Case Study

Work environment impacts recruitment

Aomori Financier is a product they newly used a Tunnel Oven on. The flavors are plain; blackcurrant, a local specialty; ginger miso; and Aomori ai (edible indigo paint). Aomori has the largest amount of blackcurrant production in Japan. Ginger miso is a local classic condiment.
The cultivation of Aomori ai was thriving until around 1897, but due to the local climate, Aomori experiences a lot of snow, which made it difficult to cultivate Aomori ai, and the cultivation ended up dying down in the end. Still, in the past, clothes dyed with Aomori ai were worn by women with embroidery of geometric patterns called koginsashi on their field wear for their farm work to prevent the cold in winter. This tradition still lives on in the current era. The movement to revitalize Aomori ai cultivation as an industry led to the establishment of Aomori Ai Sangyo Kyodo Kumiai, in which President Takamitsu Nikai is an auditor. Along with the promotional activities of Aomori ai, Aomori Ai Financier was developed, which has Aomori ai kneaded into the batter. Aomori ai is organically cultivated and has components that are good for health. Aomori Ai Financier is now sold at JAL’s in-flight sales.

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  Gogo no Zeitaku (earl gray, chocolate, sesame), stick type financiers

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  Aomori Financier (plain, blackcurrant, ginger miso) and Aomori Ai Financier

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  Iikkya, madeleine with black beans

Produces three kinds of financiers and madeleine together

In 2015, NIKAIDO adopted a Compact Type Dorayaki Machine, Tunnel Oven, and Stencil Cookie Machine. This allowed them to set up a stable mass production system and open up different sales channels beyond direct sales stores.
A System Depoly and Tunnel Oven were combined to produce three kinds of financiers and madeleine together. Up until the adoption of the machines, this was done all manually. After the adoption, NIKAIDO is happy not just with the machines but with the changes in the work environment as well. “There is a lot less manual work now. We can manufacture products in a well-planned manner, which has allowed the part-timers to take days off on Saturdays, Sundays, summer vacation, and winter vacation. This improvement in the work environment led to an increase of young workers applying for jobs. Younger workers are energetic, and it has made the work atmosphere energetic.”