An 85-year-old confectioner who gathered 3,000 producers

Cookoo, the mysterious creature born from a famous chef's hat.
Cookoo, whose culinary skills are second to none and whose curiosity about food knows no bounds, interviews people at Dentsu Inc. who are doing "delicious work"!

Cookoo: Today I've come to talk with Mr. Nagamatsu, who leads the "Delicious Food Producer" project at Dentsu Inc.!

Nagamatsu: Hello, I'm Nagamatsu. As the Delicious Food Producer, or "Uma-P" for short, I'm known as "Naga."

Cookoo: "Delicious Food Producer" is such an exciting phrase! What kind of work is it exactly?

Nagamatsu: There are so many delicious foods out there that aren't famous, right?

Cookoo: Yes! When sourcing ingredients in regional areas, you discover so many delicious things known only locally—it's full of surprises!

Nagamatsu: This project is about discovering these unknown "delicious foods" from all over Japan and recruiting supporters through our website. We call these supporters "Producers."

Cookoo: What kind of people can become Producers?

Nagamatsu: We're looking for passionate people who are really interested in food and want to support rural areas. In just a year and a half, we've gathered 65,000 people. Our producers give us hints for product development, offer advice on prototypes, and help us nurture these hidden local gems into nationally recognized "delicious treats."

Cookoo: Wow!! It's so exciting to think my opinions could help create "delicious treats"! What kinds of "delicious treats" have been made so far?

Nagamatsu: Things like these! (Nagamatsu-san places souvenirs on the desk)
" Tenku-yaki Amaou" by Kikuya Confectionery in Oita Prefecture, produced by Uma-P, and " Buna no Mori" beer by Tazawako Beer in Akita Prefecture, made with natural beechwood yeast! We've completed eight products so far, but today I brought these two for Cookoo. Please, help yourself!

Cookoo: Wow! 2015 was the once-in-a-century strawberry (15) year. Craft beer is also trending this year, right?

Nagamatsu: As expected of Cookoo, you know your stuff. Now, now, eat! Or drink?

Cookoo: Here I go. Mmm...!!! Strawberry confiture wrapped in white bean paste—it's sweet, sour, refreshing, and delicious~! A new collaboration between strawberries and bean paste!!

Nagamatsu: Oh, a food review! Thank you! I'm relieved you like it. This "Baked Amaou" started when the 85-year-old chairman of Kikuka, with 70 years of confectionery experience, volunteered to create a new product with our producers. The very first prototype was shaped like a strawberry and coated in chocolate. But when the producers tasted it, many suggested that to truly enjoy the aroma and flavor of the Amaou strawberries, it needed to be simpler with less sweetness. So it evolved into a baked confection with more Amaou strawberries. The artisan's pride and the producers' input achieved a perfect marriage.

Cookoo: So for customers, the greatest treat was bringing out the flavor of the Amaou strawberry itself.

Nagamatsu: Exactly. UmaP finds meaning in discovering the strengths of products that locals and producers take for granted, rediscovering their value through an outside perspective. We often don't recognize our own strengths. It's hard to feel confident without others pointing them out.

Cookoo: They say Japanese people are all so humble. You could say that's a good thing. But when everyone cheers you on, you gain confidence, and that makes you want to create even more delicious things!

Nagamatsu: Exactly. I hope to create opportunities to revitalize rural areas alongside these energetic people. I visit various regions and offer consultations. It's not enough to just make delicious food and stop there. We source ingredients, produce in factories, and to protect the livelihoods of those working there, we must sell properly, then source more ingredients—keeping the business cycle going. We're constantly exploring how to build a sustainable business cycle in the region, learning from many people along the way. We're also solidifying the business foundation with the help of regional bankers. Thankfully, our producers promote the strengths of our finished products nationwide, so we're happy to report steady sales growth.

Cookoo: Revitalizing rural areas through delicious food! That's amazing!! Mr. Nagamatsu, I take my hat off to you!

Nagamatsu: To have Cookoo in his chef's hat take his hat off to me (laughs)!

Cookoo: What exactly sparked your interest in working with regional foods, Mr. Nagamatsu?

Nagamatsu: That's a bit of a long story, so let's grab a drink at "Beech Forest"...

Cookoo: W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w

The conversation between Mr. Nagamatsu and Cookoo continues next time.