Kanda Myojin Shrine
Trying to make new souvenirs
A young planner
Awareness gained through product development

Kanda Myojin is one of the most visited shrines in Japan. The Kanda Festival, held once every two years in May, attracts approximately 30,000 visitors over two days. Three young planners took on the challenge of developing souvenir products at this shrine, which is steeped in history and culture.

Make Kanda Myojin specialty souvenirs

In 2018, Nomura NOMURA Co., Ltd. comprehensively produced the cultural exchange center "EDOCCO", a complex facility centered around a multipurpose hall on the premises of Kanda Myojin Shrine, from concept creation to opening.
Kanda Myojin Cultural Exchange Center “EDOCCO” | NOMURA Co., Ltd. Co.,Ltd.
Even after opening, our group company Nomura Medias continues to operate EDOCCO SHOP "IKIIKI." This shop, which has a large number of visitors each year, is already crowded with many famous souvenirs, so a young planner decided to develop famous souvenirs from a new perspective.

The theme of the completed souvenir is “Sangaku”!

There are three planners who are usually involved in space creation in different departments. While bringing together their ideas and summarizing their opinions, we created a product proposal with the aim of proposing "new value" for Kanda Myojin and developing "new customers."
We received a lot of advice from our senior colleagues in the company and people at Nomura Medias who are involved with EDOCCO SHOP "IKIIKI", which helped us refine the proposal into a viable product plan. Selecting a confectionery company that can manufacture the products according to the plan, creating the package design, etc.
After about 10 months of hard work, here is the final product.

“Sangaku Ema Senbei” 420 yen, 3 types in total

[Contents]
・2 rice crackers (with a branding mark based on the design of a Buddhist tablet)
・Sangaku question paper

We have developed a product with the theme of ``Sangaku'' that has not been available at Kanda Myojin until now.
Every year, votive tablets with math problems written on them called ``Sangaku'' are dedicated to Kanda Myojin Shrine, but they were not well-known as they were hidden behind the famous attractions such as the enshrined deity and sacred horse. Even across the country, there don't seem to be many shrines where this Sangaku culture remains. We believe that by developing products based on this theme, we can create a synergistic effect of new value by shining a new spotlight on the context of Kanda Myojin and promoting the culture of "Sangaku". Ta.
Nomura Medias:https://www.nomura-medias.co.jp/

Experience-based souvenirs that go beyond just eating

Question paper that can be checked from the back of the package (left) / Problem solution that can be checked when opened (right)

This product contains three types of question papers, and when you pick up the product, you can read the question papers called ``questions''. If you open the bag after purchasing and open this question paper, you can check the solution to the problem called "Jutsu" (if you are reading this article and have time, you can solve the problem of calculation without looking at "Jutsu"). Please try it).
By incorporating the experience of ``solving a calculation problem'' after purchasing a souvenir, we are sure to create a different kind of communication than with traditional souvenirs when handing out souvenirs. The main purchasing group for existing souvenirs was women in their 30s and 40s, but we aimed to capture new purchasing groups such as students.

Collaboration withNPO organizations

All three types of math problems used in the product were provided by NPO WASAN, an organization that promotes Wasan. NPO WASAN holds a "Let's Make Mathematical Tablets Contest" every year and dedicates the winning works to Kanda Myojin Shrine. We have selected three types from among the Buddhist tablets that have been dedicated so far, taking into account the ease of solving the problems and the design of the designs. Thanks to the kind cooperation of NPO WASAN, we were able to use the problem of Sangaku, which is related to Kanda Myojin, as a motif for our products. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again.

Official website of NPO WASAN, a group that spreads Wasan
NPO Wasan (WASAN) Specified non-profit organization Association for the Promotion of Wasan (i-wasan.sakura.ne.jp)

Now, sales start!

State of the sales floor

Aiming at Golden Week, when the Kanda Festival is popular, the products will be sold for a limited period of about one month from early May 2023.
Food products can only be on store shelves for a limited period of time, and they need to be in the hands of many people in a short period of time.
Here I would like to introduce some of the sales, initiatives, and final results.

