Japanese chestnut ingredients for professionals
From a café’s first kilogram to a manufacturer’s OEM line.
SHIROKAWA FACTORY CO., LTD. grows Japanese chestnuts (waguri), processes them in its own facility and turns them into confectionery, in Shirokawa, a mountain town in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. We have been processing waguri for 30 years.
At a glance
- Company
- SHIROKAWA FACTORY CO., LTD. (established 2004, 38 employees)
- Location
- 1008-1 Shimoai, Shirokawa-cho, Seiyo-shi, Ehime 797-1717, Japan
- Food safety
- ISO22000:2018 certified
- Origin
- Mainly chestnuts grown in Ehime (around Seiyo City, including Shirokawa). Ehime is Japan’s third-largest chestnut-producing prefecture (1,350 t in 2024, about 10% of national production; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). Chestnuts from other parts of Japan are also used to keep supply stable.
Products and specifications
Mesh size and Brix are reference values. Colour varies with harvest timing and weather. A specification sheet is available for each product.
| Product | Ingredients | Pack | Mesh / Brix | Shelf life / storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waguri paste, 1 mm (sweetened) Smooth. Mainly for Western confectionery: Mont Blanc, soft-serve, baking. | Japanese chestnuts, sugar | 1 kg (5 packs / case) | 1 mm / 45±2 | 2 years from production / frozen |
| Waguri paste, 2 mm (sweetened) Keeps some texture. Mainly for Japanese confectionery: kuri-kinton, chestnut bean paste. | Japanese chestnuts, sugar | 1 kg (5 packs / case) | 2 mm / 45±2 | 2 years from production / frozen |
| Waguri paste, 1 mm (unsweetened) 100% Japanese chestnuts. For piping Mont Blanc and blending into creams. | Japanese chestnuts | 1 kg (5 packs / case) | 1 mm / – | 2 years from production / frozen |
| Waguri paste, 2 mm (unsweetened) | Japanese chestnuts | 1 kg (5 packs / case) | 2 mm / – | 2 years from production / frozen |
| Waguri tsubu-an 40 (chunky chestnut paste) No additives. Slightly firmer than our pastes. | Japanese chestnuts, sugar | 2 kg (5 packs / case) | 2 mm + 4 mm / 55±2 | 2 years from production / frozen |
| Steamed waguri pieces, coarse (contract-made) Not strained or sterilised: heat before use. | Japanese chestnuts | 2 kg (5 packs / case) | 7 mm / – | 2 years from production / frozen |
| Steamed waguri pieces, fine (contract-made) Not sterilised: heat before use. | Japanese chestnuts | 2 kg (5 packs / case) | 2 mm / – | 2 years from production / frozen |
| Rough-peeled chestnuts in syrup (kanroni) L-size Ehime chestnuts, about 15 g each. | Chestnuts (Ehime), sugar | 1 kg (6 packs / case) or 6 kg (9 L can) | – / 50±2 | 3 years from production / ambient |
| Waguri powder | Japanese chestnuts | See specification sheet | Ambient | |
| Waguri balls Pre-portioned paste for Mont Blanc piping machines. | Japanese chestnuts, sugar | 12 pieces / bag (5 bags / box) | – / 45±2 | 1 year from production / frozen |
Custom (OEM) production from 100 kg
For manufacturers who want a signature flavour or need properties matched to their production line, we develop and produce custom chestnut products from 100 kg of raw chestnuts.
- Sugar and sweetenersGranulated sugar, Japanese white soft sugar (jōhakutō), trehalose and others
- Mesh sizeFrom a smooth fine strain to a coarse strain that keeps texture
- MoistureAdjusted for baked goods, creams and other uses
- Origin and varietyConsultation on chestnut origin and variety (e.g. Ginyose, Tsukuba)
Quality control
Every chestnut is different in shape and hardness. We combine machine control with human inspection: metal detectors at key points on the line, visual checks for non-metallic foreign matter, sensory comparison against reference samples, and moisture measurement.
Samples, quotations and enquiries
Please tell us your intended use, quantity and specifications. We will reply with the relevant specification sheets.