Food - Drink
How Inflation Has Ended An Iconic Japanese Candy's 100-Year Reign
By HOPE NGO
Sakuma’s Drops are colorful pieces of hard candy that come in a distinctive metal can, produced by Japanese candymaker Sakuma Seika for a century. However, worldwide inflation in 2022 is affecting businesses old and new, and in early November, The Japan Times reported that Sakuma Seika will close its doors in January 2023.
Per Reuters, the price of Sakuma's Drops has never been raised, in order to avoid driving away customers. A low price per unit, lower demand compared to newer candies, and high operating costs led Sakuma Seika to lose over $1 million in 2021, even though the classic Drops have a place in the hearts of countless Japanese citizens.
Oddly enough, a Sakuma’s Drops clone called "Sakuma Drops" is still sold by another company called Sakuma Seika, but written in different Japanese characters. The original drops in the classic grape, apple, lemon, strawberry, pineapple, peppermint, chocolate, and orange flavors will still be sorely missed by generations of fans.