(Left to right): Mitsuharu Kurokawa ’03, Richie Eu ’03, Richard Y. M. Eu and Mitsuhiro Kurokawa.
THE COMPANIES Eu Yan Sang International (EYSI) is an integrative
Toraya Confectionery Co. Ltd. is a maker and purveyor
health and wellness company whose products and
of wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets that represent
services are rooted in traditional Chinese medicine
the essence of Japanese culture and play a vital role
(TCM). Founded in 1879 by Eu Kong, a Chinese native
in seasonal celebrations and lifetime milestones. Since
and great-great-grandfather of Richie Eu ’03, the
the early 16th century, when the business was founded
business’s first establishment was a shop in Gopeng,
in Kyoto by Enchu Kurokawa, Toraya artisans have
Perak, Malaysia, that dispensed medicine and herbs
used bean paste and other ingredients of exceptional
to tin miners suffering from opium addiction. Eu
quality to carefully craft wagashi that appeal to all five
Kong named his shop “Yan Sang,” which translates to
senses. The company’s mission is “to please customers
“caring for mankind,” a corporate value that remains
with delicious wagashi.” Mitsuhiro Kurokawa, father
strongly held nearly 140 years later. Today, EYSI is
of Mitsuharu Kurokawa ’03, is currently the 17th-
known throughout Asia for its strict quality control,
generation president of Toraya, which has three
high manufacturing standards and excellent customer
manufacturing facilities, about 80 shops throughout
service. The company operates 268 retail outlets,
Japan and a boutique in Paris.
four food and beverage stores, and 35 TCM clinics in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Australia.
www.toraya-group.co.jp
www.EuYanSang.com
was significant. “This collaboration brought EYSI into
and pushing the envelope of accessible and relevant
Tokyo—a new market for us—and we learned a lot from
consumer goods.”
Toraya’s team in terms of product and package design,
Mitsu was especially pleased that Toraya had created
ingredient curation, and visual presentation,” he said. “More
wagashi that had never been made before, and he was
importantly, I believe this collaboration demonstrated to
confident that em-bu-kan would become part of the
our customers and fans that by partnering with a highly
company’s line. The collaboration enabled Toraya’s team
respected brand like Toraya, we are constantly innovating
to gauge the Japanese market’s reaction to unfamiliar
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