The parent of the sweet potato store, Imo-ya Kinjiro, is Shibuya Food, Co., Ltd., a long-established sweet potato confectionery manufacturer in Hidaka Village, Kataoka-gun, Kochi Prefecture. Since its founding in 1952, it has dedicated itself exclusively to making Imo-kenpi, strips of candied sweet potato resembling french fries in appearance, but harder in texture and sugary sweet in taste.

Imo-ya Kinjiro was named after Kinjiro Shibuya, the founder of Shibuya Foods, Co. Ltd., its parent company. Kinjiro was a person who was richly endowed in creativity and foresight. Determined to fully exploit the goodness of the sweet potato for his confectionery, he worked with contract farmers of sweet potato, the raw material. Their efforts became the foundation of the the Shibuya Group. 



Imo-kenpi is a simple confectionery, made with only sweet potato, sugar and oil. Precisely because of that, Imo-ya Kinjiro has been particular to the point of obsession about the sweet potato, its quality, its taste, its variety and even its cultivation method. It collaborated with its contract farmers, starting with soil development. Daily research has been carried out continuously in order to find the perfect sweet potatoes for Imo-kenpi.



Even now, it is made with the original recipe from the time when the company was founded with no additives nor synthetic sweeteners. Imo-ya Kinjiro has remained steadfast in its total commitment to the highest quality of its product, for which it has been known since its founding.

Imo-ya Kinjiro website
http://www.imokin.co.jp