When you hear "canned food," you probably think of "cheap preserved food" or "emergency rations." But our in-house brand, "Shizuoka," prepared by hand, can by can, by staff who balance childcare and work at the small factory "Kanzume Kitchen" in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, subtly overturns that preconception. The contents are ingredients grown by Shizuoka producers. Our goal is to create new value and sales channels for the region's primary industries. From the moment you open the can, your heart will flutter a little—that's the kind of canned food that "Shizuoka" is, a dish in itself.
The aspirations behind the name "Shizuokan"
The name of the business, "Kanzume Kitchen" (Canned Food Kitchen), embodies the idea of wanting to meticulously prepare canned food not just as preserved food, but as a "dish." The in-house brand name "Shizuokan" (しずおかん) was inspired by the similar shapes of "Oka" (岡, meaning hill or mound, often found in place names) of Shizuoka and "Kan" (缶, meaning can) of canned food. It was named as a way to clearly convey the business objective of encapsulating the charm of Shizuoka's primary industries and ingredients in a single can and delivering it outside the region.
Why an electrical construction company got into canned food
For many years, the representative's main business was electrical equipment construction. As they approached their 50s, the desire to challenge themselves with a new business that could contribute to the community in a different field grew stronger. It was a completely different industry from food. Nevertheless, they learned canned food manufacturing from scratch, and by utilizing business restructuring subsidies, they set up manufacturing facilities and an environment, and embarked on commercialization.
They began to concretely envision the canned food business on December 31, 2023, New Year's Eve. Currently, based at "Kanzume Kitchen" in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, the team consists of 7 manufacturing staff and 2 operational staff for planning and sales. The manufacturing floor is supported by staff who balance childcare and work. At a small factory in Kakegawa, they meticulously craft each can by hand.
Sparked by a New Year's Eve inspiration
"Shizuokan" Product Lineup
Primary industries in the Kakegawa City area and beyond are facing shrinking markets due to population decline. The starting point was considering what they could do to expand sales channels for those involved in agriculture and fisheries. They arrived at "canned food" as a method to add new value by processing local agricultural and marine products, allowing them to be delivered at room temperature across time and distance.
The decisive factor, after all, was December 31, 2023. They say that investigating canned food manufacturing on that very day and contacting a company that handles can seaming machines was the first step in their business. The inspiration that struck at the end of the year grew into a business that connects Shizuoka's food and people.
We want to change preconceptions about canned food.
Even with ingredients cultivated with time and effort by producers, there are times when sales channels that match their deliciousness are limited, or they are not given sufficient value simply due to their shape or size. On the other hand, canned goods have an image of being "inexpensive preserved food or emergency supplies." It is with the desire to add new value to both of these and to deliver producers' ingredients as a finished dish that "Shizuokan" was born.
"A single dish, in a small can."
To express the most important value we want to convey with this product in a single phrase, it's "A single dish, in a small can." We don't view the can as merely a storage container, but as a small vessel for delivering a single dish. We aim for "Shizuokan" to be unique, interesting craft canned food that doesn't yet exist, and something that will delight your loved ones.
We want to deliver a moment of joy from the instant you open the can. It can be enjoyed as a dish on its own, and a little arranging can broaden the ways you enjoy it at the table. As a small reward for yourself in a busy daily life, or as a gift for a loved one—the aim is not just for you to enjoy the eating time, but also the time spent choosing and unwrapping.
Sealing is the final touch.
Sealing the can - the seaming process
What we value in manufacturing is considering the heating and sterilization after sealing as the "final stage of cooking." Canned food undergoes changes in taste, aroma, color, and texture during the process of sealing and high-temperature sterilization. Instead of judging based solely on the freshly prepared taste, we open and check the cans after a certain period, designing them so that the dish is complete when the can is opened.
What we cannot compromise on as a brand is using the main ingredients properly and ensuring that the inherent flavors of the ingredients and the deliciousness as a dish are conveyed even after heat sterilization. We prioritize not skipping necessary manual tasks such as pre-processing, cooking, filling, and checking the finished product, rather than just focusing on efficiency and production volume.
Shizuoka ingredients, in a single can
Preparing Beni Fuji trout in sotto olio
We primarily select Shizuoka-grown ingredients that ensure stable quality and supply. "Shizuokan" uses local agricultural and marine products, including "Beni Fuji" brand rainbow trout from Fujinomiya City, raised in spring water from Mount Fuji. They say they value not only the deliciousness of the ingredients but also the possibility of producers continuing to cultivate them and opening up new sales channels.
From ingredient preparation, cooking, filling cans, sealing, heat sterilization, labeling, to packaging, we prioritize human touch, with the exception of some mechanical processes. Crafting canned food means meticulously developing recipes and processes that anticipate the taste, aroma, color, and texture after heat sterilization.
Checking each can by hand
The most delicate part is achieving the intended taste, aroma, color, and texture after heat sterilization following sealing. For example, in oil-packed products, the drip from the fish is carefully removed one by one, ensuring that the oil is not cloudy when the can is opened, and even the sensation when removing the fish is pleasant. They say it's important to make people feel "delicious" the moment they open the can, including its appearance.
Even if there are processes that could be automated, we intentionally perform quality-related pre-processing, filling, and final checks by hand. Staff who balance childcare and work meticulously handle each can at the small factory in Kakegawa—this factory prioritizes facing the ingredients and delivering products that satisfy them, rather than mass production.
