From Angel Pie to Hi-Chew
Hearing the name of Morinaga & Co., Ltd will likely conjure images of Koeda or Dars to many Japanese; but in the U.S., many think of Hi-Chew instead. As for myself, born in Japan in the 1960s, the products that represent Morinaga are Angel Pie and Milk Caramel. I recall being particularly struck by the unique marshmallow and chocolate combination of Angel Pie. I still remember how impressed my young self was to discover such a fascinating food.
On the other hand, my daughter, who was born in California in 2002, has been enjoying Hi-Chew since her middle school years. I remember when I proudly told her “Hi-Chew is a Japanese product!” Her reply was a simple “ah ok,” indicating that the Japanese origin did not matter much to her.
My only association to Morinaga & Co., Ltd. has been as a consumer, and I always assumed that the connection between Morinaga and America started recently as the company begun to explore the U.S. market before Hi-Chew’s popularity took off. After a recent interview, however, I learned of the deep connection the company founder Taichiro Morinaga had with America. Keita Morinaga, Taichiro’s great-grandson, told me about this connection. Keita now works for the American division of the company and lives in Southern California. This is the history of the establishment of Morinaga & Co., Ltd., according to Keita.
“Taichiro was originally from Imari City in Saga Prefecture and was involved in the ceramics business. He started to work for a ceramics merchant in Yokohama when he was 19, but after the company went bankrupt, Taichiro came to America to sell the remaining inventory. However, the value of Japanese ceramics was not understood in the US; the goods were sold at a very low price, which made it difficult for Taichiro to return to Japan. He remained in the US and worked several jobs, including as a school janitor. He was fascinated by the nutritious candy assortments that the school kids were eating; so he decided to bring such candy to Japan by first becoming an apprentice at a confectionery company in Oakland for many years.
“Taichiro returned to Japan in 1899, after 11 years in the US. He founded the company Morinaga Seiyo Gashi Seizousho (Morinaga Western Confectionery) in Akasaka, Tokyo, the same year. Marshmallows were originally the main product, but such western confections were not known to the Japanese. Taichiro loaded the show case onto a cart and went around selling the goods. Over time, he established regular clientele among those who used to live in the US and the staff of the American Embassy, and Morinaga’s candies gained visibility little by little.”
Contribution to the community through confectionery
Morinaga Seiyo Gashi Seizousho was founded in 1899, and the well-known angel logo was trademarked six years later. The angel mark has also become a well-known staple in the American market.
“During his time in America, Christianity was an important support system to Taichiro, who experienced racial discrimination. He had a difficult time finding a place to train. An old Christian couple was kind to him during this time, and that led him to convert. It is understood that the desire to make a social contribution by bringing nutritious treats to Japanese children was more important for Taichiro than his own commercial ambition. Taichiro used the company’s angel logo to symbolize his desire to spread love in the community.”
He wanted to “contribute to the community through his confections,” and the result of that effort is evident today. Taichiro was at the helm of his company until 1935, and after his retirement, he dedicated his life to Christian missionary work.
Keita, the founder’s great-grandson, is currently vice president of Morinaga America. His new challenge is to penetrate the market with a gel-drink named Chargel. Asked if he always knew he would work for Morinaga, he said his childhood dream was to become a movie director. “I love Hollywood movies, and especially after watching the Indiana Jones movie I wanted to make my own movie.” After graduating from university in 1996, however, he started working for Morinaga & Co., Ltd. He worked at the company branch in New Jersey and factory in North Carolina, and he also spent four years at the company’s European office in Amsterdam to gain experience in overseas business.
Bringing Japanese-made products to the world
Taichiro, the founder, went to America and found his dream of introducing western confections to the Japanese market. I asked Keita if he gained a new perspective after working overseas in Holland and the U.S.
“I experienced looking at Japan as a country, and Morinaga products, from the outside. I developed a clear intention to cultivate the overseas market for our products beyond Hi-Chew. I am proud of the high quality of Morinaga products. Taichiro emphasized the importance of selling only high-quality products and strongly wished to market what is made by the Japanese to the world. Hi-Chew is now widely appreciated on a global scale. Our delicious products are understood by all. They are not recognized as Japanese products, but being accepted as domestic goods leads to greater success. We want to introduce high-quality Morinaga products besides Hi-Chew, including the gel-drink Chargel and other products.”
The last question I asked Keita was about his own identity.
“I am clearly Japanese. Living overseas, I feel that Japan is highly trusted. Taichiro used to say that the most important foundation for business is to be trusted as a human being; if you neglect that, the result will not be good. That is why, even though he was discriminated against in America and had a hard time finding a place to train in his confectionery craft, he persisted and continued to work, as if he was clinging to a rock... and finally learned the craft of western candy-making.”
© 2025 Keiko Fukuda
