Lunch with Chairman Hiroshi Saito, founder of Japan’s largest confectionery maker “Chateraise”.
Speedy is a brand consultant for the company.

Saito-san was born in 1934 in Koshu City (formerly Katsunuma Town), Yamanashi Prefecture, and is now 85 years old.
He leads a huge company with sales of 66.2 billion yen (FY3/2019) and approximately 2,500 employees (consolidated).

In 1964, in his hometown of Katsunuma-cho, Higashi-Yamanashi-gun (present-day Koshu City), he established Yamato Ice Cream Co. and began producing and selling ice cream. At first, the company was unable to make a profit due to being pushed out by major manufacturers, but it sold ice cream puffs combined with cream puffs, which it had been researching and developing together with ice cream, for 10 yen. This policy of “selling developed products at low prices” would be reflected in the confectionery business that followed.

There are lots of fun brojects coming up. Above all, I am always inspired by Chairman Saito’s venture spirit.