Where should foreign tourists look? Tips for creating English version POP
Since many foreign tourists visit Kanda Myojin, we decided to install an English POP.
Do you know the points that foreign tourists pay attention to when purchasing souvenirs?
They are "ingredients."
Compared to Japanese people, there are many people who cannot eat certain foods due to religious reasons or their own will.
When we listed the ingredients in English on the POP, overseas customers also purchased our products.

POP photos

I heard that there is a calculation amount...

Furthermore, when we advertised using three accounts: (1) IKIIKI's X, (2) NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's Instagram, and (3) Nomura Kogeisha's The information for the building EDOCCO has arrived.
In the process of researching shrines, we came across the culture of ``Sangaku''.
I never thought Japan had such an interesting culture! I would like many people to know about it! I chose the mathematical tablet as the motif for my products, and I was most happy that my thoughts were conveyed to the visitors through the sale of my products.

Click here for the post
EDOCCO SHOP IKIIKI/X (old Twitter): https://x. com/ES_ikiiki/status/1657166651941613568?s=20　
EDOCCO SHOP IKIIKI/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsKYOAoLjzM/?img_index=1　
NOMURA Co., Ltd. /X (old Twitter): https://x.com/NomuraKougeisha/status/1657951667327995904?s=20　

What is the final result...?

After the one-month sales period, we received a report from Mr. Onuma of Nomura Medias, who operates IKIIKI, and Mr. Tominaga, the store manager.

Nomura Medias/Mr. Onuma
This product is an "original product" and a "food product with an expiration date," and unfortunately it did not rank high in the sales rankings, making it difficult to continue selling it. However, the planners gave me ideas that I wouldn't normally think of, which was helpful.

EDOCCO SHOP IKIIKI Manager/Mr. Tominaga
Many people purchased the products individually, and the main demographic was elderly people over 50 years old.
There were more women than men, and people of European and American descent also purchased the products.

I witnessed firsthand the severity of the mission of creating Kanda Myojin's famous souvenirs.
Since food products have expiration dates, it is not possible to keep a large amount in stock. This result made me think about the criteria for determining the "close call," which I had not thought about before the sale.
Additionally, there appears to be a discrepancy between the target audience we initially set and the actual purchasing demographic. After analyzing the number of visitors to Kanda Myojin Shrine, we decided to target students with potential for growth, but we had no idea how to reach that target audience. I experienced first-hand how difficult it is to deliver a single product to a target audience and continue to make a profit.

In this way, we experienced the process of product development through the planning, development, and sale of ``Sangaku Ema Senbei'', which aims to become a new souvenir from Kanda Myojin Shrine.
However, when it comes to "developing souvenirs from Kanda Myojin Shrine," we have great seniors at our company.

Do you know this product?

Its name is ``Shrine Cheer''. It is one of the famous souvenirs of Kanda Myojin Shrine, which is pronounced "ginger ale" in four kanji characters.
This product became a hot topic on Twitter (currently known as X) when it was first released, and in recent years it has also been sold in packages in collaboration with the VTuber group. Mr. Sakatsume, who developed this product, has worked on many product developments for Kanda Myojin Shrine and other commercial facilities.
From here, we will ask our senior colleague, Mr. Sakatsume, about his honest impressions of ``Sangaku Ema Senbei'' and the key points of product development, and explore the connection between our main business of space creation and product development. Masu.

Click here if you want to know the secret behind the development of “Shrine Cheer”! ↓
Ginger ale at the shrine! How to create a buzzing hit product (nomurakougei.co.jp)

The conversation begins by thinking about the story with the aim of “creating a topic”!

Yamaguchi
Thank you for your cooperation today.
First of all, thank you for purchasing "Sangaku Ema Senbei". Please tell us your honest opinion.

Sakazume
The taste was definitely delicious.
However, I felt that it was a product that made it difficult to imagine who to give it to. There are math question papers included in the bag, but they are so difficult that I wouldn't imagine handing them over to small children. It would have been better to say more about who you want the product to go to when promoting it. I don't think POP had any information on who to give it to.

