How Did a Former IT Employee Become President of a Company That Makes Croquette All Over Japan?

We make croquettes from anything edible!　Osaka “Godo Shokuhin” saves the world with croquettes

When you go to highway service areas or roadside stations, you buy local croquettes such as “Shirasu croquette,” “Tanba black soybean croquette,” and “Yonezawa beef croquette.

I used to admire how such ingredients were made into croquettes, but did you know that all of them are actually made in Osaka?

(quoted from “Night View Fan”) As I mentioned above, some of you may already know about this. After all, there has been a lot of talk on TV and the Internet recently about how “Godo Shokuhin” in Osaka makes almost all of the croquettes in Japan.

The reason why I wrote this article is because I, Shigeru Nekota, saw the president of Godo Shokuhin wearing a croquette headdress at a food-related exhibition, and I felt that he was not just an ordinary person, but also a man of eccentricity.

I wrote “all of them” at the beginning of this article, but that is an exaggeration; it would be more accurate to say that the company manufactures most of the croquettes in Japan. The company is located in Toyonaka City, Osaka, and specializes in croquettes.

It is probably the only company in Japan that specializes in additive-free and organic croquettes.

The company is located along the highway about a 20-minute walk from Shonai, a maniacal (but quite fun shopping street) station. I think I’m the only person who walks this far.

Mr. Tomohiro Wada’s father originally ran a small croquette maker, and Mr. Wada, who had no interest in croquettes, started working for an IT company after graduating from university. However, about 20 years ago, his father became ill and he decided to take over the company.

At that time, croquettes were usually full of additives, and with inexpensive croquettes on the market, it was difficult to survive in the industry. However, Mr. Wada began to think about the importance of food safety, saying, “I want to make croquettes that even children can eat with peace of mind,” and turned his attention to making additive-free, organic croquettes. This is written on the company’s website, so I will omit it.

Around 2006, when the company launched its website using his IT experience, he began receiving requests to make croquettes like these. He sometimes receives orders for 2,000 units, which is a small lot in the industry, and the OEM of local croquettes has expanded rapidly.

So far, about 1,000 kinds of local croquettes have been released to the world. That’s amazing! We asked him about the story behind it.

He said he would do anything, but for some unexpected reasons, he could not make croquettes…

Cat = me, Wa = President Wada

• Cat: What kind of unusual croquettes have you made so far?
• Wa: Tea croquettes, pineapple croquettes, hatahata croquettes, chocolate croquettes… I make croquettes from anything edible!
• Neko: Of all the croquettes, this one was the most difficult to make! What is your favorite croquette?
• Wa：I think it’s Miyagi Prefecture’s old-style natto (fermented soybeans). Natto is fermented and aged again, and when the enzyme is heated, the smell is very strong. When the enzyme is heated, the smell becomes very strong. The whole factory smells terrible.
• Neko: I heard on TV that if you drink cider after eating natto, the enzyme changes and it smells like an old man’s worn-out socks. Natto’s enzyme is a deadly weapon, isn’t it?
• Wa: There was also a request for bear meat croquettes, but I declined because bears are sacred in the mountains.
• Neko: Oh, for that reason…

• Kazu: You could also change the breadcrumbs to buckwheat flour, or sprinkle Baby Star Ramen on the batter.
• Neko: So, some people have started to work not only on the filling but also on the batter? However, Mr. President, do you eat croquettes every day because of your job?
• Wa: Not really. On a high day, I eat 10 croquettes, and at least 1 or 2.
• Neko: I think he eats more croquettes than most people think. You are still full of croquette love, aren’t you?

I’m out at concerts with croquette singing and dancing.

• Wa: We even made a song and dance called “Croquette↑↑Ageageage SONG” and produced a crowdfunding video of it. I will be a guest performer at the concert and will sing and dance with him. The video I made will also be posted on YouTube and SNS, so stay tuned!
• Cat: Heh~ A concert! I’ll go see it if I’m free!
• Wa: Everyone loves croquettes, from children to adults, and they are a dream food with many possibilities. The song is not just about croquette croquette. It contains a message that we want to make the world a better place through croquettes!
• Neko: Indeed, croquettes are a wonderful food that can be made to taste any way you want depending on the ingredients, and can also convey the appeal of local ingredients!

We don’t want to just wait and see, we want to attack from our side!

Mr. Wada is bursting with love for croquettes, but he is not only making rare croquettes and singing croquette songs, he is also making his own brand of regular croquettes. In fact, that is his main business, wholesaling to supermarkets and restaurants.

Also, we are currently putting a lot of effort into the “47 Prefectures Croquette Project,” in which we will spend a year making croquettes using ingredients from each of the 47 prefectures in Japan. In the past, local croquettes were made by the client, who asked us to “make something like this,” but this is an initiative in which the company proposes croquettes to the client.

We hope to contribute to local development, regional revitalization, and measures to address the declining birthrate and aging population by discovering ingredients buried in the local area and local dishes that would otherwise disappear and turning them into croquettes. We started this project with the hope of returning the favor we have received from the past with our local croquettes. Of course, the croquettes are additive-free and organic, which will realize the health of people and the earth in the future,” he said enthusiastically.

They have already launched a 100-set limited edition of croquettes made from “Izumi Dako”, “Yuba, Tofu and Soy Milk”, “Omi Beef”, “Tanba Black Beans”, “Yamato Pork”, and “Kishu Mikan Chicken” from the Kinki region.

I suggested that he try my favorite “Tofu Takewa” croquettes from Tottori, and he was more interested in Tofu Takewa than I had expected (he immediately ordered them).

You can eat freshly fried tofu at our directly-managed store!

Oh, I didn’t get a croquette… (laughs). You have to go to “mago koroku,” the only directly-managed store in Toyonaka, to buy them. You can enjoy freshly fried “Kuroge Wagyu Croquettes” and “Omochizu Croquettes”. They are also available online. Also, during the bimonthly factory sale, you can buy croquettes at about half the regular price, and rare items are also available. I have to go there. I have to go.

In the future, the croquette president will visit various places in his kitchen car to interact with producers, make croquettes, and sell them, using a drone to broadcast the event on SNS… He also plans to use the croquettes to promote the region and stimulate the economy. If you are interested in running for office, please contact us. If you are interested in running for office, please do so!

Click here for the website of Godo Shokuhin