A beloved Japanese candy eaten by generations, so iconic it even appeared in a hit anime film, has come to the end of the line, a victim of surging raw material and energy prices.
Tokyo-based Sakumaseika Co said on Wednesday that it would go out of business in January due to rising production costs, a labour shortage and a drop in sales of its main product "Sakuma's Drops".
"It feels like a sign of the times. There are so many choices now, compared to when I was a kid," he said. Established in 1908 by confectioner Sojiro Sakuma, Sakumaseika produced the candy through the air raids of World War Two, inspiring anime giant Studio Ghibli to immortalise it in its 1988 film "Grave of the Fireflies".
"It's very sad to see something disappear that's been around for so long," the octogenarian, who has been selling snacks for more than 60 years, told Reuters.
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