kurakon


	We are the No.1 KOMBU seaweed company in Japan. Kurakon basically offers healthy and beneficial product,especially KOMBU seaweed,which are concidered particularly healthy. We hope you could learn about KOMBU seaweed through our website!


	Since ancient times, kombu and other seaweeds have been an indispensable part of Japanese people's diet. Rich in minerals and dietary fiber, seaweeds have recently been attracting attention as a healthy food from the viewpoint of preventing heart disease and cancer. Japanese people eat large amounts of kombu and other seaweeds, and are famous for having the world’s longest average life span. Their longevity is closely related to the fact that they eat more kombu and other seaweeds than any other people in the world. The benefits of eating seaweeds are now becoming more widely known globally. Kurakon Foods is a top manufacturer of kombu and other seaweed foods. Since its foundation in 1921, it has offered traditional Japanese foods in forms that meet the requirements of the modern lifestyle. We have created many hit products containing seaweeds nurtured by the sea and the sun. Our corporate philosophy is "to bring the blessings of nature to the table and bring delight to the people around it." It is our mission to delight the hearts and appetites of consumers through our kombu products.	Osaka Factory


	Environmental considerations are inherent in our activities because the ingredients used in our products are part of nature’s bounty. One of our factories is located in the midst of mountains, next to one of the clearest streams in Japan. In addition to ISO 14001 certification, the factory is engaged in a range of efforts to protect the environment, including a 90% reduction in waste as well as environmental activities in the area. We were honored to receive the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award in the Social Responsibility (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection) category of the Quality Companies in Food Industries Awards, the highest-level award in Japan in this field, for our factory’s environmental activities. We will continue vigorous efforts to protect the environment.


		Our primary responsibility is to provide safe, high quality products. In addition to ISO 9001 certification, we implement our own quality management system to conduct thorough control from inspection of ingredients to individual processes at each factory. The system also ensures the hygiene of food products, and we were honored to receive the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award for being a facility with excellent food hygiene, the highest-level award in Japan in this field. We will continue our efforts to further improve safety and quality of food products.


	To maintain a healthy diet throughout our lives and hand down the heritage of our food culture to succeeding generations, we need to have both a wide knowledge and the habit of thinking about what we eat. As part of our efforts to provide parents and children with opportunities to learn about food through fun activities, we hold parent-and-child cooking classes at elementary schools.

Japanese people eat a number of different seaweeds. Of these, kombu is regarded as the most luxurious, and has been used in many kinds of Japanese cooking for over a thousand years. Kombu is used to make one of the stocks that give Japanese dishes their underlying flavor, and is also used as an ingredient in its own right. Rich in many important nutrients, kombu offers superb health benefits.

	Rich in dietary fiber: Kombu contains plentiful amounts of alginic acid and fucoidan, both of which are types of water-soluble dietary fiber.		Rich in calcium: Kombu contains about six times as much calcium as does milk. Calcium is vital in the formation of bones and teeth, but many people fail to take a sufficient amount.
(Reference:Gotei Zoho Shokuhin Seibunhyo 2006)

[Quick-cooking products]
Our products offer an easy way for busy people to make traditional Japanese dishes. They consist of prepared ingredients and seasoning that can be quickly cooked.

[Kombu rolls]
Rolls of kombu with sweet soy sauce flavor. This is a traditional Japanese food with a long history. Each one handmade by a chef, a kombu roll is a piece of art that decorates a Japanese dinner table.

[Dashi kombu]
Natural kombu, simply cut and packaged. Placed in water (warm or cold) and taken out after a while, it makes a stock with a rich, natural flavor. It is used in most Japanese dishes to give them their underlying flavor.

[Kombu seasonings]
Seasonings rich in the nutrients contained in kombu greatly enhance the taste of food. They can be used in Japanese cooking as well as other dishes.

[Tororo kombu]
Sheets of kombu softened in vinegar, overlaid on top of each other, pressed, and shaved into thin fibers. They can be put in a soup or enjoyed with rice.

[Seaweed salad]
Seaweeds cut into small pieces and packaged. Seaweeds are rich in nutrients and contain minerals that humans cannot produce by themselves. Use as a salad.

[Shio kombu]
Thin strips of kombu simmered slowly with water, soy sauce and other seasonings, and sprinkled with salt and other flavorings. Shio kombu is often used as a filling for onigiri (rice balls), a popular Japanese food. It is also enjoyed with rice or used as seasoning.

[Furikake]
"Furikake" is a dry condiment to be sprinkled over rice. It is used to add flavor and nutrients to rice.

[Tsukudani]
Kombu cut into thin strips or small squares and cooked with sweet soy sauce flavoring, sometimes together with shiitake mushrooms, sesame or other ingredients. It is good to eat with rice.

[Boiled soybeans]
Soybeans cooked until soft and seasoned with soy sauce and other flavorings. They are eaten either as part of a meal or as a snack. Rich in nutrients, soybeans are attracting attention as a non-meat source of protein.

[Hiziki]
Hiziki, like kombu, is a type of seaweed. It is a healthy food rich in iron and calcium. Hiziki is usually cooked with soy sauce and other seasonings.

[Gifts]
Assorted kombu products for gifts. In Japan, kombu is considered an auspicious food. It is traditional to give kombu as a souvenir or a gift on happy occasions.

	Name		Kurakon Foods Corporation
	Corporate brand		kurakon
	Head office address		2-1-3 Shodaitajika, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1132 Japan
	Founded		July 1, 1921
	President		Keiji Dempo
	Lines of business		Processing and sales of food products (kombu, konbu, boiled soybeans, quick-cooking products, seaweeds, etc.)
	Offices		Osaka, Higashi-Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Takamatsu, Fukuoka, Sendai
	Factories		Osaka, Miyazaki

Miyazaki Factory

	1921		Founder Iwakichi Dempo starts business in Kita-ku, Osaka.
	1960		Oguraya Kombu Foods Corporation established.
	1982		Recognized by the Governor of Osaka Prefecture for excellence in food hygiene and application of employment insurance.
	1987		Recognized by the Governor of Osaka Prefecture for excellence in measurement.
	1995		Bimi Saisai, a seasoned matsutake mushroom and kombu product, receives the Governor of Osaka Prefecture Award.
	1996		Benizake Kombu Rolls receives the Governor of Osaka Prefecture Award.
	1996		Osaka Factory recognized by the Minister of Health and Welfare as an excellent facility.
	1997		Benizake Kombu receives the Director General of the Fisheries Agency Award.
	1997		Matsutake Kombu receives the Governor of Osaka Prefecture Award.
	2001		Obtains ISO 9001 certification.
	2003		Matsutake Kombu receives the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award of Japan at the 52nd National Processed Marine Food Exhibition.
	2003		Obtains ISO 14001 certification.
	2005		Receives the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award in the Social Responsibility (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection) category of the 26th Quality Companies in Food Industries Awards.
	2005		Receives the excellence award of the third Industrial Association of Miyazaki Prefecture awards for environmental activities and management policy of Kyushu Factory.
	2006		Receives the Asahi Advertising Award for the national corporate advertisement carried in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
	2006		Receives the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award of Japan as a facility with excellent food hygiene.