Shiose, established in 1349, is Japan’s longest-standing confectionary. We are one of the country’s most traditional companies, and have helped shape Japanese food culture to what it is today. Lin Jingyin, the first-generation head of Shiose and descendant of famous Chinese poet Lin Bu, arrived in Japan from China in 1349. Jingyin was skilled at making manju (steamed buns) stuffed with meat, and became the first in Japan to create manju with sweet bean paste and other sweet pastes, for the vegetarian monks. He later settled in Nara and started a manju shop that became popular with the upper class, with his manjus later presented to the emperor, and becoming known throughout the country as the first wagashi (Japanese confectionery). The confectioneries became the favorite of many a shogun, with the shop named Japan’s best manju shop by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, and even receiving a family crest from Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. By the Edo Period, the shop had showed up on guide books as Japan’s best confectionary, with descriptions of people vying to purchase the confectioneries. Later, Shiose became the first confectionary to be appointed to the Ministry of the Imperial Household, and was often called upon by His Majesty to design the arrangements for banquets.

We are also well-versed in the art of tea. Lin Somi, descendant of Lin Jingyin, studied tea with the most famous tea master in Japan, Sen-no-Rikyu, married his granddaughter, and had a tremendous impact on the world of tea.

Today, we are a food company that offers healthy food products such as confectioneries and tea, made with quality Japanese ingredients, primarily from Hokkaido. Our work, as one of Japan’s longest-standing companies, has always been to take on new challenges in order to bring comfort to people’s hearts, through their eyes and taste buds.