November 11, 2022
TOKYO – A Tokyo sweet manufacturer famous for its Sakuma-shiki Drops canned candy will cease operations on Jan. 20, it has been learned.
Toshima Ward-based Sakumaseika Co. has informed its business partners it will not be able to continue operations due to “surging costs of raw materials,” among other reasons.
Sakuma-shiki Drops first hit shelves in 1908 at the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912). The product saw a resurgence in popularity decades later after the canned candy appeared in the acclaimed 1988 anime “Grave of the Fireflies.”
However, the company struggled to develop other hit candies amid stiff competition from rival firms that sold cheaper products.
Sakuma Confectionery Co., the manufacturer of a similar tinned candy called Sakuma Drops, said Sakumaseika’s announcement will not have an impact on its operations.
Sakuma Drops manufactured by Sakuma Confectionery Co.
Courtesy of Sakuma Confectionery Co.