Akito Araya, President and CEO of Salad Club Co., Ltd.

Continuing to challenge the power of connections

Akito Niiya, President and CEO of Salad Club Co., Ltd.

■ Profile
Born in Ehime Prefecture in 1974. After graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture at Ehime University in 1997, he joined Kewpie Corporation. After working in household sales in Tokyo, Osaka, Koriyama, and other departments, he was appointed General Manager of the Household Sales Department of the Regional Sales Headquarters in 2021. In February 2023, he was seconded to Salad Club as General Manager of the Sales Headquarters. He was appointed Director in February of the following year, Director and General Manager of the Marketing Headquarters in October 2024, and Representative Director and President in February 2025, a position he holds to this day.

Packaged salads are now a common sight in supermarkets. Salad Club, which pioneered this market, has grown based on its attitude of caring for people. Through relationships of trust with producers and efforts to reduce food waste, the company continues to promote a healthy eating culture. We spoke with President Shintani about the past and future of Salad Club, which continues to take on new challenges.

During my student days, my life revolved around club activities. I belonged to the karate club. With its strict hierarchical structure and dojo etiquette, the environment there could be described as a "microcosm of society." I feel that those times sharpened my mind, technique, and body, not just my technique, but also my manners, perseverance, and even how to interact with others. When I first joined the club, I couldn't keep up with the high level of those around me, and there were many things I couldn't do as I wanted. However, as I continued practicing and building my physical strength, I gradually accumulated moments where I was able to do things I hadn't been able to do before. I began to enjoy the process, and I grew to love karate itself more and more. Working hard with my teammates, growing together, and seeing the results of our efforts manifest in visible ways was also a great source of satisfaction.
I majored in nutrition at university. As I had been exercising regularly, I had a strong interest in the mechanisms of how nutrients are absorbed into the body and how they work, and so I began researching them. Many of my labmates were hoping to pursue research careers, but I wanted to work in a position that allowed me to interact directly with people, so I applied for a sales position.
The nutrition knowledge I learned back then wasn't immediately relevant to my work, but now I feel like I understand it not just as a word, but as a way of working with the body. I feel that what I learned has become a solid foundation for my work in the field of food and health.

A job that has fostered connections with people

My love of food and interest in nutrition led me to join Kewpie Corporation after graduating from university. One of my motivations for applying was that I ate a lot of salads on a daily basis while training my physique through karate, and I also liked mayonnaise.
After being assigned to a sales position, I was in charge of proposing products to supermarkets and creating sales areas. I began to feel that my job was not just to sell products, but also to gain the trust of others. When building relationships with customers, I made it a point to not just settle on superficial business. I always tried to think from the other person's perspective, and always acted with an awareness of what I could do for them and how I could exceed their expectations, even if just a little. These experiences built trust and I began to see what they really wanted.
At Salad Club, I am also responsible for connecting contracts with farmers, purchasing, and sales. We have contracts with around 400 production areas, so trusting relationships with producers are the foundation of our business. The ability to build trusting relationships with people that I developed during my time in sales is a major support. The more connections I have with people, the more I realize how important that is.

■What kind of work can contribute to society?

Salad Club was founded in 1999 through a joint investment by Kewpie and Mitsubishi Corporation. While packaged salads are now commonplace in supermarkets, we pride ourselves on being the pioneers that opened up this market. It all started when we noticed the growing demand in Europe and the United States for pre-cut vegetables, which reduce the effort required for cooking.
We believe Salad Club currently has three major strengths. The first is our commitment to valuing our producers. Even when harvest yields fluctuate due to factors such as weather, we have a system in place to purchase vegetables at a uniform price, ensuring a stable income for our farmers. Furthermore, as a reflection of our people-centered corporate culture, in 2026 we closed all our factories on New Year's Day for the first time. We believe these efforts also contribute to building trust. The second is our commitment to reducing food waste. We have continually addressed the challenge of how to maintain the freshness of vegetables without relying on preservatives, and have succeeded in extending expiration dates. Extending expiration dates not only reduces waste but also provides convenience for consumers by allowing them to buy in bulk. The third is our ability to propose ideas as part of the Kewpie Group. Our strength lies in our ability to propose recipes that combine a wide variety of products, including dressings and seasonings. This allows us to offer a delicious eating experience, rather than simply purchasing vegetables. In the future, we hope to use Salad Club to further establish a healthy food culture in society.

■Message to university students

Finally, my message to students is to "challenge yourself without fear of failure." As the slogan of the Kewpie Group's current medium-term management plan, "Change & Challenge," suggests, society and the environment are constantly changing, and the status quo will not necessarily continue. That's why I think it's important to think for yourself and take action independently, rather than simply doing what you're told. The first step is to "be curious." Taking on challenges as if they were your own will open the door to a new world. Even if you fail, there will always be someone who will see and help you. Every individuality can be a strength. Take on challenges with a positive attitude and a smile. It's also important to immerse yourself in various communities and meet diverse people. Exposing yourself to values ​​outside your own is also a major challenge. This is an attitude I hope you will cherish not only during your student years, but also after you enter the workforce.

Student Newspaper Online Interview January 28, 2026 Interview by Sakura Yamashita, 1rd year student at Tsuda University

Musashino University third-year student Yoshimatsu Akina / Josai International University second-year student Watanabe Yurie / Tsuda University third-year student Yamashita Sakura / Tokyo Kasei University second-year student Shinoda Hinano / Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences third-year student Shoji Haruna