The development history of “a good life and rice” and the future we want to create

From May 2023, the online shop “Maedaya”, which sells additive-free dashi and ingredients, will open an official store and an owned media “Ii Life and rice” will be opened. In commemoration of this, we interviewed the Maeda family about the past and future, their daily lives, secret stories about development, and the future they want to create.

Kamameiya before starting the Maeda family

ーーThe Maeda family will be celebrating its 7th anniversary in September 2023, but it seems that you originally ran a restaurant. Why did you decide to start the Maeda family?

Representative Director, Mr. Maeda (hereinafter referred to as Maeda): When he was 19 years old, he started a delivery Kamameya, and Kamameya has grown into a restaurant that has been in business for 23 years. However, as I was running a restaurant, I was frustrated that it was impossible to deliver to all customers because the time when orders were concentrated was overlapped.

That's why I was fascinated by the ability to accept orders 24 hours a day on the Internet. At that time, online shopping was becoming a major business, so we started small and tested online sales, and as online sales gradually got on track, Kamameiya closed its 23-year history.

I want staff to value the time they spend with their children

Maeda: There is another reason for starting the Maeda family. When I was working in a restaurant, when a young staff member had a child, I couldn't go to the child's sports day because I was busy on Saturdays and Sundays, and I didn't have time to spend with my child.

We also wanted our staff to value the time they spend with their children , so we changed the business format significantly and launched the online shop "Maedaya".

Encounter with additive-free food and walls that cannot be easily created

ーーHow did you start manufacturing additive-free foods such as additive-free stock and dried fruits?

Maeda: An acquaintance of mine introduced a machine that can manufacture additive-free food, and it is a product that can be manufactured using patented technology. has begun.

Gradually, people began to search for "additive-free food", and when I saw the product actually selling, I was moved to think, "There are so many people in the world who want additive-free food." I learned the reality that there really is no such thing as

It is very difficult to actually produce additive-free food. For example, when developing oyster sauce, brown sugar is added, but if the brown sugar contains additives, it cannot be used. There was a wall that was not easy to build . Of course, we are also waiting for a strict inspection before selling.

Also, it took a lot of effort to make “Amazake”, which is popular at the Maeda family, additive-free. If you don't add vitamin C to amazake, the color will change. Even if the color changes, there is no problem with the quality, but some people complained that it looked bad.

It's hard to make safe and secure food, but it's really fun and joyful to be able to deliver what everyone thinks is really delicious after tasting it with all the employees.
All the employees go to the tasting and vote, and it's always a lot of fun.

The Maeda family's passion for the "house"

--Mr. Matsuoka, who has been the creative director of the Maeda family since December 2018, joined. It is said that they reconsidered the Maeda family's brand and renewed their logo and product packaging.

Mr. Matsuoka, creative director (hereafter, Matsuoka): We began by asking, "What is the Maeda family in the first place?" And we arrived at the point that the kanji character "house" included in the name "Maeda family" is to provide family-like connections, bonds, and relationships of trust through food.

Therefore, we launched a business division called “RichLife” to transmit the things and things that make our lives, and we can focus on living that we think is “good” from the perspective of health and safety, such as additive-free dashi and dried fruits. I turned the rudder to develop and disseminate products.

ーーThe launch of “Good Life and Rice” also fits the theme of transmitting the things and things that make up our lives.

Matsuoka: I have always had the idea of ​​creating a recipe site that uses the Maeda family's dashi stock, but I wanted to create content that would make people's lives better, other than just food, and media that would make people like the Maeda family more. It would be ideal to have both shops. So I launched "good life and rice". The name is also a simple media name that is easy to convey, with KW as the main name of "good life".

For each good life.

I'm sure there are still many things that can be done with "food".

ーーWhen you think about living a better life, for example, if you pay attention to what you eat, then you start to worry about the interior of your house, and you become interested in various things, which leads to a better life. What do you think is a good life?

Maeda: Isn't rice the number one basic? If you don't eat rice, you lose your health. If you lose your health, it becomes difficult to live. That's why I think food is the first start.

Matsuoka: I believe that one definition of a good life is the state in which important times and places are shared with oneself and loved ones, and one is able to cherish the time with peace of mind. After the recent corona disaster, we feel the importance of stress-free, and we believe that the demand for "time" and "place" will increase in the future. Food is one way to relieve stress, and creating a comfortable home also leads to stress-free living. So, I feel that a good life can be felt only when there is a "satisfaction level of one's own heart".

Ms. Yokoyama, Marketer (hereafter, Yokoyama): I think that all three of “body, mind, and money” are necessary for a good life. To take care of your body, start with food. An acquaintance of mine who is a chef once told me that the word “meal” means making people better. I think that's true.

Maeda: Your life changes depending on what you eat.

Matsuoka: It's interesting that everyone's answer to "good living" is different depending on age, gender, and life stage. I would like to develop "Good Life and Rice" into a medium that can convey good life from various perspectives. I would be happy if it would be an opportunity to think about a good life, "What is good food?"

Attention is recipes using additive-free dashi

ーーWhat is the most popular content in “Good Life and Rice”?

Maeda: It's definitely a recipe. In the recipe corner, you can learn how to use Maedaya products. Additives are delicious, but I want you to know that you can make delicious food without using chemical seasonings .
It's hard to make everything additive-free, but sometimes we consciously incorporate additive-free products. I would be happy if I could get a chance to do that.

Matsuoka: When you think "What should I eat today?" increase. I hope you enjoy watching it with your own eyes .

Yokoyama: We plan to prepare content that allows you to interact with the fans who love the Maeda family. In addition to creating a community where you can post recipes using Maedake's products, I would also like to develop new products together.

ーー“Good life and rice” is exactly like a “home” for the Maeda family and those who love it . Until now, we have opened stores in malls such as Rakuten, so I can't wait to see a project where we can directly connect with customers. I would also like to ask for names of people who would like to become fans of the Maeda family (laughs).

Maeda: From now on, we would like to develop not only additive-free foods, but also personal items that make a “better life” go beyond food. Please look forward to the future of the Maeda family.

The Maeda family's "Good life and rice" will be disseminating content related to life, including recipes. Stay tuned for updates.

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Members Introduction

Nobuaki Maeda

Representative Director of Maedake Co., Ltd. Founded Maedaya Co., Ltd. after starting a business at the age of 19 and running a Kamameshi delivery service for 23 years. Develops and sells food products, including additive-free soup stock. My hobby is visiting restaurants. I'm looking for something delicious and good for my body every day.

Ryunosuke Matsuoka

In charge of brand management and creative direction to design for the Maeda family.
Established DRAGON creative studio in 2018. We specialize in total production from brand creation from scratch, brand strategy planning from the current situation, planning, brand story development to design.

2021- Regular member of Japan Graphic Design Association (JAGDA)
2023- Chiba Designer Gakuin Web Design Course part-time lecturer

Tomoaki Yokoyama

In charge of marketing and product development at the Maeda family. After engaging in merchandising at Rakuten, etc., he became independent in 2017 aiming for a new work style that is not bound by place or time. My hobby is traveling. Relaxing in the hot springs, savoring the local cuisine, and slowly enjoying alcohol is the best! A recent favorite is Maedaya's "brown sugar soramame" with brown sugar shochu.

Minami Kiyama

who wrote this article. In charge of SNS and writing at the Maeda family. Independent after engaging in direct marketing at CyberAgent. With the vision of "a gentle life", we carry out corporate public relations. Also active as a writer. I live with a cat. Among Maedaya's products, I like coconut chips and additive-free consommé.