vol.16 “ &mog Bar – A Night of Talking About the Future, Connecting with Food ” will be held. What is Kagome’s health service business, which aims to solve social issues through food? [Mitsui Fudosan x Kagome ]
Second ” &mog Bar ” was held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the dining bar “Genomic Giraffe” in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. This time, special guest was Takahiro Yuchi of Kagome Co., Ltd. , who spoke about the key points for creating new businesses and innovation , including health services, drawing on his own experiences. Around 20 people, including players in the food business, startups, and those interested in innovation, gathered at the venue and enjoyed food and drinks while deepening their connections.
First, let’s introduce Kagome and Yuchi. Kagome is a food manufacturer founded in 1899 by Aichi Prefecture farmer Ichitaro Kanie. The company offers a wide range of products, including beverages and foods made from vegetables and fruits, as well as seasonings, fresh vegetables, commercial products , and mail-order products . Since 2016 , the company has adopted the vision of “From a tomato company to a vegetable company,” and is actively engaged in health service businesses aimed at resolving the lack of vegetables among consumers .
Yuchi joined Kagome in 2004 and has worked in sales positions in Osaka and Kyushu, before gaining experience in a wide range of tasks, including launching new products and marketing. His first involvement in product planning was the ” Vegetable Lifestyle 100 ” Refresh Series, which was launched in 2011 , and for this he visited farmers in Okinawa.
“The ‘Vegetable Life 100 ‘ seasonal limited series is based on the concept of ‘ local production, all consumption ‘ , using agricultural products from all over Japan to allow people all over the country to enjoy the local flavors that can only be tasted in that season . Our sole desire is to support Japanese agriculture,” says Yuchi.
Furthermore, during my time in sales, I also faced some unique challenges.
“When the vegetable juice “Pray for Passing Exams with This One Bottle” was released, I came up with the idea of selling it at shrines, targeting students taking entrance exams . Normally, it’s not allowed to sell products with JAN codes on shrine grounds , but I called the shrine in Kyushu where I was working at the time and asked if I could do it. Some people in the company said, ‘Who would buy vegetable juice at a shrine in the middle of winter? ‘ But when I actually tried it, sales were much better than I expected ( laughs). What I learned from this experience is that if you don’t get caught up in existing rules or concepts, and you put your will into action and do what you want to do, results will follow. Do what you want to do, not what someone else tells you to do. I still hold this attitude to this day.”
2018 with the aim of eliminating the lack of vegetables people consume and extending healthy life expectancy . The division develops and sells services to companies and local governments that support behavioral change to improve eating habits and promote health.
“The Health Business Division aims to change the awareness and behavior of consumers through initiatives other than just products. For example, our Vegetable and Lifestyle Registered Dietitian Lab employs employees who are certified registered dietitians, who act as lecturers and hold fee-paying seminars on topics such as improving eating habits, reducing salt intake, and women’s health. We also developed the Veggie Check in collaboration with the German company Biozoom Services . This device displays estimated vegetable intake by simply placing the palm of your hand over the sensor, and is characterized by its simplicity, allowing you to see results in just a few seconds. We began renting and leasing this device in 2019 as a health promotion support tool for companies and local governments.”
According to Yuchi, all of these are new businesses that utilize the company’s assets and were born from collaboration both inside and outside the company with the aim of solving social issues related to food and health. As of June 2025 , the total number of participants in the seminars has exceeded 32,000 , and the number of “Vege Check” units installed has exceeded 5,500 .
Furthermore, a ” Nutrition to Potassium Ratio Improvement Program” was launched in March 2024. The Natrition to Potassium Ratio (the ratio of sodium to potassium excreted in urine) is related to the risk of high blood pressure and is considered an important indicator for improving the dietary habits of Japanese people. This program, along with the “Vegetable Check” and urine tests, encourages behavioral changes regarding vegetable intake and improvement of the Natrition to Potassium Ratio.
“When we were commercializing the Na-K Ratio, we were asked some tough questions: ‘Why is Kagome providing services and raising awareness about high blood pressure prevention?’ When it comes to new businesses and innovations, it is essential to have clear grounds and evidence to answer the ‘why?’ asked by those around us. The health service business we are engaged in is fundamentally different in nature from departments that manufacture and sell products , and does not generate immediate profits. Within this, how can we collaborate with other companies, including established players, and drive the business forward? This is the key to contributing to the company’s profits .”
One example is the shooting game “Exciting! Colorful Vegetable VR ,” which was exhibited and unveiled at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo . This is experiential content developed by Kagome using the PHR (Personal Health Record) initiative promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry . Set inside a VR -recreated body, players use a weapon (a vegetable gun) to fight evil enemies that damage their health. The game is linked to NTT Docomo’s “Health Mileage” and Kagome’s “Vegetable Quest,” an app for encouraging people to eat more vegetables, encouraging them to have fun while eating more.
” At the Expo site, we also prepared a mechanism that changes the strength of weapons depending on the vegetable intake level measured by the ‘Vege Check’. It seems that we need not only to appeal logically to the effects and benefits of vegetables, but also to take a right-brain approach, such as games and entertainment. In the future, we would like to work with the GIGA School Initiative to create an environment where children can naturally become familiar with vegetables and healthy habits.”
After Yuchi’s presentation, there was a free talk session with the participants. While enjoying cocktails made with Kagome vegetable juice, there was a lively exchange of opinions on the outlook for businesses centered on food and health, and on creating innovation within companies. The venue was a harmonious place for interaction, and the event ended on a high note.
Takahiro Yuchi
He is the manager of the Health Service Development Group in the Health Business Department at Kagome Co., Ltd., and a health and productivity management expert advisor. He joined Kagome in 2004 and has experience in a wide range of internal roles, including sales, product planning, marketing, and new business development. He also actively participates in external consortium activities and local urban development activities. As a health and productivity management expert advisor, he supports corporate health and productivity management and lectures at universities .
Text : Kimiko Honma
Photo : Yoshiko Yoda