Yamaguchi
As for the scene I was thinking of
"Candidates and their parents purchase the product and try to solve difficult questions while eating the product.”.
As an action within the culture of Sangaku, someone writes a Sangaku with all their might on an ema and dedicates it to them, saying, ``Try to solve this!'' The people who come look at the ema and try to solve the Sangaku. There is something called a challenge. I found it very interesting, so I wanted to incorporate that experience into my products.
The release date has shifted from the initial plan (December 2022 to January 2023), making it difficult to appeal to the intended target audience of examinees and their parents. In fact, after listening to the store manager's story, I felt that we were not able to reach the target audience that we had originally intended.

 
江戸時代、暮らしの中や遊びの中には算があふれていました。
（左）『絵本珍口記』画：西川祐信 書：甘霖（国文研等所蔵）／データ提供元：ROIS-DS人文学オープンデータ共同利用センター(CODH)
（右）『解見題』著：関孝和

Sakazume
I see. It would have been nice if they could have shown more of the story behind Sangaku and Kanda Myojin.
From my experience, I think that appealing in terms of academics and studies narrows down the target audience, which is why it was difficult in terms of selling products. Few people know that the culture of Sangaku can be compared to, for example, votive tablets and Shichi-Go-San.
Since the theme was to make souvenirs from Kanda Myojin, I can understand why they were particular about using the ``Sangaku'' as a motif, which has a special connection to Kanda Myojin. It would have been easier to understand if there had been some other hook, such as explaining the story on the package instead of just including the question paper.

Yamaguchi
thank you.
I certainly wish we could have promoted the ``Let's Make Mathematical Tablets Contest'' in more places.

Sakazume
Have you had any discussions about whether or not this product will become popular?

Nakata
It wasn't done in the beginning. Towards the end of the game, when I started thinking about what to do with the sales floor, I started public relations activities using Twitter (currently known as X) and advertising using POP.
Mr. Sakazume, you have worked on many products that have gone viral, but at what stage of product development do you start thinking about creating a buzz?

Sakazume
As for `` Daikokusama Sable'' at Kanda Myojin Shrine, we had the intention from the beginning to target students on school trips as the main target. I individually wrap them so that my relatives can buy them and give them away. There's also something called ``Shobuku Monaka,'' which started with the idea that there weren't many products for women. We created a product with a clover-shaped package that easily conveys the theme of ``bringing happiness.''
``Sangaku Ema Senbei'' has elements of both Sangaku and Ema, so it might have been better to construct the story based on one or the other.

Nakata
Actually, I've been thinking about it for a while.
Maybe we'll sell a set of ema-shaped cookies and chocolate pens so you can write your wishes on them.

Sakazume
I don't really want to show my wishes to others, so a product that allows you to write your own wishes and then eat them might be surprisingly good.
It is important to imagine the situation in which it is needed, draw a story that will create a buzz, and come up with a product.

Looking for a “partner” to create charm

Tokunaga
In product development, I think it depends on the content of the project whether to place more emphasis on cost (delivery costs and production costs) or quality (product quality).
This time, cost was our top priority, but we had a hard time striking a balance with the quality of the packaging and included items. Mr. Sakazume, how do you think and make decisions on a daily basis?

Sakazume
For example, for ``Shrine Cheer,'' we focused on quality even if it cost a little more.
At this time, we developed products with Tomasu Soft Drinks, a beverage manufacturer in Saga, and they were creating products with such high quality and originality that no other company could match.
So, at first I was thinking of ordering from a beverage company located as far away as Shizuoka Prefecture, but after seeing the product, I reconsidered that even if shipping costs were added to the selling price, I could outperform the competition on quality.

Tokunaga
``Shrine Cheer'' is a nice-looking product, but was there anything you paid particular attention to in terms of the quality of the packaging?