Packaging that reflects Mount Fuji and the culture of gift-giving
"Shizuokan" delivered in a Tenugui wrap
We turn Shizuoka's agricultural and marine products into a dish within a can, creating a form that can be delivered outside the region at room temperature. In addition, we offer packaging that conveys Japanese craftsmanship and the culture of gift-giving, such as designs with Mount Fuji motifs, tenugui wraps, and paper tubes with letterpress printing.
Letterpress printed paper tube gift packaging
"Shizuokan" uses ingredients grown by local producers, including "Beni Fuji" brand rainbow trout raised in spring water from Mount Fuji. They aim not just to procure ingredients, but to transform their appeal through processing, cooking, and design into a form that communicates their value, thereby creating new value and sales channels. The combination of Shizuoka ingredients, connections with producers, and the staff who meticulously work on each can at the Kakegawa factory results in products born from this land.
If you were to list 3 appealing points
If I were to list three appealing points of "Shizuokan," they would be as follows: First, you can open the can and enjoy it as a complete "dish" as is. Second, the careful crafting considers the unique flavors of the ingredients, primarily from Shizuoka Prefecture, even after heat sterilization. And third, beyond the contents, the packaging—including tenugui wraps, paper tubes, and shopper bags—makes the acts of giving and unwrapping enjoyable.
As is, or with an arrangement
Rillettes on bread or crackers
First, open the can and savor it as is, as a dish. For rillettes, we recommend spreading them on bread or crackers and pairing them with wine or other alcoholic beverages. Sotto olio can be enjoyed as an appetizer on its own, or used to arrange pasta or salads. Salt-grilled rainbow trout can be enjoyed with rice or as a snack with drinks.
As an unexpected way to enjoy it, a staff member from a sales outlet once suggested mixing olive oil with the rillettes to make a canapé. By using a single can as an ingredient for cooking, such as adding sotto olio to pasta or salads, the enjoyment at the dinner table can be further expanded.
To givers and recipients
It is recommended as a souvenir for someone you are indebted to, a gift for birthdays and anniversaries, or a souvenir of a trip to Shizuoka. They also hope that people will enjoy it as a small reward for themselves on an evening after a busy day or on a holiday. It is easy to carry at room temperature and can be given regardless of the season.
Our ideal customers are those who value the ingredients and the background of the makers, and who want to choose not just by price, but by knowing where, by whom, and how something was made. We want people who want to thoughtfully enjoy their daily meals, those who want to choose a meaningful gift for a loved one, and those who want to support Shizuoka and regional craftsmanship to pick up our products.
"A conversation starting with 'It's 1,500 yen, even though it's canned food.'"
They say that at exhibitions and sales events, the first thing they often hear is, "1,500 yen is expensive for canned food." However, after customers try a sample and hear about the ingredients, manufacturing process, handiwork, packaging, and even why an electrical construction company started a canned food business, many respond with, "Ah, I understand now." Words like "It changed my perception of canned food," "There's no fishy smell," and "It's so delicious" are also encouraging, they say.
Customers who choose it as a gift appreciate not only the taste, but also the packaging, such as the Mount Fuji motif design, tenugui wrap, and paper tubes. They say that tasting the product sometimes changes their preconceptions about canned food and makes them interested in other products.
"Normal cooking" and "delicious cooking in a can" are different.
The biggest challenge in development and manufacturing was realizing that "what tastes good as normal cooking" and "what tastes good when canned" are different. Because the cans are sealed and then heat-sterilized at high temperatures, even if a dish tastes delicious fresh, its taste, aroma, color, and texture change. They say they overcame this by not judging immediately after trial production, but by repeatedly reviewing the ingredients and process while checking the state of the product after a certain period of time.
A symbolic example is the chocolate brownie can. When baked goods are canned, they can become hard, crumble, or the chocolate aroma can weaken during heat sterilization. Through repeated revisions of ingredients and recipes, they arrived at the current product, which retains a moist texture and chocolate aroma even after heat sterilization. For the rainbow trout product, they also conducted numerous prototypes, considering not only the taste but also the visual appeal the moment the can is opened.
Looking Ahead
Our primary goal is to nurture our own brand, "Shizuokan," and establish it as a sustainable business. Beyond that, we aim to expand our focus to include ingredients within Shizuoka Prefecture whose value has not yet been fully conveyed. Furthermore, through our "Order Craft Canned Food Business," we hope to support product development for producers, companies, and restaurants, even with smallロットs, and create new possibilities and sales channels for local ingredients.
Our goal is to create a brand where a single can connects producers, craftsmen, the region, and consumers. Selling products is not the only objective. We want to expand the market for producers, enable people working in the region to utilize their skills without undue burden, and bring joy to customers through eating and giving. We aim for all of this to become a business that leads to further growth.
Awards and Media Coverage
"Shizuokan" in a gift box
"Beni Fuji Rillettes (Red)" received the Omotenashi Selection 2026 award. "Shizuokan" was also featured in the June 2026 issue of "Nikkei Trendy" as one of the "11 Noteworthy Products and Services."
To Our Readers
First, open a can and savor it as a dish on its own. You might be pleasantly surprised, as it may be a little different from what you imagined from the word "canned food." Beyond the taste, we hope you can feel the essence of Shizuoka's ingredients, the producers who nurtured them, and the staff who meticulously work on each can in the small Kakegawa factory while balancing childcare and work. Whether as a gift for a loved one or a small reward for yourself—please give it a try.
*Shizuokan is not yet available at the ENGAWA STORE online store. It can be purchased at ENGAWA ASAKUSA.