Japan Has Perfected the Niche Business Model. Just Ask These ‘Boneheads’
- Kadoya Sesame Mills of Japan has stuck to one niche business
- Generations of families have made the oil on a small island
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On a small island known for olives and wild monkeys in western Japan, Rika Onishi spends her days tasting and sniffing sesame oil. She’s one of a small group of Kadoya Sesame Mills Inc. employees who make sure the oil always has the same taste and aroma. “We’re getting customers to eat this, so we need to take it seriously,” she says.
Founded in 1858, Kadoya imports sesame seeds from Africa and turns them into the edible oil commonly used in Japanese and other Asian cuisines. Generations of families have worked at Kadoya’s sole plant on Shodoshima island, meticulously producing thousands of tons of oil a year.