Sakazume
One of the things we are particular about is that we have made the labels transparent. For example, during festivals, they may be put in ice water and sold in dobuzuke. At that time, paper labels would peel off, which would be uncool, wouldn't it?
I also made the bottle with an ``anchor shoulder'', which is unusual for a beverage, so that it can be worn as a charm around the neck.
We also asked a graphic designer who often works for shrines to design the label.

Tokunaga
The first step in creating an attractive product is choosing a partner.

Creating unique value through space creation and product development

Yamaguchi
Lastly, I would like to ask you about what happens after product development.
I felt that ``Shrine Cheer'' is a wonderful project that does not end with product development, as it is a recycling initiative in which 5 yen (good fortune) is returned by returning the bottle to Kanda Myojin Shrine.

Sakazume
The idea behind it was to "encourage those who purchased it to come back to Kanda Myojin again."
That's why we also give it out as a surprise to those who finish it on the spot.
When you make a formal visit to the main shrine, there is a tradition of giving a sacred sake as a return gift at the end, but at Kanda Myojin, people now give you a ``shrine cheer'' instead.

Yamaguchi
Planning and design extends to consumer behavior.
With the products we have developed, we can improve the experience of the spaces we create and attract customers.
I felt that this was an added value that we, a space creation company, could provide to clients.

Sakazume
The same goes for making EDOCCO and souvenirs to put there.
For example, when building a cafe, our company does not only create the facility, but also handles the content of the cafe menu and various graphics such as POP.
There would be no point in NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's efforts if it were just to create a cafe for people to take a break.

Nakata
As NOMURA Co., Ltd., we are required to enrich the experience in the space.

Sakazume
I agree. After all, our main business is creating spaces, so we can't develop products without gaining experience.
However, if you have someone with experience, you can do it, so I hope you will continue to take on the challenge.

Yamaguchi, Nakata, Tokunaga
It was very helpful. Thank you for today!

What I felt through the project

Yamaguchi
I belong to a department that handles corporate communication facilities. Client companies sometimes request novelty proposals for museums and factory tour facilities. Taking products home will also bring back spatial experiences that remind you of your time at the facility, and it will also create long-term contact between companies and consumers, so I would like to continue to be involved in product development if the opportunity arises. I did.

Nakata
I am usually involved in creating spaces where users engage in consumer behavior, such as entertainment spaces and commercial facilities. Being able to offer proposals from the perspective of product development for the experience of "buying things" will likely be of great use in the future. At that time, I would like to actively think about ways to create a buzz about our products that will increase the number of visitors.

Tokunaga
I am usually involved in building cultural facilities such as museums and science museums. This time, when I was involved in product development, I realized the importance of choosing a partner. Someday, I would like to work with creators and companies connected to the area to create ``museum souvenirs'' that create a wonderful story with the facility. Actually, there is a planner in my department who is knowledgeable about product development. I would like to follow his example and prepare for when the opportunity arises someday.

By improving the experience, a mere space becomes a one-of-a-kind space.
Through this product development, I realized that there are various measures that can be taken to improve the experience, and one of them is ``products that can only be purchased at that location,'' such as souvenirs.
As professionals in space creation, all of us at the project would like to continue to take on the challenge of developing products that improve the experience of space if we have the opportunity.
Last but not least,
We would like to thank the NPO WASAN for kindly giving us permission to use the award-winning work (Sangaku).
Everyone involved in Kanda Myojin Shrine, Mr. Tominaga, the manager of EDOCCO, who cooperated with the interview,
To Mr. Onuma of Nomura Medias and everyone involved in the project who watched over the progress.
I sincerely thank you. thank you very much.

Kanda Myojin official website link
Home｜Edo Soshinju Kanda Myojin (kandamyoujin.or.jp)

EDOCCO official website
EDOCCO Kanda Myojin Cultural Exchange Center (kandamyoujin.or.jp)

Official website of NPO WASAN, a group that spreads Wasan
NPO Wasan (WASAN) Specified non-profit organization Association for the Promotion of Wasan (i-wasan.sakura.ne.jp)