If you have been to Osaka, you would probably know who our guest is for today. After all, the company is behind the running man signage overseeing the Dotombori canal and a must-see attraction when visiting the city. 

Founded 102 years ago in 1922, Glico Group is best known as a confectionery maker behind brands such as Pocky, Pretz and Pejoy. But did you know that there is a heartwarming story behind how the products came about? 

Well, back in the days, the firm’s founder Riichi Ezaki had a son who was unwell. To improve the health of his son, Ezaki tested and confirmed the presence of a significant amount of glycogen in a sample of oyster broth. 

That was in the early 1900s so you can imagine that glycogen was a substance that was still relatively unknown. Well, Ezaki fed glycogen to his sickly son, who eventually became healthy. 

And it was this desire to use glycogen in confectioneries and enhance human health that lays the foundation for Glico. 

Today, the firm’s portfolio has expanded beyond brands like Pocky to look at ice-cream products, baby formula, milk products, desserts, food ingredients, as well as raw materials for cosmetic and health products. 

But even as the firm grows over the years, its focus on research and development and focus on health continues to be a key part of its value proposition. But how far has this emphasis on R&D and human health set the firm apart from the competition? 

Speaking of which, the firm appears to be setting its sights on using more nuts for its products. For one thing, Glico Manufacturing Indonesia, which is the largest Glico plant and exporter to North America Markets, now produces Pocky Crushed Nuts for ASEAN markets. But how far is the ingredient key for Glico’s future success? 

On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Hideaki Nagahisa, Chief Operating Officer, Glico Asia Pacific.