Taking on regional revitalization through the idol business.

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 do "delicious work"!

Continuing from last time, we speak with Mr. Nagamatsu, who serves as the project leader for the "Delicious Food Producer" initiative at Dentsu Inc.

Cookoo: Mr. Nagamatsu, what exactly inspired you to start working on projects that revitalize regional cuisine?

Nagamatsu: I wanted to create a system that supports people starting new ventures. I wanted to help alleviate that frustration of wanting to do something new but not being able to.
Originally, I helped people in Japanese soccer create new projects. I got to work on lots of new things with motivated folks, but creating a system where money actually flows properly is incredibly tough.

Cookoo: Soccer is a sport where you kick a round rice ball-like object with your feet, so it seems like it should be easy to get things rolling...

Nagamatsu: Just when I was thinking that, I met Mr. Sekine, who started the "Sweets Club" at Nifty. He said he wanted to launch a project supporting local food producers! We hit it off and started working together. But this guy is also crazy about idols. He talks passionately about them, like how he bought tons of CDs.

Cookoo: From soccer to idols all of a sudden!

Nagamatsu: But I thought, maybe within those idol stories lie hints for starting something new. Today's idols are supported by incredibly passionate fans. They'll buy 100 CDs by themselves. Maybe soccer and sports could be supported more by fans too. Similarly, people making food in rural areas could be supported more by fans. Instead of just treating customers as customers, turn them into fans—or rather, otaku. Get them more involved.

Cook: Whoa! So that's how it led to the "Delicious Food Producer" idea!

Nagamatsu: Yes. Well, maybe it was a bit of a roundabout way (laughs). But people say that getting involved in creating new products is fun for producers too. And if we can build a relationship where good products sell at fair prices, I think we can create a happy cycle for everyone.

Cook: What is your current favorite "delicious food" product, Mr. Nagamatsu?

Nagamatsu: I'm creating a product called " Green Ise Tea Smoothie." It's the first delicious food collaboration! The smoothie maker and the tea shop that makes Ise tea in Mie Prefecture met through "Delicious Food Producer" and decided to develop it together!

Cook: Both Japanese tea and smoothies are very popular drinks right now! What a fresh collaboration! I see you don't have any with you today...

Nagamatsu: Sorry about that. We're actually making it right now, so it should be on sale by the time this article comes out*. We worked with the smoothie maker and the tea shop to get the subtle blend just right, down to 0.1 grams. We also had the producers try it and gave us lots of feedback. Thanks to that, I think we've created something that's a cut above the rest in the powdered smoothie category. The packaging was designed by our in-house designer, Fuku-chan (Hidesuke Fukuzaki, Art Director, Creative Planning Division 5, Dentsu Inc.).
If Cook-kun becomes a producer too, you can sample not only the smoothies in development but also lots of other delicious treats at the tasting events!

*The Green Ise Tea Smoothie was completed and went on sale on May 20.

Cook: Maybe I should produce some delicious food...

Nagamatsu: Well then, Cook, please come visit us sometime.