The two-story “Ice FACTORY” has a total floor area of about 2,300 square meters.
It was built adjacent to the existing ice cream factory.
The new factory cost about 4 billion yen.
Production capacity has increased by 1.3 times, allowing the production of approximately 400 million Azuki Bars per year.
The background to this is the “intense heat.”
“Due to the recent climate changes with extreme heatwaves, further facility expansion was necessary to ensure a stable supply of products,” said the company president.
This is a graph showing the sales volume of the Azuki Bar series.
In fiscal year 2025, approximately 340 million bars were sold, a 30% increase from six years ago.
And more!
“We want to make this factory a place that can launch the next-generation Azuki Bar,” said the president.
Next-generation Azuki Bar!? The reporter delved into what kind of new products they might be.
Q. What about the appearance and flavor?
“There could be a premium version with plenty of beans. Or combinations like a thin coating of chocolate or fruit around the Azuki Bar, which we’ve never tried before,” said the deputy general manager of product development.
Q. When will they be released?
“I can’t say for sure, but we are considering fiscal year 2027 or later,” the deputy general manager said.
In addition to the Azuki Bar, the company is also considering developing new products such as fruit bars and health-focused ice bars.
Q. Why are you looking to create new products now?
“While cherishing the Azuki Bar, we want to sell products that add new value,” the president said.
