This isn't the first time I've been questioned for my choice in the 2"x10" package. I was in San Francisco and had an opportunity to catch up with an ex-colleague visiting from Tokyo. I sent him some snack samples a couple of months ago since I'm interested in introducing my snacks to the japanese market. He shared his amusing experience consuming our products and simply asked, "How to eat?"  He attempted the scenarios above-eating out of his hand, eating out of a bowl, and ultimately pouring the goods directly in his mouth from the bag...not pretty and not sure which experience was the best.

A friend introduced me to Long Track Foods in Kamakura Japan. Excited to have the opportunity to share samples with the owner of the shop.  site

We have a couple of new ideas we want to play with. I've been wanting to create a snack with sesame seeds. Our first idea was to combine my favorite, kinako with black sesame seeds, crunchy rice cereal, organic maple syrup, raw almond butter, organic shredded coconut, organic rice bran and Himalayan salt.

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lab-kinako-black-sesame-crunchy-cluster-JtnsCrwoJcBtkbCfAoHe.zip (329 KB)

The outcome? At first I thought it was too bland, maybe because I gobbled it too quickly? So I ate a second one slowly and I savored the flavor-- it's a combination of a slightly salted rice cracker with a subtle sweetness from the sesame and kinako rounded out by the earthiness of the almond butter.

Most of our goods have a twist or unexpected pairing of ingredients. I'm still debating if I should experiment and pair it with something unexpected (I have a few ideas) or keep this as a simple and satisfying cluster. This cluster reminds me of my trip to Nara Japan last spring, it's a keeper!

Despite collaborations with Nike on the iconic AW77 scuba-hooded sweatshirt, Loopwheeler still remains an elusive brand for their non co-branded fleeces on this side of the Atlantic. Known for a number of years throughout Japan with the help of an ongoing successful partnership with Beams (for over a decade now) Loopwheeler continues to innovate on home soil at a very, very steady pace. Though having recently evolved into homewares in the form of pillows and experimenting with some water repellent fleeces, they remain in stark contrast to founder Satoshi Suzuki's admission of his companies' deliberately, slow process.  Read interview

My favorite character? The donut-hole-birds of course!

locations in Tokyo and the U.S.

〒 160-0004 6 chome, Shinjuku Yotsuya-15-2F

It doesn't look interesting...our Granola Sticks need to hit the shelf.

Ingredients: organic oats, organic wheat syrup, organic sugar, organic and mustard oil, organic flour, organic puffed serial, organic wheat, organic barley, rye, organic Rosutohezerunattsu organic, organic coconut, organic sesame seeds, organic chocolate flakes

Ingredients: organic oats, organic sugar, organic wheat, rye, organic cereals, organic bananas, organic raisins, organic coconut, organic soy flour, organic honey

Domestic wheat made with organic carrots, cookies are simple. Pretty Flowers bite-sized type. 

- Commitment - Domestic wheat use organic carrots. 
[Organic carrot flavor - yelling kneaded dough to a paste, spread with a hint of chew on. Children do not like carrots, but first try the cookies. 

Ingredients ■: flour (domestic), carrots (organic), sugar (sugar twin wash), rapeseed oil, salt

Shelf Life ■: 90 days