500 Years with Wagashi: The Traditional Japanese Confectioner TORAYA

500 Years with Wagashi: The Traditional Japanese Confectioner TORAYA

Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 12:45 – 1:45 PM (Lunch will be provided) 
Room 640, Geffen Hall, Columbia Business School

Featuring: Mitsuharu Kurokawa, President, TORAYA Confectionery Co. Ltd.

Moderator: Ryoko Ogino, Managing Director; Co-Founder, Japanese Management Leadership Program, CJEB

Outreach Partner: Global Family Enterprise Program, Columbia Business School

Note: This event is limited to Columbia Business School community members and CJEB affiliates.
 

What you'll learn:

• How TORAYA has successfully balanced 500 years of cultural heritage with modern governance strategies to sustain a thriving, 18-generation family enterprise
• The business and craftsmanship behind wagashi (traditional Japanese confections) and how TORAYA adapts its brand and products to meet shifting consumer tastes, modern lifestyle trends, and a changing global market without compromising its foundational values
• Mr. Kurokawa’s goals for his generation of leadership and the future of TORAYA, as well as his upbringing and trusting relationship with his father, the 17th-generation leader

Biography:

Mitsuharu Kurokawa is the 18th-generation president of TORAYA Confectionery Co. Ltd., one of Japan’s oldest and most respected family enterprises, founded in Kyoto in the early 16th century. He joined TORAYA in 2008 and gained experience across manufacturing, retail operations, and international business units, including production at the Tokyo factory and operations management at TORAYA Paris. Since becoming President in 2020, he has led the company’s strategic balance between preserving five centuries of artisanal wagashi heritage and driving modern, customer-centric innovation. Mr. Kurokawa earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Babson College.

Admission and Contact: 

You must register to attend this event in person.

Special Notes:
● This event is limited to Columbia Business School community members and CJEB affiliates.
● This event will not be livestreamed. 
● Please be advised that this event may be photographed, so your image may appear on our website later. If this is an issue, please let us know.
● Please bring a government-issued ID or Columbia University ID to access Columbia Business School

If you have questions about the event, please contact us at cjeb@gsb.columbia.edu.