Koichi Yamada

The founder of Yamada Kyoto Corporation is my grandfather, Yutaka Yamada. He need to take sick days out often because he got sick easily. My grandfather rather made sesame oil “for the society and for the people.” From now on, heading to the 100th anniversary, I want to put effort into running our business overseas. I’ll continue to work hard.

The self-sufficiency rate of domestically produced sesame in Japan is less than 1%.

Carefully select the best-tasting sesame seeds from around the world and create our original blend. Sesame seeds contain about 55% oil, but extract only the most flavorful 27% for our oil, while the rest is used for other processed products. Using traditional pressing methods without any chemical processing, produce a first-press sesame oil. After pressing, the oil is washed with hot water and then left to rest. To remove excess moisture, use firewood, which gives the oil a beautiful, glossy color. It takes a full month to produce our sesame oil.

Henko sells freshly made sesame products daily at its flagship shop in Katsura, Kyoto. Customers from overseas also visit here. You can purchase incredible sesame-based items that are not available for export.

Adjacent to the flagship shop, also operate an Italian restaurant that features freshly made sesame products in abundance. Guests can enjoy sesame-inspired Italian cuisine served as a full course. The restaurant is popular with many repeat customers and is often fully booked.

In Japan, where vegetarian restaurants are still not very common, most of our customers are from overseas. They're often surprised by the high quality of our dishes. One of our most recommended items is the tantan noodle made with rich sesame paste. For breakfast, you can enjoy a traditional steamed basket set meal (seirou gozen).

Roasting sesame using professional technique without a manual. We finish roasting at the very best timing when sesame becomes flavorful using our senses of smell and taste. The roasting professionals eat about a bowl of sample sesames a day.

Atsushi Honda

Looking towards the next era, we aim to go beyond the logistics business and contribute to the local community and society at large, while achieving sustainable growth as a company through sustainable management. To make this a reality, we have started new projects such as the kikurage (wood ear mushroom) farm. Moving forward, we will continue to meet the expectations of our customers and society with our unique capabilities at Honda Logistics, and we will keep challenging ourselves and evolving.

You can purchase freshly made kikurage and a wide range of processed products. It is loved by the people of Kasugai City. There are many amazing items here that are not available for export.

Due to the need for careful humidity and temperature control, they are meticulously grown in greenhouse conditions year-round.

Japan's self-sufficiency rate is less than 5%, with most of the supply coming from China. In order to increase Japan's domestic self-sufficiency rate, we are seriously challenging ourselves to produce kikurage (wood ear mushrooms), going beyond the framework of a logistics company.

The kikurage, carefully cultivated, is thick, beautifully colored, and larger than the size of a palm. It’s a standout ingredient that can even replace meat. Despite its size, when cut, it can be used in a variety of dishes, offering a delightful texture to enjoy.

This initiative officially began in March 2017 with the aim of creating a rewarding workplace, including for staff with disabilities. We harvest 2,000 kilograms per month. The crops are grown organically—without pesticides or fertilizers.

The reason why by taking advantage of the temperature difference between day and night, we grow strong, resilient mushrooms. To ensure safety without relying on chemical treatments, we insist on handcrafting every step. We use a unique cultivation bed to bring out the best flavor. Once rehydrated, our dried wood ear mushrooms expand to eight times their original size.