Asahi Group Foods Co., Ltd. Marketing Division 2, Amano Foods Brand Product Development Manager Chisato Yoshioka / Marketing Division 2, Amano Foods Brand Advertising and Promotion Manager Miho Nomura

"Your body is your capital." We pursue the richness of food through technology and wisdom.

Asahi Group Foods Co., Ltd. Marketing Department 2, Amano Foods Brand Product Development Officer, Chisato Yoshioka

Asahi Group Foods Co., Ltd. Marketing Department 2, Amano Foods Brand Advertising and Promotion Officer, Nomura Miho

Amano Foods is a pioneer in freeze-dried foods. We spoke to Chisato Yoshioka and Miho Nomura, both members of the marketing department, about their passion for food, from what led them to join the company to the behind-the-scenes of product development and how they interact with customers.

■Reasons for joining the company

Yoshioka: What made me decide to join the company was an illness I experienced as a university student. At the time, my seminar professor told me, "Your body is your capital," and I keenly felt that without a healthy body, you can't do anything. The basis of good health is adequate nutrition. That experience made me strongly want to work in the food industry. Above all, my desire to sell foods that I truly believe are "delicious" was the biggest reason I decided to join Asahi Group Foods out of all the food companies.

Nomura: For me, my motivation in life is to eat delicious food with energy. For that reason, I first wanted to work in the food industry. I also wanted to eventually work in marketing, in product development and advertising/sales promotion, where I would be on the "communicating side." What made me decide to work at Asahi Group Foods was that during the interview process, I felt that the company culture was one where it was easy to listen to my requests, and I could sense the niceness of the employees and the positive atmosphere.

■Using freeze-drying technology to deliver delicious food to customers

Yoshioka (Product Development): I'm currently in the Marketing Department and involved in product development. At Amano Foods, we currently develop products based on short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies. One unique feature is that we have our own factory in Okayama. When developing products, we work not only with the Marketing Department, but also with the Development Department and the Okayama factory to advance the project. Our products utilize freeze-drying technology to offer a "delicious taste" that is not available from our competitors. It takes at least six months from planning to commercialization. The most difficult part is creating the flavor. It takes about a week to create a prototype, so the challenge is that you don't know the final taste until you pour hot water over it and it's ready.

Nomura (Advertising and Promotion): I am mainly in charge of advertising and promotion. I work to raise awareness of the Amano Foods brand to as many people as possible, and to help those who are already aware of the brand to deepen their understanding of it. Specifically, I am in charge of communicating through owned media such as the brand website and official social media accounts, as well as producing and distributing web videos. The most difficult part of this job is getting clear on "what I want to communicate to whom." During the production process, I sometimes find myself wavering in favor of more unique expressions, but I always go back to the purpose I established at the beginning - "why am I running this advertisement" - and try to think about "what is the most important thing we want to communicate as the Amano Foods brand" and "what expression will most resonate with the people we want to reach."

■ Uncompromising commitment to the pursuit of deliciousness and a unique marketing strategy

Yoshioka: The most important thing we are conscious of when developing products is not to compromise on taste. That's why we try to visit the research labs where flavors are created as much as possible and speak directly with the people in charge. Sometimes the people at the research labs use ingredients we're unfamiliar with, so we ask them questions like, "Why did you use this?" and "Why did you choose this combination?", and try to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the combination. In addition, in order to understand consumer needs, we not only look at market data and competitor trends, but all of our team members also try to keep up with "social trends," such as the increase in dual-income households.

Nomura: As pioneers in freeze-dried foods, we place great importance on our technical capabilities and commitment to deliciousness. For example, our popular eggplant miso soup requires deep-frying the eggplant before adding it, an extra step that is difficult to do at home. This brings out the eggplant's juicy texture and rich flavor. Amano Foods is also particular about not sparing any time or effort to ensure deliciousness, such as changing the type and mix of miso and dashi to suit the ingredients.
Furthermore, we are working to spread information closely related to daily life to those seeking high-quality products, and to use this as a point of contact to raise awareness of Amano Foods. We provide information useful for daily life, such as trivia about ingredients and recipes from chefs, to people who value quality of life and love cooking, and also take an approach that allows them to learn about Amano Foods products, which allow you to enjoy the "freshly made deliciousness in an instant." We are making efforts to raise awareness in a way that is in line with the lives of our customers, so as not to be a one-sided imposition by the company.

■ Connect with fans through "experiences" and make the brand more familiar

Yoshioka: I would like to develop Amano Foods into a more approachable brand. Our company's message often focuses on functional aspects such as time-saving and convenience, but I want to convey our uncompromising commitment to taste and our desire to be of service to our customers through the provision of information that is useful in everyday life. Currently, some people may think that our products are "expensive and out of reach," but I would like to make Amano Foods a brand that blends seamlessly into everyday life.

Nomura: I would like to continue creating opportunities for customers to experience our products. I am confident that the quality of our products will be apparent once someone has tried them. That is why we held a tasting event where we offered a set of rice balls and Amano Foods miso soup for 100 yen. In the future, I would like to strengthen the Amano Foods fan community and further expand opportunities for two-way communication with fans. Events such as the factory tour event we held recently in Okayama, where participants were able to see and experience the manufacturing process with their own eyes, were well received, so I would like to continue to hold more such experience events in the future.

■Message to university students

Yoshioka: It's truly wonderful that you are all putting all your effort into the activities in front of you. On top of that, I think it's good to experience as many things as possible while you have the time as a university student. Once you enter the workforce, it becomes difficult to take long trips. The memories and experiences you make on your travels will nourish you and will come in handy someday, even if you don't know what they will lead to at the time. I hope you enjoy what you want to do and don't give up.

Nomura: I have two messages for university students. The first is to do one thing "with intention." When you have plenty of free time during your university years, it's easy to just go by inertia (though of course, that time is also very important), but if you can create even one experience where you acted on your own initiative, it will be beneficial for your job search and your life afterwards. The second is to cherish and remember what you're feeling now. After a few years in the workforce, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand the true feelings of a student. The things you thought "I wish things had been like this" as a student, and your pure intuition, are extremely valuable and can serve as a starting point for your approach in any job, not just marketing.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 29, 2025 by Ayuki Erikawa, a first-year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation

Showa Women's University second-year student Abe Rurika / Aoyama Gakuin University first-year student Matsuyama Ayami / Yoshioka Chisato / Nomura Miho / Tokyo Kasei University second-year student Shinoda Hinano / Information Management and Innovation Professional University first-year student Erikawa Ayuki