,” he added. “We want to develop new products and also suggest ways to enjoy anko at home.”
Meat substitute since ancient times
It is believed that “an” was introduced to Japan from China during the Asuka period (late 6th century to early 8th century) or later. A type of bun with a meat-based filling called an was brought to Japan. It is said that anko was used as a substitute for the meat-based filling in temples where eating meat was prohibited.
According to the Nichianren federation, the anko industry developed during the Meiji era (1868-1912). As demand for wagashi grew and the variety of confections diversified, anko production, which had previously been handled by confection manufacturers, became a specialized industry.
Later, Yusaku Kitagawa, from present day Shizuoka City, invented machinery such as a bean peeling machine. Together with Ikutaro Naito, he established mechanized anko production techniques. At a shrine in the city stands a stone monument with the inscription “Birthplace of Anko Production.”