Rikuro Completely Renews Founding Sweet 'Gunbai Ozeki' for 70th Anniversary

Rikuro Co., Ltd. completely renewed its founding sweet 'Gunbai Ozeki' from recipe and method, launching May 8, 2026 for 330 yen. Pursuing an 'overall softness' where the dough, bean paste, and chestnut blend in the mouth, this ambitious product evolves a long-time staple. Rather than enhancing individual textures, it focuses on unified texture. The moist dough and glossy bean paste harmonize for a gentle melt-in-the-mouth feel. Gunbai Ozeki has been sold since 1956 when founder Rikuro Nishimura started manufacturing sweets alone and wholesaling by bicycle. The name combines 'Gunbai' (umpire's fan) for luck/victory and 'Ozeki' (champion rank), aiming higher than the top Yokozuna rank, reflecting the wish to deliver long-loved sweets. The developer rebuilt everything from scratch, including a new bean paste cooker, iterating to achieve the ideal glossy paste without being bound by stereotypes. Rikuro will continue to create products tailored to the times.