New Souvenir Confectionery "Prune Daifuku" Utilizing the Rich Sweetness of Saku City Prunes, From Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan's Top Prune Producer

Takachiho Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Kazuomi Kubota; hereinafter "Takachiho"), a souvenir wholesaler, will exclusively launch "Prune Daifuku," a new product using prunes from Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, at Michi-no-Eki Healthy Terrace Saku Minami starting Friday, April 3, 2026. This product encapsulates the rich sweetness and abundant flavor unique to Saku City prunes within a chewy daifuku, showcasing the appeal of local ingredients.

"Prune Daifuku" Launched from Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan's Top Prune Producer This product was developed against the backdrop of Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, achieving the highest prune harvest in Japan last year. It was born from the desire to utilize prunes, one of the region's representative fruits, and promote its appeal as a new souvenir.

Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, is blessed with an environment suitable for fruit cultivation, characterized by large day-night temperature differences and one of the highest sunshine hours nationwide. Prunes grown in such an environment in Saku City are known for their strong sweetness and rich flavor. This product uses prune puree from Saku City, creating a daifuku that highlights the natural taste of the ingredient. It is an exclusive product available only at Michi-no-Eki Healthy Terrace Saku Minami, where the rich sweetness of prunes spreads within the chewy dough.

Development Background and Future Outlook Last year, with Saku City prunes achieving the highest harvest in Japan, calls arose to create a souvenir product utilizing prunes, which marked the start of this product's development.

While prunes are highly nutritious and popular as a health food, their use as a confectionery ingredient is not yet widespread. Therefore, we explored various possibilities, aiming to create a product that would be familiar to many people while leveraging the natural taste of the ingredient.

Due to the limited examples of prune use in confectionery, it took time to select a manufacturer for production in the initial development stages. However, through repeated consideration, we concluded that daifuku could best bring out the gentle sweetness and moderate acidity of prunes, and proceeded with development. Subsequently, in cooperation with a daifuku manufacturer, after approximately 8 months of prototyping and improvements, "Prune Daifuku" was completed.

Given the current situation where there are not many souvenir products or confectionery items using prunes, our company will continue to expand the range of prune-based souvenirs and confectionery. Through initiatives to promote their appeal, we aim to contribute to enhancing the value of regional resources and promoting the charm of Saku City.

Company Profile Company Name: Takachiho Co., Ltd. Representative Director and President: Kazuomi Kubota Date of Establishment: February 28, 1949 Capital: 1 billion JPY Fiscal Year End: March 31 (once a year) Main Business Activities: Manufacturing and wholesale of tourist souvenirs, general Japanese and Western confectionery, outdoor goods sales, food and beverage, and real estate businesses. Head Office: 5888 Oomamejima, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, 381-0022 Japan TEL: 026-221-6677, FAX: 026-221-1346 URL: https://kk-takachiho.jp/