桂新堂品牌故事

Our Commitment Since the Beginning

Unwavering Commitment Since Our Founding — Meticulous about freshness, ingredients, and safety.

English Translation
In the second year of the Keio era (1866),
the story with shrimp began.

The history of Keishindo dates back to the second year of the Keio era (1866), during the turbulent final years of the Edo period in Japan.
Its founder, Keisuke Mitsuda, focused on the abundance of shrimp harvested in Ono on the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture, facing Ise Bay (present-day Tokoname City), and began crafting shrimp crackers.

Commitment to Shrimp Freshness

Quality Begins with Preserving Freshness.

Our commitment to quality starts with protecting the freshness of shrimp.
Sweet shrimp and botan shrimp lose freshness at a surprisingly fast rate. To process them at their peak, we established a factory near Yoichi Fishing Port in Hokkaido. During the fishing season from March to October, we carefully select shrimp at the moment they are landed—when they are at their most flavorful—and bake them locally while still fresh.

Kuruma shrimp farmed in Okinawa, Kyushu, and other regions are transported alive by air and arrive at our factory in Aichi Prefecture the following day. Throughout distribution, they are kept under constant refrigeration, with meticulous care taken to prevent any loss of freshness.

Red shrimp sourced from seas around the world are frozen immediately while still fresh and delivered to our factory in a frozen state. Since freshness begins to decline the moment thawing starts, careful attention during production is essential. By strictly controlling temperature and time, only shrimp whose freshness has been properly preserved are transformed into shrimp crackers and delivered to our customers.

The Story Behind Our Ingredients

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Kuruma Shrimp

Keishindo was among the first in the industry to focus on kuruma shrimp, a premium ingredient, beginning in 1989.
We exclusively use domestically farmed kuruma shrimp of the Japonica species, raised in regions such as Okinawa and Kyushu.
By using farmed shrimp, we are able to carefully manage producers, harvesting periods, farming environments, feed, and cultivation methods. Through rigorous quality control, we consistently deliver high-quality and safe kuruma shrimp to our customers.

Sweet Shrimp

Hokkaido boasts the highest domestic catch of sweet shrimp in Japan.
Keishindo uses sweet shrimp landed along the Sea of Japan coast of Hokkaido, including areas such as Yoichi, Mashike, and Haboro.
Larger shrimp are prepared as whole grilled shrimp, while slightly smaller ones are used for isoyaki or hamayaki styles. By selecting preparation methods based on size, we bring out the full flavor of sweet shrimp.

Botan Shrimp

The botan shrimp used by Keishindo are sourced from the same regions as sweet shrimp—Yoichi, Mashike, and Haboro fishing ports along the Sea of Japan coast of Hokkaido.
Botan shrimp are well known for their rich sweetness when enjoyed as sashimi or sushi.
At Keishindo, we offer botan shrimp prepared as carefully grilled whole shrimp and lightly seared shrimp, capturing their deep umami and distinctive flavor.

Shiba Shrimp

Shiba shrimp are said to have been named after the Shibaura area of Tokyo, where they were once abundantly harvested.
Known for their intense umami flavor, shiba shrimp have long been enjoyed in Japanese cuisine, commonly used in kakiage fritters, tempura fillings, and minced shrimp dishes.
At Keishindo, we are committed to using only domestically sourced shiba shrimp, honoring a taste deeply familiar to the Japanese palate.

Safety and Peace of Mind

Commitment to Ingredients

To ensure safe and reliable ingredients, Keishindo works directly with producers whenever possible and maintains close, detailed communication to carefully secure and manage the quality of all raw materials.

Commitment to Ingredients

To ensure safe and reliable ingredients, Keishindo works directly with producers whenever possible and maintains close, detailed communication to carefully secure and manage the quality of all raw materials.

Our Efforts to Ensure Safety and Reliability

Measures to Prevent Foreign Matter

Contamination
All personnel are required to thoroughly wash their hands and pass through air showers before entering the factory. All raw materials and supplies brought in from outside are inspected before being allowed into the production area.
Large shrimp are carefully washed by hand one by one, while smaller shrimp are cleaned using dedicated washing machines to remove any foreign matter originating from the ingredients themselves.
The factory is kept meticulously clean at all times to prevent the occurrence of insects or other contaminants, with regular inspections conducted by specialized service providers.
All finished shrimp crackers undergo 100% inspection using metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems to ensure that no foreign matter is present.

Hygiene Management Based on HACCP

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is an internationally recognized hygiene management system established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint body of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
At Keishindo, quality checks are conducted at every stage—grilling, packaging, and boxing—and only products that meet strict standards are passed on to the next process, ensuring the safety and reliability of all products.

Zero Product Incident Initiative

Keishindo implements practices such as point-and-call checks, standardized operating procedures, zero-incident meetings aimed at preventing product accidents, and regular rule-based training. These continuous efforts help prevent product-related incidents before they occur.

Compliance

We continuously monitor the latest regulations related to food labeling and hygiene and ensure full compliance with ever-evolving food safety laws.
In addition to meeting legal requirements, our best-before dates are set according to internal standards that are even stricter than those mandated by law, so our customers can enjoy our products at their best.

Keishindo Creations

Press the play button to watch our craftsmanship video.

Arare-yaki

Kuruma Shrimp / Sweet Shrimp / Botan Shrimp

A crisp, dignified shape. Upon opening, the gentle aroma of shrimp rises softly.
The light, crunchy texture and concentrated umami are created through the craftsmanship of preparing live, domestically sourced shrimp and applying heat immediately.

Sugata-yaki (Whole Shrimp Grill)

Kuruma Shrimp / Sweet Shrimp / Botan Shrimp

Roasted shrimp aroma with a subtle sweetness.
Live shrimp are sliced lengthwise, carefully removing the shrimp miso and vein one by one, then neatly aligned straight on an iron plate and pressed while grilling.

Iso-yaki

Sweet Shrimp

Sweet shrimp are delicate and easily damaged, so even peeling is done gently by hand.
Each shrimp is shaped individually before grilling. Once coated with small rice cracker batter, it delivers a crisp bite followed by the soft, fragrant sweetness of sweet shrimp.

Aburi-yaki (Lightly Seared)

Red Shrimp / Sweet Shrimp / Shiba Shrimp / Botan Shrimp / Shrimp Almond

It is said that shrimp crackers originated when fishermen ground large catches of shrimp into paste and lightly grilled them as “shrimp hanpen.”
Aburi-yaki carries this tradition into the present day. Through continuous refinement over time, Keishindo has created shrimp confections packed with deep, concentrated umami.

A masterpiece known only to those in the know

This spiral, which never takes center stage, is in fact the result of remarkably labor-intensive craftsmanship.
Batter is poured onto an iron plate, topped with seaweed, and then sandwiched between plates for grilling. Once baked, the dough must be cut into appropriate sizes and rolled while still piping hot—an operation that demands speed and endurance against the heat.

The rolled dough is then dried, cut again, and carefully grilled once more by hand on iron plates.
Though it remains an understated presence, it can be said to be a quiet masterpiece that supports Keishindo from behind the scenes.

Uzumaki (Spiral) -The spiral that tells the story of Keishindo’s history.

Within this small spiral lies a fusion of traditional methods preserved since our founding and refined techniques of the modern age.